Zagat L.A. names its 30 under 30 culinary talents to watch

Forget People’s list of the world’s most beautiful people. Zagat has just announced its list of 30 up-and-coming culinary stars in Los Angeles, under the age of 30.

If you’re an Angeleno interested in this city’s budding culinary talent — and there is plenty — these are the 30 bright young faces to watch. (And yes, Zagat sometimes considers two people from the same place as one.)

1. The youngest on the list is Zenai Leal, the pastry chef at Salt’s Cure. She’s the one responsible for the restaurant’s killer sweet date pudding with sticky toffee. And she’s 22.

2. Nikki Booth, 24, and Chloe Dahl, 25, are the owners of Knuckle & Claw, that new lobster roll restaurant in Silver Lake. The two are engaged, and already planning on a Westside location for their restaurant.

3. Lamar Valladares is the 24-year-old executive chef of Diablo Taco in Silver Lake, where he’s making peanut butter, banana and pork belly chimichangas. Valladares previously worked with Patina Catering, and according to Zagat, decided he’d make the 30 under 30 list by the time he was 24. Mission accomplished.

4. Rene Felbermayr, the head baker at BierBeisl Imbiss, is 25. He’s been making traditional Austrian breads and pastries since he was a teenager. At BierBeisl Imbiss, he’s using pork lard, caraway, puff pastry filled with meringue and schaumrolle to fill the bakery case at the downtown restaurant.

5. The sous chef at Bestia, one of the city’s most popular restaurants, is 25. Michael Priore started his culinary career staging at Angelini Osteria after culinary school. He’s now chef Ori Menashe’s second in command.

6. Paige Russell, pastry chef at Hatchet Hall, is 25. She’s making desserts such as the strawberry cream float with honeycomb ice cream and a cookie plate with slushie vanilla ice milk at the new Culver City restaurant.

7. She’s been able to legally drink for only five years, but 26-year-old Kelsey Glasser is wine director at E.P. & L.P. on La Cienega Boulevard. She grew up in wine country in Oregon, has worked with Spanish wines at the Bazaar and spent time sipping wine in France and Italy — so she’s had some practice.

8. Kirk Plummer is the 26-year-old chef de cuisine at Sambar, Akasha Richmond’s new, modern Indian restaurant in Culver City. He’s spent most of his culinary career working with Richmond, who mentored him as he worked his way up at Akasha, before moving onto her new restaurant.

9. Cameron Slaugh, the 27-year-old executive chef of Osteria La Buca, lists Alinea in Chicago and Eleven Madison Park in New York City on his resume. At the Hollywood restaurant, he’s growing some of his own ingredients in the restaurant’s garden.

10. Seth Cohen, 27, and Brett Nestadt, 27, are the co-founders of the newly opened Sweetfin Poké in Santa Monica. The two USC graduates came up with the idea for a poke restaurant shortly after finishing college. They are hoping to open multiple locations across the country.

For the rest of the list, visit www.Zagat.com.

Anyone else feeling motivated right now? Follow me on Twitter @Jenn_Harris_

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