LA’s 1984 Olympics Was a Showcase of California’s Culinary Talent

Return to the past

LA Magazine is out with a great feature on the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and the food from the Games that helped to define a cuisine. As the story goes, these Olympics were still fraught with political intrigue thanks to the ongoing Cold War, making something as simple as concession stand food a tool in a social arms race between democracy and Communism. But offering the Olympics an overabundance of fresh fruits and vegetables — as well as avocado soup and enchiladas — Los Angeles was able to showcase not only the breadth of California’s growing possibilities, but the wealth of living in a Western democracy. Go give the whole fantastic piece (complete with throwback photos) a read.

The garden grows

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are heading out to Malibu next, with plans to help operate a farm in the area that will supply some of the produce for their sprawling restaurant group. Reps for the team say there won’t be a restaurant component on site, just lots of produce.

New ramen

There’s a quiet new ramen shop open in Chinatown. It’s called Okiboru House of Tsukemen, and the focus here is on the thick, hearty dipping ramen noodle style so popular in cold-weather parts of the country. This newcomer sits at the ground floor of the mixed-used building at 635 N. Broadway, keeping lunch through dinner hours.

Winner, winner

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have jointly been awarded this year’s Julia Child Award by the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. The prize is meant to reward those who have “made a profound and significant difference in the way America cooks, eats and drinks,” and comes complete with a gala in November. Previous recipients include Danny Meyer, Rick Bayless, and Jacques Pepin.

Expensive burritos

TimeOut is on the trail of the $24 breakfast burrito at the NoMad in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s a hard price to swallow in a city where sub-$10 versions reign supreme, but apparently the NoMad’s is worth the price of admission.

Party at the Cat

The Hungry Cat in Hollywood is doing its 14th annual Crabfest this weekend. That means near-unlimited amounts of the stuff spread across four courses (crab soup, soft shell crab sandwich, etc.) plus a lobster roll bar, drinks, and more available a la carte. The Sunday event runs noon to 8 p.m., and tickets are $75 a head.