Mural in Santa Monica Remembers Food Critic
By Sam Catanzaro
Pulitzer-prize winning food-critic Jonathan Gold died July 21 at the age of 57. Following Gold’s passing, Venice-based muralist Jonas Never unveiled a mural at Margo’s in Santa Monica paying tribute to the legendary Jonathan Gold.
Located on 16th and Montana, the mural depicts Gold holding a copy of the Los Angeles Times’s Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants. The annual publication featured Gold’s favorite restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area and over the years included many Venice eateries.
At the Tasting Kitchen on Abbot Kinney, Gold wrote glowingly about the ever-changing menu always based around toasted bread. At Gjelina, another Abbot Kinney staple, Gold highlighted the local squid and the restaurant’s expansive selection of local vegetables and shell beans. Gjusta, the sister restaurant of Gjelina located on Sunset Avenue was another favorite of Gold’s where he wrote emphatically about chef Travis Lett’s ability to offer both hearty seafood dishes like tagliatelle bottarga and grilled octopus alongside rustic pastries and freshly baked bread.
For the complete list and map of Gold’s favorite Los Angeles restaurants, visiting http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fo-jonathan-gold-101-best-restaurants-2017-map/.
