At Bar Marmont

“I got a call saying they were looking for a rock & roll chef for a rock & roll restaurant,” says Carolynn Spence about the events that brought her from the kitchen at Manhattan’s hyper popularSpotted Pigto the Bar atChateau Marmontin Los Angeles. Bar Marmont has always been an amazing place—if you don’t actually see a celeb behaving badly there, you’ll at least hear a good story about one from the night before (the evening after theGrammy Awards, the place was empty, but there was an excellent Britney Spears anecdote going around). Spence has brought a "damn good" burger with her (the cheese topping, which is blue and non-negotiable at the Pig, can be Cheddar or Gruyère and is optional here), and has created a bunch of dishes such as hearty baked Manchego withromescosauce and a succulent braised-lamb-and-feta cheese sandwich. And here’s more good news: Starting this spring, Spence will take over the Chateau Marmont restaurant kitchen as well and will create a straightforward menu geared towards the hotel’s many long-term residents. (Lindsay Lohan used to be one, but that’s another story.)