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50 Years of L.A. Eats

Chef John Sedlar celebrates Los Angeles magazine’s 50th anniversary with throwback bites from the city’s best

June 16, 2011

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Last night we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Los Angeles magazine with a fabulous fête (if we do say so ourselves). The soirée took place in the lobby of our very office building at 5900 Wilshire, and while the celebrity guests, the sewer-pipe time capsule, the fortune teller, and the live Theremin rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” were buzzworthy, but it was the hors d’oeuvres that set the room a twitter. Chef John Sedlar, the Latin cuisine renegade behind restaurants Rivera and Playa, provided the nourishment, reflecting on 50 years of Los Angeles cuisine with nods to great dishes from some of L.A’s all-time best restaurants. Each hors d’oeuvre was presented on one of Playa’s photo plates, a technique Sedlar calls “reflexiones.” Sedlar invited us back just before the shindig to take a peek at the treats he was preparing. We managed to snap a picture of everything but the bacon truffle inspired by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s Animal, but trust us, they were round, dark, sweet, savory, and quick to disappear. For the rest of the night’s nostalgic nibbles, check out our slideshow below.

Chef John Sedlar shows off his “reflexiones” plates. Notice some familiar faces? Those are chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Nobu Matsuhisa.

Yep, that’s chef Susan Feniger and Nobu Matsuhisa, looking good enough to eat off.

Plantains with Caviar inspired by Trumps. “L.A. restaurants including Trumps, Michael’s, Spago, and Campanile played as great a role in pioneering California cuisine as did those in the Bay Area,” says Sedlar.

Chasen’s-inspired chili, bubbling away before plating.

Chasen’s Chili, now playing at the Wiltern Theater. “Los Angeles elevates the common man’s food to a new kind of haute cuisine, from a bowl of red to gourmet pizzas to burgers with foie gras,” says Sedlar.

The Chasen’s chili had a nice kick, set off by a crispy sage leaf.

Duck proscuitto with melon and fig, inspired by L’Ermitage. “The late Jean Bertranou introduces Nouvelle Cuisine to the city, with other standard bearers of high-end French including La Toque and Patina,” says Sedlar.

Tricolore Amuse inspired by Mauro Vincenti’s Rex—and good enough for Gustavo. “The late Mauro Vincenti launches a new standard in fine Italian dining, carried on today in such restaurants as Valentino, Osteria Mozza, and Angelini Osteria,” says Sedlar.

The marinated bocconcini provided a nice tang with the steamy tomato broth.

Pastrami Tacos inspired by St. Estèphe. “In the city where Mexican food was first defined by the likes of El Coyote and El Torito, New Latin Cuisine breaks out, continuing today from Loteria to Guelaguetza, Rivera to Playa,” says Sedlar.
Pastrami tacos.
The Brown Derby Cobb Salad. “The first of many famous chopped salads to come, from Chinese chicken salad to Wolfgang Puck’s Chino Farms Chopped Vegetable Salad,” says Sedlar.
The thick, chilled soup was the essence of Cobb, complete with a crown of mini croutons.
The glorious Los Angeles cake was provided by the Montage Hotel. Pastry chef Richard Ruskell recently won the Food Network’s “Last Cake Standing.” We can see why. (By the way, it was also delicious.)

Read more about our 50th anniversary party

Chef John Sedlar shows off his “reflexiones” plates. Notice some familiar faces? Those are chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Nobu Matsuhisa.

Yep, that’s chef Susan Feniger and Nobu Matsuhisa, looking good enough to eat off.

Plantains with Caviar inspired by Trumps. “L.A. restaurants including Trumps, Michael’s, Spago, and Campanile played as great a role in pioneering California cuisine as did those in the Bay Area,” says Sedlar.

Chasen’s-inspired chili, bubbling away before plating.

Chasen’s Chili, now playing at the Wiltern Theater. “Los Angeles elevates the common man’s food to a new kind of haute cuisine, from a bowl of red to gourmet pizzas to burgers with foie gras,” says Sedlar.

The Chasen’s chili had a nice kick, set off by a crispy sage leaf.

Duck proscuitto with melon and fig, inspired by L’Ermitage. “The late Jean Bertranou introduces Nouvelle Cuisine to the city, with other standard bearers of high-end French including La Toque and Patina,” says Sedlar.

Tricolore Amuse inspired by Mauro Vincenti’s Rex—and good enough for Gustavo. “The late Mauro Vincenti launches a new standard in fine Italian dining, carried on today in such restaurants as Valentino, Osteria Mozza, and Angelini Osteria,” says Sedlar.

The marinated bocconcini provided a nice tang with the steamy tomato broth.

Pastrami Tacos inspired by St. Estèphe. “In the city where Mexican food was first defined by the likes of El Coyote and El Torito, New Latin Cuisine breaks out, continuing today from Loteria to Guelaguetza, Rivera to Playa,” says Sedlar.

Pastrami tacos.

The Brown Derby Cobb Salad. “The first of many famous chopped salads to come, from Chinese chicken salad to Wolfgang Puck’s Chino Farms Chopped Vegetable Salad,” says Sedlar.

The thick, chilled soup was the essence of Cobb, complete with a crown of mini croutons.

The glorious Los Angeles cake was provided by the Montage Hotel. Pastry chef Richard Ruskell recently won the Food Network’s “Last Cake Standing.” We can see why. (By the way, it was also delicious.)

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