Los Angeles: Best City in the World for Food. (San Francisco: home, living)

[Island_OnThe_Land]

What city is the best in the world for food: Los Angeles, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic, Johnathan Gold who pens an homage to L.A. dining in the current issue Saveur magazine.

The Hungry Metropolis by Johnathan Gold.

The Hungry Metropolis - Saveur.com

[tmac9wr]

I'm sure Los Angeles has great food...but from the lists I've seen, it seems to be outdone by the likes of New York City, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

Food and Wine

Epicurious

[Golden-mind-State]

Epicurious also have a guide on San Francisco calling it "Arguably the best food city in America"
San Francisco's Best Restaurants at Epicurious.com
A lot of lists on food cities are based completely on opinion though,which is almost the only way to rate a city for food.
IMO and personal experience NYC is a better food city than LA but that doesn't make it fact. That article on LA does make some very good points though and next time I'm in the city I'm going to have to do some more food exploring.

[gulfstreamliberal]

Originally Posted by island_onthe_land

what city is the best in the world for food: Los angeles, according to pulitzer prize-winning food critic, johnathan gold who pens an homage to l.a. Dining in the current issue saveur magazine.

The hungry metropolis by johnathan gold.

the hungry metropolis - saveur.com

LOL.

Whoever came to that conclusion must have been smoking some good California chronic.

When it comes to things like food - NYC (as well as Paris, London, Tokyo, etc.) obviously outclasses LA. Cute article though.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Island_OnThe_Land

What city is the best in the world for food: Los Angeles, according to Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic, Johnathan Gold who pens an homage to L.A. dining in the current issue Saveur magazine.

The Hungry Metropolis by Johnathan Gold.

The Hungry Metropolis - Saveur.com

Unfortunately, city-specific topics do not belong in the city-vs-city room per the posting guidelines: https://www.city-data.com/forum/city-...e-posting.html

Moving to the appropriate room.

[A.J._in_L.A.]

Well, here's this:

Tens of Thousands Show up for L.A.'s First Street Food Festival - LAist

A few excerpts from the article:

Pulitizer Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold wasn't kidding last week when he said "Los Angeles is the best place in the world to eat at the moment." The L.A. Street Food Fest last Saturday, where Gold himself was seen standing in the lines, truly showed that sentiment, quickly finding its place as one of the city's top festivals. Yes, there were complaints--an estimated 10,000 or more were turned away and the lucky 10,000 who actually got in found extremely long lines--but that only means room for improvement and growth. (To see photos of the food, click here)


"One of the great things about L.A. is the street food and the truck food," said Jesse Williams, who plays Dr. Jackson Avery on Grey's Anatomy, as he snacked. "This is a brilliant idea, from tacos to brisket to fried dough to Hawaiian to ice cream. I think the outpouring of folks is a testament of how good it was--it will probably have to expand."


All in all, a good day for a festival that has a bright future in a city that so desperately needs it. "L.A. is the most exciting city in the world, I've said it and I stand by it," said co-organizer Sonja Rasula. "All the most amazing world class artists and chefs are moving here. It just shows that LA is a hot bed for cultural community."

What makes people think that L.A. can't be one of, and even rival, the world's greatest food cities? Even when you have more than one person echoing the same thing? Look at the pictures within the article, those crowds aren't an illusion, and this is just the first festival of it's kind. Wait until people begin to be hip to this.

I don't think there's any other city in the U.S., let alone the world, who has the food truck craze on the level of Los Angeles' in their city right now. This phenomena, on top of the article which didn't even mention anything about the food trucks, does shed light on Los Angeles becoming one of the top food destinations in the world. Don't sleeep on L.A., people.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

Originally Posted by gulfstreamliberal

LOL.

Whoever came to that conclusion must have been smoking some good California chronic.

When it comes to things like food - NYC (as well as Paris, London, Tokyo, etc.) obviously outclasses LA. Cute article though.

Typical New York superiority complex.....LOL!!!! Nothing good can ever come from the Looney Left Coast. PULLETIZER PRIZE winning food critics do NOT have a valid opinion.......

[A.J._in_L.A.]

I guess this thread is going to fall off since it isn't in City vs. City anymore, but here's another reference for the all of the NYC doubters. Specifically you, gulfstreamliberal.

The deli capital? It's L.A. - Los Angeles Times

A few excerpts from the article:

But if Sax found the nadir of the Reuben, he also found its zenith. And -- perhaps surprisingly -- he didn't find it in New York, the birthplace of the Jewish deli; he found it here in Los Angeles.


"It's a very difficult business to be in," Sax says, "but the [delis] that are most inspiring, the ones that people cling to, the ones that people enshrine for years and years are the traditional Jewish delis. And Los Angeles just happens to have more of them than any city I've been to."


