Five on Food: Articles from the Wednesday Dining Pages.

1) Service That’ll Play in LA.  Los Angeles Times.  LA claims its patrons demand more accessible, relaxed staff than New Yorkers do of the front of the house.

Colicchio says his restaurants always take a few months “to jell,” but that he misjudged how important service issues would be at the L.A. outpost of his flagship restaurant. He and other New York City chefs venturing west to open in L.A. (Mario Batali was first, Laurent Tourondel is next) are finding there is a difference between the right service for L.A. and great service in New York.

. . . . Ask Wolfgang Puck, owner of Spago and Cut (and many other restaurants), what defines great service in L.A., and “approachable” gets top billing; polish is not as important. “Good service is service that makes you feel comfortable,” Puck says. “People at our restaurants expect service that is more relaxed.”

2) Imbibing Izikaya style.  San Francisco Chronicle.  Izikayas are up and running all around San Francisco. 

Izakayas’ appeal is seasonal foods cooked correctly and uniquely garnished, and their popularity in Japan and other regions where they’re taking hold stems from a wide selection of inexpensive food and drink, and a casual communal atmosphere. Formats range from tiny, six-seat locations filled with neighborhood locals to corporate chains, train station quick stops and multi-floor emporiums pulsing with music. Drinking is the unifying theme, with the food as a complement.

When will we see more in Washington, aside from the one at Whole Foods that doesn’t even serve booze?!

3) Shell We?  Boston Globe.  A piece that will inspire you to head to Old Ebbitt or Hank’s for your fare share after work:

There is a spare theatricality in the glittering ice, the piled, Gothic oysters, the shucker making passes with his blade. There shouldn’t be many distractions – TVs are, frankly, wrong. This isn’t a temple, but a form of devotion does takes place here. It has some of the casualness of an open kitchen, but without the clangor. Marble and tile are nice; their coolness matches the oysters’.

4) Is Black the New Black?  Chicago Tribune.  Black foods have been hot in Japan for awhile now. Will the trend alight on these shores?  Here’s the list of what to eat black:

Black beans: These dark, dense beans contain more antioxidants (including anthocyanins) than any other bean. No surprise, white beans contain the least amount. Add them to chili, soups and salads.

*Black rice: This whole-grain rice contains more fiber and nutrients compared to white rice. Some varieties look purple when cooked.

*Black soybeans: High in protein, fiber and anthocyanins, black soybeans may be better at lowering cholesterol levels than yellow soybeans, according to Japanese researchers.

*Black vinegar: Available in Asian markets, this dark vinegar is typically made from brown rice. It’s similar to balsamic, but the aging gives it a woodsy and smoky flavor.

*Blackberries: These deeply hued berries are higher in antioxidants than any other fruit.

*Nigella seeds: Staples in Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, these tiny jet-black seeds have a nutty, peppery flavor. Also called black onion seeds, they’re used as a seasoning for vegetables, beans and bread (including naan). They can be found at ethnic markets and the Spice House.

*Black mushrooms: Aromatic and rich in flavor, black mushrooms include shiitake, wood ear and black trumpet. Dried versions are easily found in Asian markets.

A Celebration of Tex-Mex, No Apology. New York Times.

Among food snobs, the Mexican vs. Tex-Mex argument has been raging for decades. It is a wrongheaded debate, according to Robb Walsh, who wrote “The Tex-Mex Cookbook: A History in Photos and Recipes” (Broadway, 2004).

“Tex-Mex isn’t Mexican food,” said Mr. Walsh. “It is an American regional cuisine. So why do we have to apologize to Mexico for it?”

Mr. Walsh said the late food writer Waverley Root got it right when he described Tex-Mex as “native foreign food.”

“It is native, for it does not exist elsewhere; it was born on this soil,” Root wrote in “Eating in America: A History”(William Morrow & Co., 1976), with Richard de Rochemont. “But it is foreign in that its inspiration came from an alien cuisine.”

5) So I missed the whole fried chicken edition in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, but it’s here now.  Check out Origin of Fried Chicken a Mystery, Pan Frying v. Deep Frying, The Best Fried Chicken?  Try These Four Classics, Then Decide, and John Kessler has a bone to pick.