GAYOT's Blog

by Sophie Gayot

Last Monday, September 26, 2011, traffic was impossible in West Hollywood, California, as President Obama was holding a private fundraising campaign dinner at Fig & Olive restaurant on Melrose Place. I was not able to attend the $17,900 per person event, as I was on a plane flying from Paris to Los Angeles.

So last night, I decided to go there for dinner with the president… not Obama, but Laurent Halasz, the president of the Fig & Olive restaurants! I wanted to know all of the details of the evening of the 26th, which had became national news. I kept trying, but basically got nothing besides the fact that all went very well and that Obama was very courteous. After dinner, I headed into the kitchen, smiled at the chef de cuisine Mitchel Ramos, and got a happy face as the only form of response.

Continue reading “Fig & Olive And Its Presidents” »

by Sophie Gayot

Besides writing about restaurants, I frequently get the opportunity to talk about them on radio and television. On September 11th, I was a guest on chef Susan Irby’s radio show on 790 KABC-AM Los Angeles. If you missed it, here is a chance to listen to the conversation I had with The Bikini Chef about new restaurants in the Los Angeles area

If you take the time, you will find out which local chefs impressed me recently: Ricardo Zarate at Picca Peruvian Cantina, Jeff Mahin at Stella Rossa Pizza Bar, David LeFevre at M.B. Post, Adam Horton at Raphael and Scott Conant at Scarpetta at Montage Beverly Hills.

Keep coming back to GAYOT.com for more Los Angeles Restaurant News, Restaurant Reviews, Culinary Events and Los Angeles Wine Events.

by Sophie Gayot

When dining at a restaurant, things can sometimes go wrong. It could be a small detail, such as a fingerprint on the border of a black plate, or a big mistake, like the server accidentally spilling something on a customer.

When I dined recently at Café Pinot, I kept looking, searching, waiting for something wrong to pop up… and nothing happened. It was just a flawless evening, from the food of executive chef Kevin Meehan to the service under the direction of general manager Kevin Welby. Watch my exclusive video with chef Meehan, and read the newly-updated review of Café Pinot, and learn why we raised the rating. The downtown Los Angeles restaurant now has a rating of 15 on our 20-point scale.

Continue reading “When Nothing Goes Wrong” »

by Barnaby Hughes

When Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig I married Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in Munich, Germany, back in 1810, he probably couldn’t have imagined that he was beginning a new tradition – Oktoberfest. The original lasted for sixteen days and gave the world a new style of beer – Märzen, now often simply called Oktoberfest. Subsequent wedding anniversary celebrations evolved into Oktoberfest as we know it today, attracting millions to Munich every year. Fortunately, those of us on this side of the Atlantic don’t have to go all the way to Bavaria to observe Oktoberfest, since it is now celebrated in hundreds of cities throughout the U.S. Continue reading “Oktoberfest: Coming to a City Near You” »

by Sophie Gayot

The Resort at Pelican Hill, located in Newport Coast, California, between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, is just pure luxury. Hidden away from the busy southern California buzz by 50,000 acres of permanently protected, natural open space, parks and trails, the resort makes you feel like you have arrived worlds away. There is no big hotel structure, but 204 bungalow guest rooms and suites, 128 villas (two-, three- and four bedrooms), and two Tom Fazio 18-hole golf courses on the 504-acre secluded property. Continue reading “Pure Luxury & Pasta” »

by Barnaby Hughes

What better way to unwind on a Friday evening after a long work week than with great wines, light bites, fashion, photography and live jazz? All this and more was available at an event organized by Jean-Baptiste Dhalluin, owner and founder of Los Angeles Wine Tasting. This unassuming French ex-pat, who works for French wine importer Return to Terroir, really knows how to throw a party. His 60s Soiree took place recently at the LA Theater Center on Spring Street, just a stone’s throw away from his trendy downtown loft. This former bank building, with its expansive two-story lobby, ceiling skylights and underground bank vault bathrooms, is an ideal venue for such an occasion. Continue reading “Los Angeles Wine Tasting 60s Soiree: Party Like It’s 1961!” »

by Sophie Gayot

We had dinner at Eva Restaurant in Los Angeles soon after it opened in 2009. Since then, we kept running into chef/owner Mark Gold at different charity events where he donated his time and food. He kept telling us to come back to his restaurant, saying, “Things have changed, I have a new kitchen, I have done some remodeling, blah, blah, blah….” Continue reading “One More Point for Eva Restaurant” »

by Sophie Gayot
 
I was lucky to be a judge at the Los Angeles Epicurean Festival held today at the Sofitel Los Angeles, as I did not have to stand in line to enter the event. The line stretched from the second floor all the way to the hotel’s driveway. The Festival brought together culinary specialties and wines & spirits for visitors to discover or rediscover. There was also a competition where I had to pick the winning team along with my fellow judges: sommelier Mark Mendoza (Comme Ça), Josiah Citrin (Mélisse), Franck Savoy (director of restaurants for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas), Michel Richard (Citronelle) and Michel Cornu (Hospitality Culinary Director for Boisset Estates).

Continue reading “The Winners Are Double Winners!” »

by Sophie Gayot

Yesterday, I found a great way to finish my weekend. I drove along the Pacific on Route 1, also called Pacific Coast Highway or PCH by the locals, heading to Beau Rivage restaurant in Malibu, California. You are saying, “Another restaurant?” Yes, but not quite. I was going for a night of “Magic & Wine.”

Continue reading “Magical Moments Along the Pacific” »

by Sophie Gayot

The first time I discovered chef Ricardo Zarate’s Peruvian cuisine was at his original restaurant Mo-Chica which was lost somewhere in downtown Los Angeles. It looked more like a food court than an actual restaurant. But when I saw the plates of other patrons as they passed by my table, I knew it was going to be good. At the end of dinner, Zarate told me that he was going to open another style of Peruvian restaurant in West Los Angeles. After my dinner at Mo-Chica, I had high expectations for his new place. A few weeks ago I headed to Picca on Pico Blvd., and I was not disappointed at all. Watch my exclusive video interview with chef Zarate to get a first glimpse at what he has created at his new restaurant. Also, read my just published review of Picca restaurant.
Continue reading “Lines for Chef Zarate’s Peruvian Cuisine” »

« Newer Posts — Older Posts »