Santa Monica

Santa Monica's dining record begins on the pleasure pier, where Charles Looff's amusements were joined by the La Monica Ballroom in 1924 and, later, Sinbad's nightclub. Two survivors anchor the city's everyday history: The Galley, open since 1934 and generally described as Santa Monica's oldest restaurant and bar, and Chez Jay, established in 1959 in a 1947 building and designated a Santa Monica Historic Landmark in 2012. Rae's, a diner on the city's east side, dates to 1958.

The city's larger claim is on California cuisine. Michael McCarty opened Michael's in 1979 at the age of 25; the Michelin Guide credits him with bringing farmers'-market-driven cooking to Southern California. Alumni of that kitchen include Jonathan Waxman, Nancy Silverton, Mark Peel, Roy Yamaguchi, Sang Yoon and Brooke Williamson. In 1983 Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff opened Chinois on Main, an early exercise in Asian-French fusion.

Supply followed the cooking. The Wednesday market opened downtown in 1981 under mayor Ruth Yannatta Goldway, admitting only California growers, and three further markets followed in 1982, 1991 and 1995. The Wednesday market functions largely as a chefs' market; growers such as Windrose Farm report the majority of their business there going to restaurants and brokers.