Food writer Karen Palmer returns to defend Hillstone, revisit the Hard Rock Cafe and examine whether Go Greek can become the Shake Shack of frozen yogurt. Luca shares recent meals at Doto, Sora Craft Kitchen and LA’s newest spots before they debate $40 sandwiches, protein maxxing, restaurant branding, Michelin’s Texas snub and the return of chicken as a marquee menu item. Plus, the best sandwiches in Los Angeles, the problem with restaurants that have nowhere to put your purse and an Aperol Spritz controversy nobody saw coming.

Does Tony capture the real Anthony Bourdain, or does it take one creative liberty too many? Luca is joined by Nancy DaSilva (Compliments to the Chef) and Father Sal for a spirited, spoiler-filled review of Matt Johnson’s Bourdain biopic, from Dominic Sessa’s occasionally uncanny performance to standout turns from Antonio Banderas and Leo Woodall. They debate whether the film needed Bourdain at all, why its romanticized portrait of a formative Provincetown summer works, and whether the backlash from Bourdain purists is justified.

Hot Tongue Pizza owner Alex Koons joins Luca as guest co-host for a pizza-heavy tour of the LA food scene, from Queens, Cacao Mexicatessen and FurnSaj to Bar 109’s Michelin-starred burger, fried pizza at Pizzeria Sei and the prospect of paying $4,000 for pasta for life. Be sure to check out his show, Fast Casual, by the way!Then restaurateur Lawrence Longo tells the incredible story of going from elite hockey player and Hollywood assistant to building an empire that includes Prince Street Pizza, Irv’s Burgers, Bar Next Door, Henry’s Secret Ice Cream, Tenderfest and Burgers Never Say Die. Longo reveals how a Sean Avery street fight helped bring Prince Street to Los Angeles, why its first LA pop-up caused two car crashes, how he revived Irv’s, why he turned down venture capital and why LA may now be America’s best pizza city.Plus, the rise and fall of Off the Menu, the one-craveable-item theory of restaurant success, the brutal economics of operating in Los Angeles and an exclusive announcement for Irv’s Burgers’ 80th birthday.Tickets to Pizza Run & Walk Club: Silver LakeTickets to Taqueando After Dark

Matt Rodbard, founder of TASTE and host of This Is TASTE, returns to The LA Food Podcast for an unfiltered conversation at Crudo e Nudo about Los Angeles vs. New York dining, Santa Barbara’s rising restaurant scene (shouout Drift Hotel), twenty-dollar burritos, René Redzepi’s return to Noma, RFK Jr.’s cooking show and the growing influence of credit card companies on restaurants and pop-ups. Then Kevin Noparvar, better known as How Kev Eats, joins Luca at Café Telegrama to rate the restaurant’s pancakes, burger and tuna melt live, reveal his favorite LA pizza, tacos and burgers, and explain how six years of making no money led to millions of followers and the launch of Biter. Plus, Kev breaks down his approach to honest restaurant reviews, the responsibility that comes with influencing small businesses and the new Biter Concierge before committing the episode’s greatest crime: declaring pasta the worst carb.Taqueando After Dark TicketsLA Pizza Run & Walk Club Tickets

Restaurateur Rose Previte, the owner of Maydan and Maydan Market, joins The LA Food Podcast to discuss her globe-spanning journey into hospitality, the travel and research behind Maydan’s live-fire Middle Eastern cooking, and the ambitious restaurant ecosystem she is building in West Adams. Luca makes the case that Maydan belongs among the five best restaurants in Los Angeles, while Rose explains why Maydan Market could offer a new blueprint for independent restaurants. Plus, Dine LA’s comeback, Condé Nast’s battle with the revived Gourmet magazine, Bill Addison’s glowing A Tí review and the return of Pizza Run Club in Silver Lake.Tickets to Taqueando After DarkTickets to Pizza Run Club: Silver LakeSupport Luca's Soccer Without Borders Fun

