Photo Credit: Anne Fishbein
As a James Beard “Rising Star Chef” nominee with his own lauded eatery, Bucato, Evan Funke is certainly a man who knows the best of L.A.’s culinary scene.
Funke’s culinary career began with two years at Wolfgang Puck Catering before he was recruited to Puck’s legendary Spago, Beverly Hills. After three years at the famed restaurant, and a brief stint teaching at Le Cordon Bleu, Funke assumed leadership of the stoves of the Avalon Hotel, Beverly Hills. His current inspiration came after this period and as a result of a three-month apprenticeship in Bologna, Italy, under the legendary Alessandra Spisni. At La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese, Funke mastered the techniques of pasta fatto a mano and adopted an Italian approach that keeps his cuisine “close to the ground.” In early 2008, Funke began his four-year tenure as Executive Chef at Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen. Here Funke solidified his reputation as a champion of farmer-direct purchasing and creative hyper-seasonal, farmers market based menus.
In 2009, the Los Angeles native was nominated “Rising Star Chef” by The James Beard Foundation, and awarded the“Bib Gourmande” from Michelin Guide, which led him to open Bucato one year ago in July 2013. Next up, the chef will appear at Los Angeles Food & Wine on August 24th at the Lexus Grand Tasting tent alongside Masaharu Morimoto and John Sedlar.
Without further ado, here is Funke’s insider’s guide to the City of Angels. Bon appetit!
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