Kat Odell Gets More Flies with Honey

Hi Guys!

I'm Kat, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance via Bravo's newest series, Eat, Drink, Love.  

I am psyched to be included in such a talented group of women in Los Angeles' culinary circuit. In the seven years I've resided in Los Angeles (by way of New York), the food scene has really exploded, and it's such an exciting time to be living here and involved with the restaurant industry. It's hard to believe that a decade ago there was no Kogi, Picca, Animal, Gjelina -- and the national recognition these restaurants and their respective chefs have received is a testament to L.A.'s noteworthy and relevant culinary scene. I should also mention that L.A. has some of the best ethnic food in the US. Aside from incredibly fresh sushi (Yamakase, Nozawa Bar, Hiko, Sushi Park), San Gabriel Valley has some of the best, if not THE BEST, regional Chinese in the country. I love hole-in-the-wall hidden gem type dining, and last week I dropped by Chendgu Taste in Alhambra for an exceptional Szechuan meal. If you're in L.A., this one is a worthy detour (order the cumin lamb and mung bean "noodles" -- I posted some photos from my meal on Instagram). Anyway, later in the season you'll see some more of my favorite San Gabriel Valley haunts. 

For the most part, my job in L.A. consists of writing during the day and dining out at night. Serving as the Editor of Eater LA requires me to be very social, and the reason I regularly frequent restaurants is because those dining experiences afford me the opportunity to meet restaurant folk, and through casual conversation I learn about upcoming hospitality projects. It's pretty straightforward. Go out, shoot the breeze, score restaurant/bar/lounge scoops. I also believe it's important to be friendly and disarming. According to Wikipedia, " … people receive more help when they smile. " Just saying!

In Episode 1, some of my friendly tactics are misconstrued, and it makes me sad to see someone I thought was a friend speak negatively about me and say things that are not true. But, if you keep watching the rest of the season, you'll see the truth revealed. So bear with me! Thanks so much for tuning in and dropping by BravoTv.com and checking out my blog. You can also follow me on Twitter @kat_odell and on Instagram under the same name. I tend to post just a little bit of food porn, so if you're into that kind of thing feel free to watch me eat salted caramel croissants and 20-layer green tea crepe cakes over there. Did I mention there's always room for dessert?

For those who missed the first episode, I am the Editor of Eater in Los Angeles, and you can drop by la.eater.com daily to see what's going on in the world of L.A. restaurants. Eater tracks the life of a restaurant from prior to its inception to its demise and everything in-between. Basically, if you like to be in the know about restaurants, bars, nightlife, it's a great site to read. At this point, Eater has become a pretty big brand and we have sites in most major food cities. Thusly, if LA.. isn't your hometown, just hit up our national site, eater.com, and see if we can feed you restaurant news in your city. 

Going forward, through the rest of the season, I want to open up the comments to readers. If you have any restaurant questions -- where to dine, what to order -- feel free to ask and I'll give you all my best advice! 

XOXO
k