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L.A. Market, Chef Kerry Simon’s restaurant at the JW Marriott hotel at L.A. Live, is now being helmed by Chef de Cuisine Nona Sivley of Gordon Ramsay’s “Hell’s Kitchen” fame. The restaurant’s menu reflects Sivley’s Southern roots with a California flair, ending up with mixed results. There were some dishes here that I loved, but there were also some that missed its mark.

What I loved:

This gnocchi and lump crab appetizer was unique and absolutely delicious. The gnocchi was pillowy, and the addition of kumquat and micro basil was a pleasant surprise and nicely complemented the truffle parmesan cream sauce.

Gnocchi

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Lovers of the campy (pun intended) Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village can now enjoy that campiness (again with the pun) in the Culver City/West LA area, though in a more grown-up, slightly more sophisticated setting than its Eastside counterpart. (The bar is soft-open now; the official opening is this Wednesday, July 22.)

Gone are the cartoonish stuffed animals. In their stead are actual taxidermied animals (stag heads and the like) and a totem pole featuring the likeness of Sasquatch itself. Of course the log cabin feel is still apparent, with the walls lined in wood taken from the “Yes Man” set replica of the bar. Oh, and there’s no sign outside, so look for the sizable wood-crafted patio just down Venice Boulevard from Saints & Sinners, also from the same owners, the 1933 Group.

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Nick's Coffee Shop. From lataco.com.

Los Angeles magazine‘s May cover story “101 Cheap Eats” totally skipped over my personal favorite, Nick’s Coffee Shop, on Pico Boulevard just west of La Cienega. Huge portions, low prices, good service. There’s also S&W Country Diner in Culver City (yummy breakfast), King Taco (super cheap) and Don Antonio’s in West L.A. on Wednesday nights, when all tacos are just $1 (I know, Speidi’s appearances here on “The Hills” are annoying and the crowds on Wednesdays are thick, but the potato tacos are totally worth it).

By the way, what’s up with L.A. mag’s obsession with Langer’s deli in MacArthur Park? It makes all their food lists. I mean, it’s good, but when I interned there in 2006 and the mag sent me out there for a story, someone standing outside (not a restaurant employee) tried to sell me cocaine. I wasn’t scared, but it was definitely an experience and not exactly a selling point for the neighborhood or the restaurant.