THE 10 BEST DISHES OF 2008

LA Weekly, December 2008

Roasted-Root-Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Are we getting all Conscious Omnivore this year? Because although I’ve eaten my share of Evan Funke’s diver-harvested whatever and slow-roasted whosit at Rustic Canyon when I’ve been lucky enough to snag a reservation, what sticks out seems to be a plate of crisp, garlicky Jerusalem artichokes so good that I spent weeks trying to duplicate it at home, and a roasted-root-vegetable shepherd’s pie — a rustic creation of tubers, roots and rhizomes blanketed with buttery mashed potatoes — that couldn’t have been better if it were made with wild hare or French blood sausage rather than roasted turnips and parsnips, and I don’t think there is a higher compliment I can pay. Marie Antoinette, a noted carnivore who nonetheless once attended a ball with potato flowers in her hair, would have approved.

1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 393-7050 or www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com.