Staff Meals Today: What LA Restaurants Are Serving Their Staff This Week

It's time for another installment of Staff Meals Today, where we find out what ten different restaurants around town are serving their staffs.

Staff meals are interesting, a kind of culinary voyeurism, a window into the inner mechanism of a restaurant. Do they tell you anything about that kitchen? Maybe, maybe not. Last week Nobu served corned beef and cabbage. The week before, comme Ça served beef stroganoff. Accident, experimentation, leftovers: it depends. But remember, Josef Centeno (Opus, Lot 1, Lazy Ox Canteen) invented the bäco for a staff meal once at Meson G.

Picasa user Keith

Chefs eat too.

1. Anisette Brasserie
225 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 395-3200

Pork carnitas and pumpkin pie.

2. AOC Wine Bar
8022 W. Third St., L.A., (323) 653-6359

Spaghetti and meatballs; Caesar salad.

3. Bistro LQ
8009 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 951-1088

Pork and beans.

4. Church & State
1855 Industrial St., L.A., (213) 405-1434

Arugula salad with pears and candied hazelnuts; duck and fingerling potato hash enchiladas.

5. Eva Restaurant
7458 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 634-0700

Crispy chicken thighs with bamba rice; iceberg lettuce with bleu cheese.

6. The Hungry Cat
1535 N. Vine St., L.A., (323) 462-2155

Fish and chicken gumbo; market salad with goat cheese.

7. Joe's Restaurant
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 399-5811

Rigatoni with salmon, cod and pork belly in a garlic cream sauce.

8. Sona
401 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., (310) 659-7708

Duck breast with rice and a green salad (to Guns N' Roses).

9. Spago
176 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 385-0880

Hong Kong-style steamed salmon with jasmine rice and steamed Asian greens.

10. The Tasting Kitchen
1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (310) 392-6644

Tagliatelle with Orata, parsley and Parmesan; green beans with hazelnuts and Argan oil; pork shoulder with applesauce and charred cippolini onions; Baked Alaska.

Guess The Tasting Kitchen wins this one.