Los Angeles flexes its culinary muscles yet again in the release of the Zagat 2013 Los Angeles Restaurants Survey, revealing that Angelenos eat out more than diners in New York, San Francisco and Chicago.
The “gastronomic bible,” as it has been fondly referred to, has served as an iconic guidebook for over thirty years to those seeking out the best local restaurants, cafes and eateries. The annual Los Angeles Restaurant Survey, which covered 2,082 restaurants in Palm Springs, Santa Barbara and Orange County, was voted by a record 18,450 avid diners who said that they eat out an average of 3.5 times per week, compared to a national average of 3.1.
According to surveyors, LA’s best dining neighborhoods are West Hollywood followed by Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.
These regions are leading the pack of talented and creative chefs producing their own twist on exotic sandwiches (Fundamental LA), gastropubs (Little Bear), booze-focused boites (Post & Beam), and pizza (Milo & Olive). These emerging food trends are popping up on streets around the city–and quite literally, too, considering that patrons will endure long lines and forgo tables to fill up curbside at their favorite food trucks (Kogi Korean BBQ, Border Grill Truck). With increasingly diverse menus, ranging from the ultra-casual to the ultra-swanky, Los Angeles is truly a melting pot for foodies.
Among the top winners revealed in the annual report include: Ink (Top Newcomer), Urasawa (Food), Sir Winston’s (Decor), Providence (Service), 101 Coffee Shop (Popularity), Cheesecake Factory (Most Popular Chain), and In-N-Out Burger (Best Buy).
The Zagat 2013 Los Angeles Restaurants Survey was edited by Michelle Golden with consulting editor Merrill Shindler and local editors John Bergano, Melissa Brandzel, Gillian Ferguson, Cynthia Furey, Grace Jidoun, Gretchen Kurz and Helen Sillett. Zagat’s scores and reviews of all restaurants are integrated across Google Maps, Search, Google+ and mobile.
Photo: Little Bear in the Arts District
