The Guide, May 2008

Chefs eat: Evan Funke of Rustic Canyon

Spago veteran Evan Funke recently became executive chef of Santa Monica’s Rustic Canyon. When not cooking, he heads to Frying Fish for “super fresh” conveyor belt sushi and the “honeymoon oyster, a giant oyster with uni and quail egg on top.” Funke respects Angelini Osteria, saying, “I went there for my birthday and had a skate wing with radicchio and balsamic. So simple, it just blew my mind.” For special occasions, “It’s inbred and biased, but I’d go to Spago. It’s the attention to detail, attention to freshness.” Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Blvd., (310) 393-7050