Superlatives

Los Angeles Details ‘10 Delicious Debuts’ That You Already Know About

Save your $4.95
Save your $4.95 Photo: Hadley Tomicki

Los Angeles magazine has launched its new restaurant issue, promising a look at “10 Delicious Debuts.” So is it worth putting down your new, totally free copy of Jonathan Gold’s “99 Things to Try in L.A. Before You Die” and paying $4.95 for? Well, if you’re already reading Grub Street and have thumbed through Los Angeles this year, we think it’s fair to say “skip it.” Why?

While we can’t blame the mag for an untimely Audrey Saunders reference while reviewing The Tar Pit, their restaurant round-up feels even less “of-the-moment” while detailing Patrick Kuh’s top ten favorite new spots of 2009. These “new” places really aren’t so new to anyone with a passing familiarity with today’s food sites and the critic has covered them extensively in longer format reviews already. Is anyone surprised to see Rivera take top honors in March 2010, followed by Bistro LQ, Drago Centro, Tavern, and Mo-Chica after Kuh’s glowing reviews? Were recently debuted restaurants with rising star chefs like Lazy Ox, Marche, or Mercantile considered?

We always look forward to Kuh’s insightful criticism, but for food-fanatics, we expect something a little more surprising than a look at previously reviewed restaurants that are currently a year old or like Bouchon, have been critically examined inside and out. Even Saveur better managed to sum up the state of our food scene despite coming in from out of town. With Los Angeles’ food culture finally getting the recognition it deserves in its full breadth, we think it’s time Los Angeles finds a way to expand its coverage to include lesser known, but just as deserving eats, much like Gold musters and The L.A. Times has started with its regular “Finds.” Otherwise, Los Angeles will remain a magazine for the few, named for millions.

Let us know what you think of Los Angeles’ new restaurant issue in our comments.

March Issue [Los Angeles]

Los Angeles Details ‘10 Delicious Debuts’ That You Already Know About