CELEBRITY CHEF RESTAURANTS IN LA
By Andrew Bender
For dineLA.com
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Laurent Tourondel |
It’s undoubtedly fitting for chefs to flock to LA. After all, this is the entertainment capital of the world, and what better place to take advantage of the country’s celebrity chef trend than Los Angeles? These days, star power rests in the hands of those who wield pots and pans. You might think that celebrity alone would be enough to bring in business, but LA’s growing restaurant savvy demands perfection, and these celebrity-chef restaurants have complied.
Recently, top chefs from around the world have joined the ranks of LA legends like Joachim Splichal (Patina group), Wolfgang Puck (Spago, Cut) and Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (Ciudad, Border Grill).
Osteria Mozza, the collaboration among Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich has been one of LA’s toughest tables to book since opening in 2007. The mozzarella bar has some dozen varieties, and diners are rapturous over a full-flavored Italian menu with Batali’s signature marks, flaunting items such as pancetta-wrapped quail. Next door, the osteria’s sister restaurant Pizzeria Mozza won honors for its pizza bianca, named one of Food & Wine’s best dishes of the year.
Century City is home to Craft, owned by New York-based chef Tom Colicchio, head judge on Bravo TV’s Top Chef series. It’s clubby food catering to the power crowd from neighboring CAA, agency to the stars. Think peekytoe crab gratin, braised beef short ribs and assorted mushrooms in a sleek atmosphere with soaring windows.
And Bon Appétit’s Restaurateur of the Year for 2007, Laurent Tourondel, could not have chosen a more Hollywood location for his West Coast outpost of BLT Steak. It’s in the former home of Le Dôme on the Sunset Strip, once frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Liza Minnelli. Grab a coveted people-watching spot on the balcony overlooking Sunset Boulevard. Steaks — USDA Prime to Japanese Kobe — come in cast-iron pans alongside signature dishes like tuna tartare with avocado and Gruyère popovers.
Patina, 141 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, 213.972.3331
Spago, 176 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.385.0880
Cut, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.276.8500
Ciudad, 445 S. Figueroa St. #100, Los Angeles, 213.486.5171
Border Grill, 1445 4th St., Santa Monica, 310.451.1655
Osteria Mozza, 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323.297.0100
Craft, 10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles, 310.279.4180
BLT Steak, 8720 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.360.1950
