The ate list: a year in the life of L.A.'s dining scene

8 trends that swept the city

By Krista Simmons, Special to Metromix

Let there be no debate: 2008 will always be known as the year we chose change. LA’s eateries opted for change this year too—showcasing raw, creative, down to earth cuisine that clearly mirrored the political climate. The economic meltdown has brought an onslaught of Depression Era menus where food is more accessible to the common eater. And although some doors have closed, new ones have opened. Fresh talent is emerging, breathing new life into the City of Angels’ culinary landscape and giving us hope and excitement for the year to come. Metromix is celebrating everything that was ‘08 with our “ate” list,  highlighting the some of the top 8s of this year (Thanks Pat Saperstein for your extra set of eyeballs!). Bon appétit LA!

1. Pig
Though the Chinese calendar says it’s the year of the rat, we declare 2008 the year of the pig. Dishes like bacon tarts (Butter Tart, shown above), Kurobuta pork carnitas (Yamashiro), bacon-wrapped dates (One Sunset), fall-off-the-bone pork ribs (Animal), bacon doughnuts (Nickel Diner) and pork belly confit (Max) are completely un-kosher, but damn do they taste good.

2. Craft brews and gastropubs
Well-crafted suds paired with top-notch grub and a laid-back atmosphere is a recipe for success. Verdugo, Wurstküche and the new Father’s Office helped Angelenos get soused on suds. We’re hoping to see more establishments like Laurel Tavern in 2009, hopefully with beer sommeliers as talented as Christina Perozzi to curate them.

3. Depression-era menus
With the economic meltdown came the scaling back of prices and a nostalgia for 1920s style. Blue plates, popular during the Depression, are now available at Luna Park for a great price. The Edison’s Soup Kitchen Fridays offer the bourbon-based Bailout cocktail for 35 cents as well as free grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. And All’ Angelo is ditching its white linens and updating its menu with cheaper, more accessible items. As much as we’re looking forward to an upturn, the downside has been pretty tasty.

4. The evolution of street food
Kogi BBQ’s Korean tacos, Provecho’s taco-truck-style antojitos menu, the Green Truck’s roving organic food and Let’s Be Frank’s gourmet grass-fed hot dogs show that authentic street food is growing up.

5. Vegan and vegetarian vittles
Phytoplankton-chomping tree huggers found a happy home at Michael Mina’s XIV, where vegan tastings mirror “real” food. While classics like Real Food Daily, Cru and Elf kept the veggie lovers at bay for a while, new restaurants such as Seed, Local and another M Cafe de Chaya have gained increasing popularity with the health-nut crowd.

6. The politics of food
Protesters rallied outside El Coyote and called for a boycott of the restaurant because a manager donated $100 to support Prop 8. Many chains, including Starbucks, Ben and Jerry’s and Krispy Kreme, offered politically active eaters free food and drink upon showing an “I voted” sticker. And locally minded chefs became more prominent in the dining scene, emphasizing that one’s carbon footprint is as important for the planet as it is for maintaining the quality of produce.

7. The continual Vietnamese resurge
Gingergrass, Blossom and Pho Cafe eased eaters into the idea of chowing down on bahn mi, pho and cafe su da, and foodies are frolicking to more down-to-earth options like Lee’s Sandwiches, Pho Hua and Pho 79 in their search for the most authentic Southeast Asian fare around.

8. The post-cupcake craze
Life was sweet in ’08. Pint-sized cakes and goodies took the city by storm, and many sweets shops hoped to duplicate the cupcake mania of ’07. Confectioneries like Fulfilled, Xooro and Kiss My Bundt are sittin’ pretty as the rest of us scrape our pockets for change.