This week, LA food creator Ronit Halmos joins Luca for a rapid-fire, Subway akes-style round of “Worth the Hype,” debating Courage Bagels, Hillstone, The Benjamin’s $35 martini, In-N-Out fries, drinks at SUR and the ultimate coastal food fight: Is Los Angeles food actually better than New York’s?Ronit also talks about developing her instantly recognizable restaurant-review format, why she refuses to trash small businesses for views, the increasingly copy-and-paste nature of LA restaurant menus and the meals currently exciting her most. Then she sticks around for Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, weighing in on Westside bagel beef, celebrity-chef dining in Las Vegas, Coca-Cola’s Marlboro-adjacent makeover and ballpark sushi.After the break, Lodge Bread founder Or Amsalam tells the improbable story of how an obsessive home-baking project became one of Los Angeles’ defining bakery brands. He takes us inside Lodge Bread’s early days baking through the night in an illegal carport kitchen, the challenge of scaling naturally fermented bread and the company’s ambitious next chapter, including new locations in Pasadena and Brentwood, the return of Fullproof as a full-service pizza and pasta restaurant and the possible revival of Hasiba.Thank you for listeneing and please consider donating to Luca's Soccer Without Borders fund.

The Bear is officially over, and we're looking back at one of television's most influential food dramas. On this episode of Couch Potatoes, Luca and Father Sal unpack the final season, debate whether the finale redeemed the show's uneven final stretch, rank every season, hand out series superlatives, and answer the biggest question of all: what is The Bear's legacy? Did it earn a place alongside TV's all-time greats, or did it overstay its welcome? Spoilers throughout.

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we finally tackle one of the biggest destinations in Los Angeles dining: Vespertine & Providence. After revisiting Jordan Kahn's boundary-pushing tasting menu and making our long-awaited first trip to Michael Cimarusti's three-Michelin-star seafood temple, we compare every course, every experience, and ask whether Michelin got the rankings right. We also rank the Southern California Michelin restaurants we've visited so far and debate which are truly worth the pilgrimage.Then it's Chef's Kiss / Big Miss, where we unpack the New York Times' controversial Chez Panisse review, whether restaurants have become too obsessed with spectacle over hospitality, LA's bizarre luxury ice trend, why handcrafted restaurant marketing is making a comeback in the AI era, and Taco Bell's attempt to survive the "Diarrhea Lettuce Summer."Finally, Luca sits down with Daniel Patterson and Sarah Lewitinn of Jacaranda, one of LA's most exciting new restaurants, to discuss turning an intimate supper club into one of the city's hottest reservations, why they're betting on ambitious fine dining in 2026, hospitality without pretension, and what modern restaurants can learn from both the music industry and Michelin-starred dining.

Is Maddie's Secret actually a movie about food influencers... or is food just the backdrop?On this special edition of Couch Potatoes, Luca is joined by Bits Nicholas and Nancy DaSilva of Compliments to the Chef to unpack one of the year's most talked-about food films. Together they break down John Early's directorial debut, debate whether its satire of millennial food creators lands, explore its surprising turn into a story about eating disorders and recovery, and ask why critics have been almost universally glowing despite the film's many unresolved questions.Along the way, they dive into Top Chef, Tom Colicchio, influencer culture, restaurant criticism, BuzzFeed nostalgia, Gen Z food videos, and whether Maddie's Secret ultimately has anything meaningful to say about the modern food internet. If you're obsessed with food media, food television, restaurant culture, or the intersection of social media and cooking, this is the conversation you've been waiting for.

A TikTok review of a $38 Armenian basturma brisket sandwich has exploded into one of the biggest food controversies Los Angeles has seen all year. This week, Luca is joined by Taqueando producer Robert Haleblian, who's been following Glendale favorite Yerord Mas since its pop-up days, to unpack how one viral video ignited a debate about restaurant pricing, tradition, influencer culture, and why some cuisines are still expected to stay cheap. If you've seen the Richie Gaines, Yerord Mas, or Los Angeles Times discourse online, this is the conversation behind the headlines.Then it's time for Chef's Kiss / Big Miss with MY WIFE as the crew weighs in on Diarrhea Lettuce Summer, the rise of luxury all-you-can-eat buffets, Chipotle opening in Mexico, The Tasting Kitchen's return to Venice, and whether food media needs more people who've actually worked in restaurants.

