The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Skips LA, Yet Again

For people who care about this sort of thing, the World’s 50 Best announced its 50 best restaurants for 2022 yesterday. In a shock to perhaps no one, Copenhagen restaurant Geranium by chef Rasmus Kofoed nabbed the top spot in the first year René Redzepi’s Copenhagen restaurant Noma fell out of contention due to a 2019 rule change that a restaurant couldn’t win twice (although it had managed to top the list in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2021 after it moved locations).

As per usual, the United States (and Los Angeles) didn’t fare well on the Euro-centric list, with only three restaurants making the cut: New York City’s Atomix (33) and Le Bernardin (44), as well as Single Thread in Healdsburg, CA (50).

In memory of Jonathan Gold

This Thursday, July 21, marks four years since the passing of beloved Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold. To celebrate Gold’s life, the Los Angeles Public Library will host an online conversation with local food luminaries whose lives Gold impacted. Speakers will include Genet Agonafer from Meals by Genet, Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza Restaurant, L.A. Taco editor-in-chief Javier Cabral, and Jazz Singsanong from Jitlada Thai. The event will be hosted by Times columnist Gustavo Arellano; find it streaming on the library’s YouTube channel Thursday at 4 p.m.

A new K-Town restaurant brings cultures together

L.A. Taco has the scoop on Olivia, a months-old vegetarian restaurant in K-Town from entrepreneur Danny Oh and chef Mario Alberto. The menu highlights both Korean and Mexican flavors in dishes like kimchi and jalapeño-topped pizza. The owners dub it “Angeleno food”; the whole idea is to unite the communities that inhabit the neighborhood. Oh tells writer Vladimir Santos, ”People love to eat, and that’s the way to bring them together.”

Pizza pop-ups everywhere

Prime Pizza

• Ever-elusive pick-up-only operation Secret Pizza is back this weekend, with orders for 18-inch thin-crust pies opening Wednesday, July 20, at 11 a.m. for pickup on Friday, July 22, and Saturday, July 23. There’s also a square pie giveaway for one lucky winner; simply comment on this Instagram post to enter by 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
• On Sunday, July 24, pop-up Old Gold will be at Brain Dead Studios on Fairfax. Expect tomato pies, baked riggies (rigatoni) with vodka sauce and chopped pickled peppers, chopped salad, vegan pistachio ice cream from Konbi, and Bakers Bench chocolate espresso cookies. Ice cream sandwiches, anyone?

Fried salads > other salads

Los Angeles Times columnist Jenn Harris takes a look at summer salads this week, naming the deep-fried morning glory salad at Jitlada Thai her “favorite salad in all of Los Angeles.” Other highlights include the warm cabbage salad at Brandon Kida’s new Hollywood restaurant Gunsmoke and a chunky tomato salad at Ototo. Leaf through her picks.