• “And the cooking–a bit of this, a bit of that–suddenly begins to come together,” declares J. Gold on Jason Travi’s reinvention of Riva as a stuzzichini joint, having previously thought it “a bit unfocused.” “[LA Weekly]
• “This is not the place for a quick little dinner. Quenioux’s food is elaborate and takes time to prepare,” spake S. Irene Virbila on Bistro LQ, as she happily munches barbecued frog’s legs and duck gizzard pastry, hating only on the trio of foie gras. [LAT]
• “Challenging, well-executed small plates” abound at “flashy and loud” Bottlerock’s downtown locale in L.A. Live, according to L.A. Mag. [L..A Magazine]
• “What you want are mutton kebabs– as many as you can afford; lozenges of rich meat interspersed with tiny cubes of lamb fat that turn crisp and lubricate the meat as it cook,” advises J. Gold on Feng Mao Chinese Muslim barbecue in Koreatown, before taking a bite of some nearly tasteless bull penis. [L.A. Weekly]
• “Boa has morphed into one of the city’s grandest restaurants,” enthuses Brad A. Johnson about the new space before designating their strip steak as possibly our city’s best. [Angeleno]
• “There is better Italian to be found, but for this neighborhood, it’s one more sign of a restaurant culture growing up,” sneers L.A. Magazine at new Italian Domenico in Silverlake. [L.A. Mag]
• “We knew Julia over the years and Streep captured her in every nuance - so much so that from now on, people are likely to remember Streep playing Julia as the real Julia,” gush Tim and Nina Zagat over Julie and Julia, before saying the storyline falls slightly flat . [Zagat]
• “The kitchen has all of the bases covered when it comes to main courses…this is real food,” says S. Irene Virbila on Orange County’s Park Ave. while loving the lobster mac n’ cheese and Texas antelope medallions. [LAT]
