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Things to do in LA...
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Chefs are our rock stars. There's just something too sexy about a person filled with a passion for food, someone whose creativity and warmth are matched only by their skill at presenting a risotto so perfect we actually applaud at first bite. The fact that these chefs and restaurateurs are all really, really good-looking--well, that's just the creme anglaise on the chocolate souffle. Lesley Balla The HipstersThey're young, adventurous and extremely talented. With creative fare and edgy good looks, these guys turn fans into jelly. Mmm, jelly.
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Ludovic Lefebvre at BastideDon't let the tattoos fool you. New executive chef Lefebvre, 33, is widely regarded as one of the finest chefs in the city. The self-described "troublemaker," with a fiery, passionate approach to modern French cuisine will bring Bastide to new levels.
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Govind Armstrong at Table 8People named chef Armstrong one of their "50 Most Beautiful." Does he have groupies? "Thankfully, we have repeat guests," he says. “Are there girls camped outside with lighters and Table 8 T-shirts after hours? No. Regretfully."
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Jared Simons at VioletChef/owner Simons, 26, is turned on by greasy cheeseburgers and late-night bouts of shuffleboard at a dive bar like the Pint in Santa Monica; you'll be turned on by his knock-out, inexpensive bistro fare.
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Piero Morovich (formerly) at AmmoThe 33-year-old executive chef from Trieste, Italy says great cuisine is 70 percent ingredients and only 30 percent technique. He adds that even a girlfriend will have to "have great ingredients" to catch his eye.
Top ToquesThey've made their mark as top chefs in LA and they're all extremely attractive. Talk about yummy.
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David Myers at SonaThe way chef Myers and his wife, co-owner and pastry chef Michelle, talk about food and their love of cooking (for people and each other), you just can't help but be caught up in the passion. Once you taste the food at their sophisticated bistro, you'll be easily wooed.
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Matt Lyman (formerly) at One PicoWhen a customer made a pass at chef Lyman (just one?), all he could do was smile--and what a smile! He finds inspiration for his fresh fare from local farmers markets and from his travels to exotic places like Vietnam, Cuba and South America.
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Craig Strong at The Dining RoomIf executive chef Strong is as sensual at home as he is in the kitchen, his wife is one lucky woman. Aphrodisiacs aren't needed, he says, when there's "the way bread tears between your teeth, the woody waft of wine, the creamy smoothness of custard on the tongue..."
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Stephan Samson (formerly) at ValentinoWhat does Samson find sexy about cooking? "I love the sizzle, the sound of food hitting a hot pan. Avoid flare-ups, though. Burnt oil is very unsexy."
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Warren Schwartz at Whist"I believe in the setting, textures and sensuality possessed in and surrounding food." Now that he's in his new sexy beach setting after a stint at the rustic Saddle Peak Lodge, this couldn't ring more true.
The LadiesThey've had to break down barriers in the male-dominated professional kitchen, so they're tough as nails, but still all woman. Plus, they are smokin' hot!
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Suzanne Goin at A.O.C.The art of cooking to this beautiful (and busy--she's co-owner of Lucques, too) chef is "sensual, physical, creative and exhilarating." That's exactly how her food will make you feel. Too bad she just got married.
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Jill Davie at JosieChef de cuisine Davie is smart, funny and altogether too cute for words. If you can't make it in for the rustic fare she whips up at Josie, you can ogle her on Food Network's "Party Starters."
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Tara Thomas at TraxxChef Thomas is a whirlwind of conversation, wit and laughter, with a dose of contagious civic pride (she even makes that sexy). Her restaurant in the historic Union Station is a cocoon of tranquil beauty and serenity, much like her.
They Own the RoomThese owners deserve just as much credit as the chefs who helm their kitchens: They are in the business of making us happywith faces like this, how could they not?
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Ritsuo Tsuchida at BlowfishWhen he's not helming one of the two NoCal Blowfish outposts, chef and managing partner Tsuchida is often behind the sushi bar here. To him, "There is nothing sexier than sliding your hands along a perfectly sliced piece of maguro [big eye tuna]." Uh huh.
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Amy Knoll Fraser at GraceGrace is the best word to describe Fraser, who works the dining room of this elegant spot while diners plotz over her husband's (chef Neal Fraser) exquisite cuisine. Those who own a restaurant together...
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Raphael Lunetta at JiRaffeFood is his first passion, surfing his second: If he's not in the kitchen, or out plucking the freshest offerings at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, chances are he's riding the waves.
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Sex, Food and Videotape
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