The new year is here, which means it's high time to update the Eater 38, your answer and ours to any question that begins, “Can you recommend a restaurant?” This highly elite group covers the entire city, spans myriad cuisines and collectively, satisfies all of your restaurant needs, save for those occasions when you absolutely must spend half a paycheck. Every month or so, we'll be adding pertinent restaurants that were omitted, have newly become eligible (restaurants must be open at least six months to qualify for inclusion), or have stepped up their game.

This time around, after much reflecting and poring over reader emails and comments, we're switching out Church & State since it's just not the same without kitchen commando Walter Manzke, and in its place comes another downtown spot, the obvious answer, Lazy Ox Canteen. Chef Josef Centeno has garnered a massive following for his bright, flavorful small plates and after passing the six month mark, the restaurant deserves a nod. Meanwhile, Il Grano gets the drop since we have more than enough Italian already on the list, to be replaced by LA deli staple, Langer's. Finally, good-bye to quaint seasonal eatery Palate Food & Wine, hello to CUT. Yes, yes, it's pricey but serves some of LA's top steak under the leadership of original LA cheffer, Wolfgang Puck.

Now, rather than throw a stage four hissy fit because your favorite restaurant was omitted from the list, wouldn't it just be more productive to nominate it for inclusion? State your cases for (or against) restaurants in the comments or via the tipline.

Additions and Subtractions:
·January, 2010: Axe, Jones, and Stefan's at LA Farm dropped; Park's BBQ, Drago Centro, and Santouka added
·August, 2010: Petros, Fraiche, Bar Marmont and Pace dropped; Patina, Valentino, La Casita Mexicana, and Dean Sin World added