Four Full Stars For Patina, Curious Creations at The Slaw Dogs

1) Patina: Patina won't remain empty for long because today SIV declares newish chef Tony Esnault "hands down, the best chef that founder Joachim Splichal has had in years" leaving the restaurant a coveted four star review. Absolutely no complaints from SIV, from the food to the wine to the service:

This latest iteration of Patina sneaks up and reminds the unwary and the jaded just why fine dining matters. The restaurant is a place where everything — the ambience, the service, the food and the wine work seamlessly to create a sense of occasion. It's the time to slow down, to savor the food and the company. A moment outside of the everyday, and a rare indulgence.

Sher also reminds us that "Splichal has mentored a good many of L.A.'s top chefs...But Esnault arrives as a fully formed talent with his own ideas about how to meld French techniques with a California sensibility. What I love about his food is its balance and grace. This is quietly confident cooking, delicious by any measure." [LAT]

2) The Slaw Dogs: The Goldster doesn't trek too far from home turf where he choses to visit The Slaw Dogs after feeling "puzzled by its constant crowds, its hundreds of Yelp mentions, and the attentions of dozens of bloggers." What is The Slaw Dogs? "...A new, family-run doggery with a sideline in artisanal root beers and freshly cooked Belgian fries...part of the new movement in Los Angeles cooking, the one where Asian-American chefs claim the chicken-pot pie, the taco and the Cobb salad as their own, relating the dishes back to similar ones in Thailand, Korea and Taiwan, but celebrating the differences in culinary culture rather than trying to bury them in a flurry of catsup and processed cheese. In the end, The Slaw Dogs has more in common with Kogi and the Starry Kitchen than it does with Wurstkuche, with Chego or Good Girl Dinette than with Let's Be Frank. The dogs, which are high-quality franks from Chicago's Vienna Sausage, are good, but the emphasis is clearly neither in their formulation nor on unusual sourcing — it is on what is done with them, whether wrapping them with jalapeño bacon in a Parmesan crisp as with the Holy Roller, tucking it under the pastrami in a classic Reuben sandwich, or burying it in barbecue sauce and potato salad, like a hot dog you'd find in an ice chest that accidentally tipped over in the back of the SUV. Are there kimchi fries? Of course there are kimchi fries." [LAW]

The Elsewhere: The Find discovers thin crust pizzas at Eatalian Cafe, Diane Takes A Bite visits Viet Noodle Bar, Food Je T'Aime does French at Anisette, My Last Bite samples an Italian-themed lunch at The Peninsula, Exile Kiss eats Dalian cuisine at Tasty Noodle House, and LA and OC Foodventures hits up Hatfield's.

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Patina

141 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012 213-972-3331 Visit Website

Patina

141 South Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA, 90012