On a two-month cross-country trip, Sax hit all the major deli hubs: Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and, of course, New York, even working for an evening as a counterman at the legendary Katz's deli on Manhattan's Lower East Side. But he also fanned out across North America to Denver; Detroit; Scottsdale, Ariz.; St. Louis; Cleveland; Las Vegas; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Montreal; Toronto; and a dozen other cities. He even made a trip across the Atlantic to visit delis in London, Brussels, Paris and Krakow, Poland, one of the birthplaces of the modern Jewish deli.


"In the 1930s there were something along the lines of 1,500 kosher delis in New York," Sax says. "Now, there are about two dozen in all of New York City. That's an 80% to 90% decline. This has been echoed in other cities around the country."


Yet Los Angeles delis have managed to thrive in a niche market. Acre for acre, Sax maintains that Southern California boasts "more delicatessens of higher quality, on average, than anywhere else in America." He commends Nate 'n Al in Beverly Hills; Factor's in Pico-Robertson; Junior's in West L.A.; Greenblatt's on the Sunset Strip; Art's in Studio City; Canter's in the Fairfax district; and the various Hat locations.

Where New York delis tend to be cramped and covered in an intangible layer of old world schmutz, Los Angeles delis are the height of midcentury, suburban modernity. If New York delis are as intimate and familiar as your bubbe's kitchen, then Los Angeles delis, with their spacious banquettes, polite wait staff and abundant parking, are like younger, sexier spokesmodels for the deli world.

If you're saying "That's BS, that's the LA Times. Of course they're going to say that." Then here's other sources of info pertaining to the same topic:



Los Angeles Named Deli Capital (Sorry, NY)

I guess these sources of info don't hold any water either?

So if supposedly inferior L.A. could topple NYC as the deli capital of the U.S. in connection with the other points that have been mentioned earlier in this thread, how can it not be considered one of the greatest food cities in the world? Stating otherwise is a misnomer in itself.

[Lifeshadower]

Originally Posted by A.J._in_L.A.

I guess this thread is going to fall off since it isn't in City vs. City anymore, but here's another reference for the all of the NYC doubters.

The deli capital? It's L.A. - Los Angeles Times

A few excerpts from the article:

If you're saying "That's BS, that's the LA Times. Of course they're going to say that." Then here's another source of info pertaining to the same topic:



Los Angeles Named Deli Capital (Sorry, NY)

So if supposedly inferior L.A. could topple NYC as the deli capital of the U.S. in connection with the other points that have been mentioned earlier in this thread, how can it not be considered one of the greatest food cities in the world?

Because it destroys people's perception of reality. Duh!

You know, I rarely eat out in LA (since the best meals are always free and home cooked =) ), but when I do I always enjoy it. There are so many good restaurants almost everywhere, from ritzy places in Santa Monica right down to the Lebanese food place I found in a strip mall in North Hollywood once by accident. Most LA residents are satisfied with all the selection, and I am too!

In NYC, there really isn't much surprises. Take from a guy who's lived there; Italian food and deli food is great because its available everywhere (just like Mexican food in LA, or finding Chinese food in the Bay Area), but when it comes to the rest of the world you have to look very hard. In LA, there's no concentration of anything so everything is everywhere. Hell, I ate at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Pasadena (not the first place you think about for soul food!)

I don't understand why people on this site pump up Tokyo so much, considering how many of the attributes we like in a city (diversity, cost of living, liberalness, etc etc) aren't present in Tokyo. Yeah, lets try finding a good non-Japanese cuisine there! Good luck with that one! In fact, before 1960, most people probably thought it was another third world city.

Whatever, when I'm back in LA, I'm going to a roach coach and ordering me some carne asada tortas!

[A.J._in_L.A.]

Originally Posted by Lifeshadower

Because it destroys people's perception of reality. Duh!

You know, I rarely eat out in LA (since the best meals are always free and home cooked =) ), but when I do I always enjoy it. There are so many good restaurants almost everywhere, from ritzy places in Santa Monica right down to the Lebanese food place I found in a strip mall in North Hollywood once by accident. Most LA residents are satisfied with all the selection, and I am too!

In NYC, there really isn't much surprises. Take from a guy who's lived there; Italian food and deli food is great because its available everywhere (just like Mexican food in LA, or finding Chinese food in the Bay Area), but when it comes to the rest of the world you have to look very hard. In LA, there's no concentration of anything so everything is everywhere. Hell, I ate at a Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Pasadena (not the first place you think about for soul food!)

I don't understand why people on this site pump up Tokyo so much, considering how many of the attributes we like in a city (diversity, cost of living, liberalness, etc etc) aren't present in Tokyo. Yeah, lets try finding a good non-Japanese cuisine there! Good luck with that one! In fact, before 1960, most people probably thought it was another third world city.

Whatever, when I'm back in LA, I'm going to a roach coach and ordering me some carne asada tortas!

Your input is very appreciated here in C-D, man. I mean it.