By Larry Levine –
It sounded like a simple request. I asked the co-hosts at the restaurant web site atLarrys.com, to name meals or restaurants they enjoyed in 2010 that they would like to reprise in 2011. I asked for three top-of-the-head instinctive responses.
Eleven of us weighed in and compiled a list of 32 choices that would satisfy a somewhat eclectic array of taste buds.
Once I listed my own three choices, I realized why six atLarrys.com co-hosts might have opted not to play. Seconds after I finished typing my list (do we call it typing when it’s on a computer – keyboarding sounds funny) I began to think of all the places and meals that didn’t make the list. How could I leave out Melisse in Santa Monica, one of my two favorite restaurants in the state? How could I not mention the gnocchi verde at Panzanella? What happened to Asanebo and all that wonderful sushi. I knew I would be back at each of these many times in the year ahead but the rules called for only three.
In tossing this task to our co-hosts I did not place any geographic restrictions on their choices. I asked them to name places they would want to reprise in 2011, even if there was little or no chance they would actually be back at those places.
Here, then, are the 32 places and meals the co-hosts at atLarrys.com selected as 2010 favorites they would like to repeat in 2011:
Jeff Daar
An amazing steak at an outdoor table at Don Julio – Guatemala 4699, Buenos Aires, Argentina – 54-11-4832-6058
A veal chop at Drago Centro – 525 S. Flower St., #120, Los Angeles CA – (213) 228-8998
Japanese chili peppers and soft shell crab roll at Kushiyu – 18713 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana CA – (818) 609-9050
Elias Davis
Red Corner Asia – 5267 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood CA – (323) 466-6722
An amazing parrilla lunch at La Chacra – Av. Cordoba 941 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – 11/4322-1409
Savory – 29269 Heathercliff Rd., Malibu CA (310) 589-8997
Larry Dietz
A 5-dish set price meal for $30 at Chichen Itza in the Mercado Paloma – 3655 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles – (213) 741-1075
Pescado Tikin-xik, the bass with achoite and colored by xcatic chilies at La Huasteca – 3150 E. Imperial Hwy., Lynwood CA – (310) 537-8800
Duck confit at Gramercy Tavern – 42 E. 20th St., N.Y . NY – (212) 477-0777
Tony Fazio
Polo en mole at San Jalisco Mexican Restaurant – 901 S. Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA – (415) 648-8383
Veal saltimbocca at Restaurant Buon Gusto – 224 Grand Ave., South San Francisco, CA – (650) 742-9776
Steak strips with black pepper sauce in a crispy nest – Hon Lin, 500 San Mateo Ave., San Bruno, CA – (650) 872-2288
Lenn Grabiner
Church and State – 1850 Industrial St., Los Angeles CA – (213) 405-1434
Fraiche – 9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City CA – (310) 839-6800
Bilal – 1117 W Manchester Boulevard Suite G, Inglewood CA – (310) 641 – 4435
Victor Griego
Caro’s salad at Homegirl Café – 130 W. Bruno St., Los Angeles CA – (323) 526-1254
Sea food pasta at Cafe Verse – 961 E. Green Street, Pasadena CA – (626) 356- 9811
Julio Burger ‘n Fries at The Bucket – 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles CA – (323) 257-5654
Larry Levine
Cesar salad made tableside, veal picatta and canolis at de’ Medici Cucina Italiana – 815 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA – (619) 702-7228
Calamari fritti starter before any meal at Biba – 2801 Capitol Ave., Sacramento, CA – (916) 455-2422
Frogs legs at Le Sanglier – 5522 Crebs Ave., Tarzana, CA – (818) 345-0470
Lloyd Levine
The total unique experience and excellent food at The Kitchen – 2225 Hurley Way, Sacramento, CA – (916) 568-7171
Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc – 6476 Washington St. Yountville, CA – (707) 944-2487
Sampling the creativity of the new young chefs at Greystone at the Culinary Institute of America – 2555 Main St., St. Helena CA – (707) 967-1010
Michelle Reynolds
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company – 1075 E. 20th St., Chico CA – (530) 345-2739
Lüke Restaurant – 333 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans LA – (504)378-2840�
Zuni Cafe – 658 Market St., San Francisco, CA – (415) 552-2522
Larry Sheingold
BBQ beef ribs at Louie Meuller – 206 W. 2nd St., Taylor TX – (512) 352-6206
Crawfish etouffe with black pepper biscuit and pecan pie with caramel sauce at Brigtsen’s – 723 Dante St., New Orleans LA – (504) 861-7510
Posole at Topolobampo – 445 N. Clark St., Chicago. IL – (312) 661-1434
David Takashima
Chicken/beef sticks, “the works” and liiko-chiffon pie at Hamura Saimin – 2956 Kress St., Lihue, Kauai HI – (808) 245-3271
Any fish dish, particularly the poki (tuna), when they have it, at Mama’s Fish House – 799 Highway 36 (the Hana Highway) just outside Paia, Maui HI – (808) 579-8488
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You can become acquainted with each of these co-hosts by viewing their photos and reading their biographies at http://www.atLarrys.com, the sister web site to this online food magazine.
There are 180 recommendations for restaurants in California at atLarrys.com. In addition there are 129 recommendations for restaurants throughout the rest of the world, including 24 other states, the District of Columbia and 13 other countries. The site has drawn visitors from 38 nations.
