GAYOT's Blog

by Sophie Gayot

If you missed Frank Mottek’s Business Hour radio show, which aired locally in LA on KNX1070 AM last Friday, April 6, here is another chance to listen to it. On the program, Mottek interviewed me about the Los Angeles restaurants which made the lists featured in the GAYOT 2012 Restaurant Issue.

The issue, which covers the US, includes lists in the following categories:
Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. – a tribute to the finest dining destinations in America
Top 10 New Restaurants in the U.S. – great places that opened recently
Top 10 Steakhouses in the U.S. – which chefs serve the best steak?
5 Rising Chefs – American chefs 30 and under who are making their mark
Top 10 Romantic Restaurants in the U.S. – appearing in the Restaurant Issue for the very first time
Top 10 Insider Picks in the U.S. – reveals where to dine for a taste of local flavor, good food and good times
and the U.S. Best Restaurateur of the Year.

Pretty in Pink, Blue, White and Green Suites

by Alain Gayot

Princes are graduating to kings thanks to The Peninsula Beverly Hills‘ recently remodeled suites. The year-long renovation transformed 193 guest rooms of the hotel, including luxurious villas and four individually designed suites – The Peninsula Suite, The Royal Patio Suite, The Grand Deluxe Suite (all three designed by Forchielli Glynn) and The Grand Deluxe Suite by Nancy Corzine. Each features its own color palette and style – The Peninsula Suite, or The Green Suite, has an “East-meets-West” feel; The Royal Patio Suite is nicknamed The White Suite for its cream-toned backgrounds and drapery; The Grand Deluxe Suite is also called The Pink Suite; and The Grand Deluxe Suite by Nancy Corzine, or The Blue Suite, showcases an ice blue palette accented with Venetian silver, cream and white, as well as Corzine’s signature line of furniture, textiles and lighting designs. Reservations begin at $6,000 for The Grand Deluxe Suite (Pink Suite), $6,795 for The Grand Deluxe Suite (Blue Suite), $7,000 for the The Peninsula Suite (Green Suite), $8,000 for The Royal Patio Suite (White Suite) and $9,700 for The Peninsula Villa.

Continue reading “The Peninsula Beverly Hills Completes Year-Long Renovation” »

 

by Sophie Gayot

Chef/owner Bruno Serato of the Anaheim White House restaurant and I are joining forces for the next event in the GAYOT Dinner Series on April 26th to benefit Caterina’s Club.

Caterina’s Club is a non-profit organization, founded by Bruno Serato in 2005, that focuses on feeding the youth of America. Serato’s mission has expanded to feeding nearly 300 kids, 7 nights a week, 365 days a year. More than a quarter of a million meals have been served to date in Orange County. His dedication earned Serato the honor of being named one of the CNN Heroes 2011. Each year only ten people, selected from more than 4,000 candidates, are awarded this prestigious recognition.

Continue reading “Eighth GAYOT.com Dinner Series” »

by Sophie Gayot

The picture behind über-chef Wolfgang Puck and me adorns the wall of one of Puck’s many kitchens in Los Angeles. The question is a good one: “What would Wolfgang do?” I think by now the celebrity chef who has catered the Governor’s Ball after the Academy Awards for the past eighteen years really knows what he is doing.

Look at the success of his vast restaurant empire. The latest baby in the basket is simply called Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. After the massive two-year renovation of the legendary hotel, there was no room for mistakes. Read the just-published review of the restaurant to see that none were made.

See inside the restaurant and dishes in our Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air photo gallery.

(Photo by Joseph Switzer)

by Sophie Gayot

Yesterday was Oscar day. Even though, the biggest night in Hollywood had not yet started, I decided to celebrate the winners while cruising on the Pacific Ocean.

There was only one way to do it for me: sabraging a bottle of Champagne with a backdrop that was worthy of the stars walking the red carpet. Yury Scheffler, the Russian vodka tycoon (Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya, among others), made it easy for me: his 134-meter (440-foot) yacht, Serene, was anchored in Santa Monica Bay.

Continue reading “Celebrating the 2012 Oscar Winners” »

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” »

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