GAYOT's Blog

by Sophie Gayot

I was not the only one dining at über-chef Wolfgang Puck’s new restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air on a recent visit (luckily for the restaurant). The multi-talented Randy Jackson, who has been a judge on American Idol since 2002 — longer than anyone else — was sitting next to me. I had dined with him before, and know he is a gourmet, so I was not surprised to see him there. As we know, he is a tough judge — nice and fair, but tough…

My judging of the dinner: very good California cuisine, with precise execution, that grants the restaurant a GAYOT.com rating of 16 out 20. Here is the explanation of the GAYOT.com rating system.

For more about Hotel Bel-Air, read my October blog post, which I wrote after touring the hotel a few days before it opened.

The General’s Art

by Alain Gayot

The automobile is not only a favored mode of transportation but also an objet d’art. Cars are designed not just to be driven, but to be looked at and admired. They often come in flashy, eye-catching colors, adorned with shiny chrome and festooned with insignia, spoilers and racing stripes. Some are even displayed in museums and art galleries.

In the right hands, food and wine can be art as well. Emphasizing the artful connection between gourmet food and wine and fine automobiles, Buick has hired top chefs to help them market their line of cars. Together with sponsor Food & Wine magazine, Buick is taking its Discovery Tour around the country. We had the pleasure of playing “art critic” when the tour pulled into the SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills this past weekend.

Continue reading “Buick Food & Wine” »

by Sophie Gayot

My assistant has typed up hundreds of photo captions of menu items. But after typing the captions for the gallery below, he couldn’t help but comment for the first time, “That menu seems very interesting.” He is right. And more than that, the wild game menu created by Chris Crary, chef de cuisine at Whist at the Viceroy Santa Monica, was creative, intelligent and sexy; pretty much what we look for when we go out for a fine dining experience.

By chance, the evening of the dinner was right after Chris Crary was voted off season 9 of the TV show Top Chef, where he was competing. Trust me, the dinner I enjoyed was created by a chef who is at the top of his game. I foresee a great future for Crary!

Continue reading “A TOP Chef, for Sure” »

by Sophie Gayot

Our team of writers and editors are working hard to compile the 2012 edition of the GAYOT.com Restaurant Issue, which includes GAYOT.com’s Top 40 Restaurants in the US, to be published soon. Subscribe now to be among the first to learn about the latest culinary trends, rising chefs, the restaurateur of the year, and much more.

Mélisse in Santa Monica has been on our Top 40 list since 2006. Take a look at the video interview above with chef/owner Josiah Citrin to see what it takes to rank consistently as one of the best restaurants in the country. Then join our community and post your ideas for what restaurants you believe should be on this select list.

Continue reading “Top 40 Time” »

by Sophie Gayot

Have you ever wondered: “What exactly is molecular gastronomy?” Read GAYOT.com’s guide to this avant-garde cuisine or taste it for yourself by dining at one of GAYOT.com’s Top 10 Molecular Gastronomy Restaurants in the U.S.

If you are in the Los Angeles area this month, you can try chef Ryan Carson’s molecular creations during four pop-up dinners at Tiato in Santa Monica on January 18, 19, 25 & 26.

To see what you might expect, watch my exclusive video interview with chef Carson, filmed at Tiato during a December pop-up dinner. You can reserve seats for the upcoming events by calling Tiato at 310-866-5228. The dinners get booked very fast, so if you are not able to join this series there will be more in February and March, with some in Orange County. For more information, go to http://chefryancarson.com/.

Continue reading “Molecular Extravaganza” »

by Sophie Gayot

For whatever reason, Celestino Drago is closing his restaurant Drago in Santa Monica at the end of January. We are sad to see it go, but we are happy because Celestino is working on some new projects.

His Angeleno story started when he arrived in Southern California from Sicily at the age of 22. His restaurant Drago rapidly became a success, and has been Celestino’s flagship for twenty-one years! He later went on to open Enoteca Drago and Il Pastaio, both in Beverly Hills, and DRAGO Centro in a gorgeous space downtown LA.

Continue reading “Viva Celestino Drago!” »

by Sophie Gayot

For my “official” last meal of 2011, I chose to go to Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan’s new restaurant Milo & Olive, named after their one-year-old son Milo. The place is as cute and small as a baby, and the parents can be proud of it.

Watch my exclusive video interview with them, filmed in the bakery located in the back, to discover this new venue; and read the just-published review in our restaurant section.

Continue reading “A Newborn in Santa Monica” »

by Sophie Gayot

If you are going through Los Angeles International Airport (aka LAX) and are looking for a restaurant for dinner, Paparazzi at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel is a very good option — and there are not that many in the vicinity. If you are close by and craving a nice Italian culinary voyage, don’t hesitate to go there. (The hotel is located on the north side of West Century Boulevard, so make sure to approach it from the right direction as it can be a challenge to make a U-turn on that busy road.)

Watch my exclusive video with chef Orazio Parisi, a true Sicilian native, to discover the restaurant and his personal recipe for tuna tartare. Read the just-published review in our restaurant section.

Continue reading “A Restaurant for Locals & Gourmet Travelers” »

by Sophie Gayot

When I walked in to dine at Maison Giraud a few nights ago, I looked at the space and — without yet taking a closer glance at the menu or plates on the tables — told Alain Giraud, “Congratulations on your new bistro!” (Hey, we’ve waited so long to find Giraud’s cuisine somewhere again, I was happy for him.)

He replied, “Sophie, this is not a bistro but a restaurant.”

Continue reading “Not a Bistro but a Restaurant” »

by Sophie Gayot

Today, more and more restaurants are adopting a small plates concept. And actually, I like that. First because, you get to try more dishes, so you experience more tastes and flavors. But also, because, most of the time, small plates means sharing with the people around the table. Isn’t that a great way to enjoy an evening out with your dining partners?

MEZZE restaurant, located in the former space of Sona, is one good example — in case you don’t know, “mezze” means “sharing” in Arabic. Watch my exclusive video interview with chef Micah Wexler, a Los Angeles native who has trained and cooked at Melisse, Patina, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, Craft in Los Angeles, and even in Spain and Italy. And read our review of the restaurant.

Continue reading “Don’t We Like Sharing?” »

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