In the face of Saveur's enthusiasm, a taste of reality

Saveur's March issue is devoted to celebrating the greatness of the Los Angeles food scene, with pieces from Jonathan Gold, Patric Kuh, Sandra Tsing Loh and others. The usual spots and stars (plus many others) are stroked, but the collective weight of all the devotionals strikes Jewish Journal editor and food blogger Rob Eshman as a bit too gushy. "This package, written by some of our finest food writers, is edited to within a hairs breadth of puffery," he says, suggesting some reality checks:

The problem is not what the editors included, it’s what they left out. LA, it turns out, has some improving to do. It is not a great food city. It is an almost-very good one. Here are the ten things missing from LA food, and from the current issue of Saveur:

1. Restaurants close too early....Outside of Koreatown and a few other spots, LA refuses to shake its Midwestern Protestant roots.

2. Much of LA is a food desert....You can drive Olympic Blvd. from Crenshaw to Santa Monica and not be tempted to stop once....

5. The coffee culture is below average....

7. There are far too few outdoor dining options....

8. We have the best beaches and the best weather, and some of the worst beachside dining in the world.