Every city should have a chef like John McLaughlin, who at his At Last CafN cooks gourmet food but charges diner prices. Long Beach, you're lucky to have him. And we are lucky that he agreed to answer our silly survey.
1. Dish that you cook that most represents you.
That's the hardest question! The answer is our newest specials–I try to make
them creative and interesting.
]
2. What was the last meal you had at home?
Ziti pasta. My wife Ria cooked it for me. It tasted delicious!
3. Your favorite restaurant (other than yours):
Daniel's NYC, excellent intelligent cuisine.
4. Fast food guilty pleasure:
In-N-Out, Double Double, french fries, chocolate milk shake.
5. Complete this sentence I would like to [verb] [Food Network Star] with [noun].
(for example: “I would like to BEAT BOBBY FLAY with A STALE BAGUETTE.”
or “I would like to SHOWER GIADA DE LAURENTIIS with FLOWERS”):
I would like to give Jacques Torres a new show on Food Network, (Lets see a pro work!).
6. Last meal of your life, what would it be?
3 star restaurant in France or Italy, many courses.
7. Items you always have in your refrigerator:
Sriracha sauce, Dijon mustard, peanut butter, tortillas—not too exciting!
8. Your most indispensable kitchen tool or appliance:
Bourgeat black steel saute pans.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.