Jonathan Gold Discusses Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica

Jonathan Gold lauds chef Jeremy Fox and his seasonal, inspired plates at Rustic Canyon, a popular Santa Monica wine bar now more buzzy than ever:

A year later, the burger is off the menu, the wine list seems equally strong in California Pinot Noir and oddball biodynamic bottles from the Loire, and the restaurant is a wine bar and somehow the restaurant of the moment; the perfect dining room in which to greet the early spring.

Even the kale salad is delicious, thoroughly massaged into submission and tossed with dates and Parmesan. If Fox can make raw kale taste good, imagine what he can do to that green pozole spiked with fresh mussels and clams.

B-Rod at LA Weekly gives a harsh one star review to chef Alex Reznik's New American kosher eatery Ditmas Kitchen: "...Thus far, it's been packed … And yet ... it's hard to tell exactly what's going wrong amidst all this activity and excitement, but something is definitely off … The disconnect becomes more clear when all those interesting ingredients start to arrive on the plate in front of you. There's simply no way Reznik is aiming for the food that's being delivered. I can't believe he means for the steak tartare to be too salty to eat, in spite of the fancy horseradish snow. If he's going to the trouble of making his own Kennebec fries, topping them with sage and togarashi, there's no way his intent is for them to be leaden with oil, limp and crisp-less." And while "[t]here are glimmers of the food Reznik is trying to serve," too many dishes fall flat. [LAW]

The Elsewhere: KevinEats at Colonia Taco Lounge, Mattatouille considers The Pie Hole, The Unemployed Eater files on Roadhouse LA, A Hamburger Today tries the bacon Insider at Jack In The Box, Darin Dines at Melisse, Eat: LA visits Olio Pizzeria, and Gastronomy samples Eatalian Cafe.