Come to the West Hollywood Pizza Run Club this Sunday July 12!--Has Eater fully lost its place as the most influential name in food media? This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio and SF Gate food writer Karen Palmer unpack Dana Brown's explosive deep dive into Eater's rise, evolution, layoffs, SEO strategy, and uncertain future under Penske Media. They debate whether the publication lost sight of what made it essential, what today's media landscape means for food journalism, and whether there's still a path back.Plus, Karen takes us behind the scenes at the 2026 California Michelin Guide Ceremony, shares what it was like to witness Kato earn its second Michelin star, and explains why La Jolla is emerging as one of California's most exciting dining destinations, with stops at Lucien, Fleurette, and Wayfarer Bread.Also in this episode: recent meals at Bar Di Bello, Vespertine, Tacos Royale, Bad Roman, and Tower Bar; whether Los Angeles has officially become America's pizza capital; the slow disappearance of the Las Vegas buffet; Mark Cuban's ambitious new Hollywood sports bar Pawn Shop; and our reactions to the wildly over-the-top menu from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported Madison Square Garden wedding celebration.--Support Luca's NY Marathon fund for Soccer Without Borders

Father Sal calls in from his Los Angeles staycation ready to quiet quit the Michelin Guide, even as he heads to two-star Kato and makes the case for restaurants like Lielle, Anajak and Jacaranda. Luca and Sal recap memorable meals at Quarter Sheets, Oaxacalifornia, Asadero, Cafe Telegrama, Expendio de Maíz, Voraz and Anajak before asking whether The Bear Season 5 has somehow rediscovered what made the show great.They also break down the Top Chef Carolinas finale and explain why America’s Culinary Cup, featuring Padma Lakshmi, Michael Cimarusti, Wylie Dufresne, Chris Morgan and Alta Adams chef Keith Corbin, may be the best cooking competition on television. Plus, Luca goes solo for Chef’s Kiss or Big Miss, weighing in on Noma’s controversial Los Angeles residency, Eddie Huang’s public response to Ryan Sutton’s Baohaus review, J Lee on Sqirl’s new dinner service, the supposed death of food writing per Vittles, and Norway’s brown-cheese waffles at the World Cup.--Join our LA Pizza Run/Walk Club on July 12! Donate to my Soccer Without Borders fund

James Beard Award-winning Los Angeles Times journalist Stephanie Breijo joins The LA Food Podcast to unpack her historic Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award win, becoming the first Los Angeles-based reporter to receive the honor. Stephanie reveals how she selected the three stories in her submission, what happened when her name was called and why the award represents a victory for local food journalism and the resilience of Los Angeles.Plus, we break down the 2026 Michelin Guide California results, including Kato’s second star, first-time stars for Seline, Lielle, Corridor 109, Kojima and Miura, and the surprising restaurants that lost recognition. We also discuss the best places in LA to watch soccer with great food, Olvera Street’s uncertain future, the Obama Presidential Center burger, the return of fancy Jell-O shots and recent meals at Lielle, Alta Adams, Jacaranda, Max & Helen’s and Chill Since 1993.--Donate to Luca's Soccer Without Borders fund

Karen Palmer joins Luca to break down Los Angeles’ huge night at the 2026 James Beard Awards, including wins for Dave Beran, Providence and Kato, Holbox’s heartbreak, LA’s four-year Best Chef: California streak and what the results reveal about the city’s growing culinary dominance. They also trade recent eats from Mish Deli, Rustic Canyon, Cambria’s Sea Chest, Guelaguetza, Delicious Pizza, Estrano Verano and Maydan before debating the glamorous but isolating world of private chefs, Stephanie Breijo’s James Beard Media Award, Condé Nast’s lawsuit against the revived Gourmet and the New York Times giving its first four-star review outside New York. Then, Smorgasburg LA General Manager Zach Brooks looks back on 10 years of the Sunday food market he initially called a “terrible idea,” its role in launching Tacos 1986, Bridgetown Roti, Bub and Grandma’s, Wanderlust Creamery and more, and the former vendors returning for its June 21 anniversary celebration. --Donate to Luca's Soccer Without Borders fund

