It's the Economy, Stupid

See, times a are tough. With rising food costs, a crumbling economy, and the public's general tightening of purse strings, LA's top chefs have to make some adjustments. Some, like Michel Richard at Citrus at Social, are going more bistro; others are adding special prix fixe menus and deals on slow nights, and then there's Tom Colicchio: "I'm not going to start buying inferior products and lowering my prices a little bit just to try to bring in more people...Remember, we're in the hospitality business and the implication is that we're here to nourish people's stomachs, but also somehow to make them feel better when they leave than when they came in. That's especially true these days when everyone's sitting there watching their 401(k)s dwindle." [LAT]