Restaurant of the Year

Great food is just the start

L.A. Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold says that "there are many factors to consider in choosing a Restaurant of the Year. An ideal candidate has delicious food – that's a given – but also a sense of purpose, a place within its community, and the ability to drive the conversation forward, not just in Los Angeles but around the world. Its chefs should honor diversity, but not at the expense of focus; health, but not at the expense of flavor; and sustainability, but not at the expense of complexity." Last year's Restaurant of the Year, Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson's Locol, was, Gold said, "inevitable." The Restaurant of the Year Award will be announced at this year's Launch Party.