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca and Father Sal kick things off with a listener Q&A covering some of the most pressing issues in Los Angeles dining: where to find a trendy but affordable sit-down meal, whether LA has its own pizza style, how much power food influencers really have, what makes a restaurant creator trustworthy, and why Brazilian pizza at Sampa’s in Marina del Rey might be one of LA’s most underrated World Cup-adjacent food experiences. They also discuss Holy Basil, Cafe Telegram, Roshna Bilash, KurryPinch, Asadero Los Angeles, Naughty Pie Nature, Dudley Market discourse, chef behavior, and the eternal question of whether Reese’s peanut butter cups have always been this chalky.Then, James Beard Award-nominated journalist Mona Holmes of Eater LA joins the show for a deep conversation about how 2020 changed food media forever. Mona and Luca revisit the collision of COVID, the George Floyd protests, the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen reckoning, Adam Rapoport’s resignation, Alison Roman, Peter Meehan and the LA Times Food section, the James Beard Awards overhaul, and the shrinking of food newsrooms across the country. They also dig into what has been lost as food journalism has shifted toward video, engagement and influencer culture, why LA remains one of the strongest food media cities in America, and how outlets like Eater LA, LA Taco, LAist, the Los Angeles Times, independent newsletters and local creators are still telling the story of the city’s restaurants in a brutally difficult era.--Come to the Pizza Run Club in Mar Vista to Venice!Donate to my Soccer Without Borders fund

This week on the LA Food Podcast, Luca and Father Sal dig into the new North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list and what it says about the state of dining in Los Angeles, New York, Canada, New Orleans and beyond. LA landed four restaurants on the 2026 list — Holbox, Providence, Somni and Kato — while major Bay Area names fell off, raising the question of whether Los Angeles has fully closed the gap as California’s most exciting fine dining city.Before that, Luca shares the launch of Pizza Run Club, his pizza-fueled marathon fundraiser for Soccer Without Borders, and the guys trade recent eats from Anna Pizzeria, Etra, La Burg, Bridgetown Roti, La Coupe and Pasjoli. Then, in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, they debate Pizzeria Sei being named one of the best pizzerias in America, Dudley Market’s seafood controversy, Connie & Ted’s closing, Eric Greenspan’s deli comeback at Mish, restaurants becoming a political issue in LA, and whether even the Baklava Guy can make Sal feel anything positive about the Knicks.LINKS WE PROMISED TO SHARE:Pizza Run Club sign-upRobert Haleblian's article The last time we covered North America's 50 Best

Andy Kadin, founder of Bub and Grandma’s, joins The LA Food Podcast for a deep dive into one of the most beloved bakeries in Los Angeles. If you’ve eaten at restaurants across LA, from Michelin-starred dining rooms to neighborhood sandwich shops, there’s a good chance you’ve had Bub and Grandma’s bread on the table.In this episode, Andy tells the story of how a home bread operation grew into a wholesale bakery supplying hundreds of LA restaurants, what makes Bub and Grandma’s such a force in the city’s bread scene, and how obsession, craft, and consistency helped build one of LA’s most recognizable food brands. We also talk about opening the Bub and Grandma’s restaurant in Glassell Park, expanding into a second restaurant, and the very real dangers of getting into the pizza business.--Help Luca run the NYC marathon! Donate to Soccer Without Borders on Luca's page, here. $1, $5, $10 - anything helps!

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca sits down with Jessica Koslow, the chef and owner behind Sqirl, one of the most influential Los Angeles restaurants of the last 15 years. Koslow reflects on Sqirl’s unlikely evolution from a jam company into a defining all-day restaurant, the origins of dishes like the sorrel pesto rice bowl and ricotta toast, and why her background as a pastry cook and competitive figure skater still shapes the way she thinks about craft, repetition, and reinvention.The conversation also dives into Sqirl’s new dinner service, which Koslow describes as a full restaurant within a restaurant, with a completely different menu, atmosphere, staffing model, and hospitality approach. She talks about the dishes leading the charge at night, including the chicken liver, roast chicken, smoked pork collar, French toast, and the personal story behind the Bacchanalia chocolate cake. Luca and Jessica also discuss LA dining culture, the economics of running an ambitious independent restaurant, the joy of hidden restaurant “Easter eggs,” and what it means for Sqirl to keep evolving after a complicated public chapter.--Please consider donating to Soccer Without Borders to support Luca's quest to run the New York Marathon Luca's link!

