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New L.A. Zagat Guide Scores a Zero for Food Truck Coverage

Zagat released their 2010 Los Angeles/Southern California Restaurant survey today, the combined results of over 10,000 diners sharing their experiences at over 2,000 area restaurants. There’s little shock or upset to be found…oh wait, except when Zagat tries to be trendy and bobbles who the current players are on the new food truck scene.

This year, Zagat found L.A. diners eating out 48% less than 2008, with few surprises as to where the eating was taking place. Pizzeria Mozza nudged Spago out of the most popular slot, moving Puck’s original just above In-N’-Out Burger, while The Bazaar snagged top newcomer, Penthouse at The Huntley was ranked first in the décor category, and Urasawa was noted for top food and service. Sounds right so far, but then we got to their trend tracking and scratched our heads a bit.

While Zagat points out L.A.’s growing trend for Pan-Latino food, spearheaded by Rivera, Provecho, Casa, and Larry Nicola’s Mexico Restaurante y Barra, it also attempts to get current by discussing L.A.’s food truck trend. Kogi gets its requisite nod, as does Let’s Be Frank, before two trucks get shout-outs that haven’t even made their debut on our streets yet.

The yet-to-debut Frysmith Truck is noted for its “ingenious fries and fixins,” while Lomo Arigato is mentioned for its “Japanese-Peruvian cuisine.” While Lomo could be on some top-secret test drives we haven’t heard of, it has not publicly rolled out. Frysmith is still weeks away, and we spoke with the truck’s Brooke, who tells us the inclusion indeed is “a little strange,” though it probably can’t hurt the forthcoming spud-slinger.

Looking into the guide online, we find both of these trucks have reviews already written about them, while a search does not reveal entries for some of the scene’s actual current players like Border Grill Truck, Nom Nom, Marked5, or Coolhaus, among most of the others we usually see celebrated. We have heard that Zagat is feeling a need to stay relevant these days, and certainly know how exciting new food trucks make us and everyone else, but it unfortunately appears Zagat has jumped the gun this time and missed the truck bandwagon by a couple of feet.

New L.A. Zagat Guide Scores a Zero for Food Truck Coverage