Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ries. Fearless foragers have identified every edible plant from wood sorrel to Mendocino
sea vegetables, though key spots for wild mushrooms remain closely guarded local secrets.
Central Valley & Central Coast
Most of California's produce is grown in the hot, irrigated Central Valley south of Sacra-
mento, but road-tripping foodies tend to bolt through the sunny farmlands, if only to make
it past stinky cattle feed-lots without losing their appetites. Much of the region remains
dedicated to large-scale agribusiness, but valley farms that have converted to organic
methods have helped make California the top US producer of organic foods.
Over on the Central Coast, some of California's freshest seafood is harvested from
Monterey Bay (click to
www.seafoodwatch.org
for help choosing the most sustainable
catch on restaurant menus). Excellent wine-tasting awaits in the fog-kissed Santa Cruz
Mountains, the hot hills around Paso Robles and the sunny valleys north of Santa Barbara.
There are farmstand produce pitstops all along the coast, from Watsonville strawberries to
Carpinteria avocados. In San Luis Obispo, the weekly farmers market celebrates local
farms and Santa Maria-style barbecue.
Southern California
Follow authenticity-seeking Angelenos to Koreatown for flavor-bursting
kalbi
(marinated,
grilled beef short ribs), East LA for tacos
al pastor
(marinated, fried pork), Torrance for
ramen noodles made fresh daily and the San Gabriel Valley for Chinese dim sum. Further
south, San Diego and Orange County surfers cruise from Ocean Beach to Huntington
Beach in search of not just epic waves, but also the ultimate Cal-Mex fish taco.
Some say that true immortality isn't achieved with a star in a Michelin guide or on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame, but by having a dish named in your honor - Bob Cobb, the
celebrity-owner of Hollywood's Brown Derby Restaurant, is remembered as the namesake
of the Cobb salad (lettuce, tomato, avocado, egg, chicken and blue cheese) invented in the
1930s.
Austrian-born chef Wolfgang Puck launched the celebrity-chef trend with his Sunset
Strip restaurant Spago in 1982. Reservations at chef's tables are now as sought-after as
entry into club VIP rooms. As with Hollywood blockbusters, trendy LA restaurants don't
always live up to the hype - for brutally honest opinions, read reviews by respected food
critic Jonathan Gold in the
Los Angeles Times
, or follow him on Twitter (@thejgold).