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca is joined by food writer Karen Palmer and LA food influencer Rick Lox for a two-part episode covering the state of Los Angeles restaurants, food media, and the city’s never-ending dining discourse. First, Karen breaks down the latest LA restaurant storylines, from the rise of luxury grocery stores like Laurel Supply to the possible comeback of the Helms Design District, plus recent eats at Jacaranda, Picala, Gjusta, and Pijja Palace. She and Luca also get into the new Helms District, Santee Alley after last year’s ICE raids, the Roll Em Up Taquitos controversy, vermin-related restaurant closures, the New York Times 100 Best Restaurants in NYC list, bromated flour, and Dine Latino Restaurant Week. Then Luca sits down with Adam Alper, better known as Rick Lox, one of LA’s most recognizable food influencers, to talk about how he built his platform, the origin of the Rick Lox name, his rating system, dealing with haters, why Shibuya is his favorite restaurant of all time, why In-N-Out still matters, and the LA restaurants he thinks are truly elite, including Dunsmoor and République. Rick also opens up about what makes a restaurant review trustworthy, how social media has changed the LA dining scene, and why helping great restaurants find new customers is still the best part of the job.--Please consider supporting Luca's efforts to raise funds for Soccer Without Borders - LOVE YOU!

Luca and Father Sal break down the James Beard Awards media nominations, why LA continues to dominate, and how outlets like the Los Angeles Times keep scoring while The New York Times gets shut out. Plus: is the decline of Eater real, and are Substacks quietly replacing traditional food journalism? In “Recent Eats,” we’re talking airport burgers at Skillet, a return to Lodge Bread, Roman pizza in Hollywood, and whether Catch LA is better than people admit.Plus Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: Enrique Olvera’s new LA restaurant, a stacked all-star pop-up, an exciting new LA food Substack, and the most unhinged steakhouse behavior imaginable.And oh yeah. Luca announces he’s officially running the New York City Marathon for Soccer Without Borders—and trying to raise $8,000. If you should feel so inclined to chip in - here's the link! Anything helps and is SO greatly appreciated! --Sponsored by mva.wine - discover wines that don't usually make it to the US, delivered straight to your doorstep.

This might be the worst episode of The LA Food Podcast we’ve ever released.Luca is sick, the brain fog is real, and for the first time ever… this episode is completely unedited. No cuts, no clean-up, no saving ourselves in post. What you’re about to hear is the raw, behind-the-scenes version of the show — for better or worse.Despite the mess, there’s a lot to get into.We kick things off with listener feedback, including a note from Caper Media clarifying their business model and what the future of food media might actually look like. Then it’s recent eats, featuring one of Luca’s all-time favorite meals with his parents (shout out Loreto)… and a truly brutal burrito experience that raises serious questions.From there, we dive into an extended Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, covering:The New York Times’ updated “25 Best Restaurants in LA” list - and substitutions we would makeAlinea’s reinvention strategy and the future of immersive diningDaniel Hernandez's honest thoughts on the Noma LA experienceWhether modern sushi (especially omakase) has lost its soulRavenous leaning into gossipInfatuation under fireAnd Indian food disrespectIt’s raw, it’s unfiltered, and it’s probably our worst episode ever.Or… maybe our most honest.--Presented by mva.wine. Let's drink awesome wine.

The LA food media landscape is exploding in 2026, and it’s getting harder to keep up. From the return of Gourmet to the rise of Caper Media, RAVENOUS, and LA Material, new outlets are reshaping how restaurants, culture, and criticism are covered.In Part 1 of this episode, Luca and Father Sal break down the biggest food media launches of the year, debating which platforms actually have staying power, what business models might work, and why food media still struggles to scale beyond local audiences. On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, they get into the dilution of Wagyu in America, the rise of African diaspora fast-casual concepts, a $300 steakhouse cocktail, and a fast food chain leaning hard into RFK Jr.–era food politics.Then in Part 2, chef Christian Yang of Yang’s Kitchen joins the show to talk about building one of LA’s most distinctive restaurants and launching his new kombucha brand, Joimo, as he expands from hospitality into CPG. --Presented by mva.wine - the uncharted side of wine.

