John Mariani Does LA

Although LA has lost its culinary luster in his eyes---"Wolfgang Puck hasn't opened anything interesting since Cut...the 2008 Michelin Guide didn't award a single L.A. restaurant a three-star rating"---Bloomberg food critic John Mariani hits two of our more high-profile debuts. About Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood: "Chef de Cuisine Andy Cook, who's worked in Ramsay kitchens in London and Tokyo, plays it safe with his master's menu, keeping the food simple, with subtle flavors that provide the local dining scene with more refinement than it's seen in a while." And on Alain Giraud and Anisette: "Some of Anisette's flaws seem due to its being overwhelmed by the crush of customers avid to claim a table here. What I'd really like to see is more of Giraud's exuberant personality in the food. Getting it all to come out right is fine; getting it to come out with distinction is better." [Bloomberg]