Page 52 - 2017 Travel Guide to California

CUISINE
BY LAURA NESS
Dining Out
A Golden State of haute cuisine
ALFRESCO DINING
All up and down the state dining in the
open air is popular, as it is here in Los
Angeles, above. LA is known for its wide
variety of exquisite restaurants, and its
cousin to the north, San Francisco, has
more restaurants per capita than any
other U.S. city. Old standards that have
been around for decades still hold their
own against innovative new arrivals. SF’s
Mission district has become a foodie
haven and surrounding communities
from Berkeley to Palo Alto to Napa and
Sonoma all bring fine food to the table.
Like everything else in California from
politics to entertainment, food is a
celebrity-driven business. From the rock
star antics of Guy Fieri to the farm-to-table
helps diners make informed choices at
places like Cindy’s Waterfront and Passion-
fish (Pacific Grove).
Sonoma and Marin counties have
phenom that took the country by storm, the
culinary scene is a mix of where to be seen
and those unseen farmers and field
laborers who actually do all the dirty work
necessary to put food on tables.
Kudos to garden-to-table pioneer Alice
Waters, who made growing your own green
the new black before that was even an
expression. There are now nearly one thou-
sand farmers markets and CSA’s thriving
here: more than in any other state.
Sustainability is the keyword in all
things agriculture, and we can tip our hat to
the Monterey Bay Aquarium for its
impactful Seafood Watch program that
become cheese tourism havens and apple
lovers can pick their fill in Sebastopol and
El Dorado’s Apple Hill.
Coastside, berry farms (Swanton) and
pumpkin patches (Arata’s, Half Moon Bay)
beckon: visit Harley Farms for adorable
goats and exquisite cheese (Pescadero).
Many restaurants have on-site gardens,
including The Restaurant at Wente (Liver-
more), Chez TJ (Mountain View) and Zazu
Kitchen (The Barlow, Sebastopol).
California’s olive oil production is
booming, with Stella Cadente (Fort Bragg),
Victorine Valley Farms (Livermore) and
Olea (Paso Robles) all producing decadent
DISCOVER LOS ANGELES. OPPOSITE: LA.FODIE/CREATIVE COMMONS/FLICKR; CHIRS HARDY
50 2017 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A