Moving on
Chef Liz Johnson, who turned heads (including this paper’s restaurant critic Jonathan Gold’s) with her whimsical takes on deli classics at Freedman’s LA, has left the restaurant. She had been at the Echo Park deli since it opened a year and a half ago. Her tableside-carved brisket, bagels and excellent black and white cookies helped Johnson earn the title of one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs.
“I just kind of felt like it was at a point in my career where I wanted to go out on my own,” said Johnson, who previously cooked at the French restaurant Mimi in New York City. Johnson said she plans to stay in Los Angeles and is looking for investors for her own restaurant.
“I do have a concept in mind, but I can’t really talk about it yet,” she said. “It’s basically going to be along the lines of what I did at Mimi. So: French. I’m really excited to see what’s next.”