I know what you mean. Some of the things I’ve read at other forums are Wikileak/Trump rigged conspiracy level allegations. There’s 101 restaurants on the list. There HAS to be at least a few entries and rankings you’re not going to agree with, or that you love and Gold absolutely hates.
I’m super surprised that Q Sushi which many hate is on there.
Gold explains exactly what he likes about Q and notes that it could “be invisible to diners who may not be looking for it.”
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At one point last year, my husband said,‘no more restaurants from the list!’ He was so tired of the average food and/or horrible service we encountered at the restaurants. I suspect that Gold has a very different experience at many of these places than regular folk.
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I mean, there are for sure misses, or, let’s say, disagreements on the list, but it seems like it would be fairly challenging to actually avoid all of the places on the list.
Kind of curious which places you went to on the list before deciding to treat it as a blacklist?
17 of the 18 I’ve been to from the current list were great, and the food was great at the otherwise deplorable Gjusta.
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Republique stands out as the most arrogant service that I’ve ever had in Los Angeles, plus the pan drippings that paled to any I’ve made. Their head cheese was okay, but Chi Spaca blows theirs away. I’ve no doubt a food critic gets much better treatment than we did.
Some of the other places were just taste difference, like we prefer our own Thai places to Night&Market.
I did continue to try places off the list, so was not really a blacklist. I just took husband back to his fave places when we dined out.
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Saw him and his son at lunch at #89 yesterday.
He ordered the boat noodles without liver.
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Sapp Jade Noodles are phenomenal.
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I did a bang bang (Sapp then Rodded) with FTC’s former poster, now LA Weekly writing star, @kevin
Suffice it say, Mr Gold was (probably, though he showed no outward signs) highly intimidated to find himself a mere table away from such a fucking critic.
We had the Jade Noodles, which are great but not as great as Luv2eat’s. A so-so spicy pork salad. Fried crab cakes. The latter two were nothing special.
Then Rodded - the duck noodle broth is superb.
Front of shirt:
I’M A FUCKING CRITIC
Back of shirt:
AND THAT AIN’T NO FUCKING JOKE!
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I liked the jade noodles at both Sapp and Luv2Eat. They’re so different they didn’t seem like the same dish to me.
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Needs more exclamation marks though!!!
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I want one. I would wear it as an ironical homage, like a vintage Black Flag shirt.
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Maybe you just have to fit in there? I agree that the pan drippings are oddly not great there, and some things are much better than others, but I’ve never had a bad meal at Republique; some truly great times there. I also, admittedly, fit in there in a lot of ways though I guess, so who knows really. A lot of other people here seem to have pretty fantastic meals pretty consistently there though.
Just out of curiosity, where do you prefer to eat over Night + Market?
good to hear about rodded. i could never figure out why the mystical, magical tonyc loathed the place.
me either. and i don’t fit in anywhere.
plus, i dig the pan drippings.
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For me, all the competitors had duck noodles as good or better (ie Hoy-Ka, Pa Ord, Efu Sea Noodles or whatever the hell that shop is). Rodded also had one of the 2 worst tom yum noodle soup I’ve ever had.
I’ve never had a bad meal at Republique, although I did have a so so brunch there once. However, some of their dishes are comically overpriced and a bit insulting.
If your experiences at Republique lead you to believe that they treat people based on whether or not they think they fit in, then I am very happy I made the decision never to return! Much prefer the more egalitarian places that serve good food and no arrogance, like Vincenti or Angelini or Chi SPACCA.
Husband loves Jitlada and I love Ruen Pair.
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