Review: Spago at middle age: Is Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant still relevant?

This week our two restaurant critics jointly consider one of Los Angeles’ dining behemoths and ask the question: Is Spago still relevant? This is Bill Addison’s review. Find Patricia Escárcega’s take here. Weighing the context and evolution of our...

Spago   

The first thing you notice about Sonoratown, the small counter-service taquería tucked amid the tailor shops and fabric outlets of downtown L.A.'s Fashion District, is the scent of mesquite-grilled steak that hangs in the air. The scent moves...

In the six months since Bill Addison and I joined the L.A. Times as co-restaurant critics, my personal highlight reel of phenomenally good Meals to Remember has blown up to embarrassing proportions. There have been rewarding late-night food truck...

Teddy's Red Tacos    Yours Truly    Kra Z Kai's BBQ    Sonoratown    Nightshade   

Stepping into Dear John’s in Culver City, my pupils dilate as far as they can. The dining room is as dark as a planetarium simulating deep space; the sparkle-coated drop ceiling above the bar glints like a far-off star system. As my eyes adjust, I...

Dear John's   

This is a town that understands the perils and possibilities of sequels. This is also a town that loves the restaurants of Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. Who could have predicted, when the Florida natives opened their Fairfax restaurant Animal in...