New Show: Who's Dissing LA?

How could it be possible, you ask yourself, that LA is nearly completely overlooked as a culinary destination? We believe LA isn't just overlooked, it is actively pissed upon. Say you live in Los Angeles, the first and only restaurant that enters conversation from an outsider is Spago. Usually mispronounced Spago's as if his name were Wolfgang Spago. Everything else evokes a snobbish eye-roll, snide muttering, or offhand dismissal.

We don't really go into the background or reasoning for the dismissive attitude from non-Angelenos. In fact, we pin the blame squarely on East coasters while erroneously ignoring the greater diatribes sneezed down from San Franciscans. Eyes roll out of their sockets and float away from Northern Californians.

Nevertheless, Dan and I staunchly prostheletyze the merits of LA, as I always have in my writing here. We are continental, but LA-centric.

Like Las Vegas, Los Angeles was once home to itinerant chefs and flash-in-the-pan restaurants. Hollywood shrines like the Brown Derby and Chasen's have long since turned to piles of twisted metal and dust. The only Derby left, one mile from my house, is scheduled to be demolished, ending the last gasps of a faded dynasty.

LA has a funny reputation, by way of Old Hollywood, as being a phony glitzed-out facade while simultaneously creating some of the worlds strongest food trends. California Cuisine, created by Michael McCarty of Michael's, changed dining in the 80's. The 20's gave us the Cobb Salad (from the aforementioned Derby). Celebs travelling back from Tijuana, back when there was something worthwhile to see besides a donkey show, introduced the caeser salad. Adding avocado to anything is deemed uniquely LA. The french dip was invented here. Asian fusion began in Southern California.

The list goes on, but you get the picture. Los Angeles is the future of food. It is happening right now, right here.