The panelists were daunted but determined to recognize the people and places in Los Angeles County (home to roughly 9 million residents) that both produce delicious food and reflect the extraordinary mix of cultures that underpin its dining scene. Granted, most major American cities have increasingly diverse eating options these days, but, as Cetina pointed out, the country’s second most populous metropolis has a long history of exchanging ideas and recipes. “You might find a little fermentation inspired by kimchi seeping into a taco without it actually being kimchi, or a Japanese tare making its way into a chili glaze,” he said. “Right now, we’re at a point where a particular Angeleno style of food is emerging” — one defined not just by rampant cross-pollination and hyper-regional culinary traditions but by a vast profusion of local produce. “You can’t ignore the fact that the growing seasons are so short everywhere else but in California,” said Silverton, noting that while San Francisco, New York and Chicago have long dominated the national culinary scene, her hometown is finally getting its due. “Now people [from all over] are coming to L.A. to eat,” she added.