The LA Food Podcast is now on YouTube, and we’re celebrating with a brand new segment: VERSUS. This week, Luca and Father Sal go head-to-head debating two of LA’s most exciting modern Mexican restaurants—Echo Park favorite A Ti vs. the return of Ray Garcia at Broken Spanish Comedor—arguing which one is truly worth your next reservation. Plus, Chef’s Kiss Big Miss is back with takes on the latest James Beard Awards controversy, a bizarre California Pizza Kitchen cease and desist, Food & Wine’s controversial best food cities rankings, and the rise of the “restaurant relationship gap.” In Part 2, we sit down with Natalie Dial and Harry Posner of Tomat, the Westchester hotspot near LAX, to hear their incredible journey from meeting in The Gambia to leaving London behind to build one of LA’s most unique all-day restaurants. If you haven’t been yet, this conversation might change that.--Presented by mva.wine.

Today on Couch Potatoes, we’re breaking down the first six episodes of America’s Culinary Cup, the new CBS food competition series hosted by Padma Lakshmi—and her very public post-Top Chef return to the genre.We get into what the show is trying to be, how it stacks up against Top Chef, and whether the high-level talent—from Michelin-starred chefs to James Beard nominees like Buddha Lo, Beverly Kim, and LA’s own Keith Corbin—is actually delivering. Then we unpack the competition structure, the early challenges (from meat to sustainability to dessert), and whether the twists and judging system are elevating the show or overcomplicating it.Finally, we get into our hottest takes: who’s winning, whether the show has real staying power, and how America’s Culinary Cup compares to the current food TV landscape.If you’re into Top Chef, food competition shows, or just strong opinions about who should be sent home, this one’s for you.

Today on The LA Food Podcast, we’re joined by Vanderpump Rules star and restaurateur Tom Schwartz for a candid, surprisingly thoughtful conversation about life in the hospitality industry.Recorded at Mae Malai in Los Angeles, Tom opens up about his journey from aspiring actor to bar owner, what it really takes to open and operate restaurants like TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy’s, and why the industry is far more brutal than it looks. He reflects on the impact of reality TV fame, navigating one of the most explosive scandals in Bravo history, and how it all intersects with his love of food and dining across LA. In Part 1, Karen Palmer joins to break down the latest in the LA food scene, including standout meals at Bar Di Bello, Osteria Mozza, Buena Bodega, Bianca Sicilian Trattoria, and Sqirl. We also dig into a major James Beard Awards storyline, the evolution of Ventura’s dining scene, and whether LA is finally getting the national recognition it deserves. And The Quiet Woman, of course.On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we debate Noma’s latest move in LA, influencer culture’s impact on restaurants, and a controversial take that LA isn’t a “real food city.” It’s Bravo, it’s restaurants, it’s LA dining—this one covers it all.--Presented by mva.wine. Discover amazing bottles that don't usually make it to the US. First 20 listeners to use code "LAFOOD" get $50 off their first collection.

Los Angeles shows out in a big way as the 2026 James Beard finalists are announced—and for once, it actually feels like the city is getting its due. We break down the biggest headlines, who got snubbed, and whether the Beards still mean what they used to for LA and fine dining at large.Then, we dive into the growing backlash against fine dining, sparked by Khushbu Shah’s viral Substack and a New York Times piece on kitchen culture. Is the model broken, or just overdue for evolution?In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we react to Bill Esparza’s “bagels are just bread” take, a new South Asian hand roll concept in Lomita, and the case for “middle-aged restaurants”—the spots that have outlasted the hype and might actually be at their peak.In Part 2, Chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo joins to talk about building one of LA’s most compelling restaurants from a pandemic pop-up, why the traditional restaurant model doesn’t work, and how local seafood—and smaller fish like sardines and mackerel—fits into the future of dining.--Presented by the wine geniuses at mva.wine. Subscribe to this totally unique wine collective to discover wines that don't typically make it to the US. First 20 people to use the code LAFOOD get $50 off their first collection.

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca checks in from Las Vegas in full Uncut Gems mode while Father Sal returns for a chaotic, no-holds-barred Q&A episode.You asked, we answered. We’re talking everything from which LA food influencers are completely full of shit, why certain “terrible” restaurants stay packed, and how to actually navigate tipping culture in 2026, to deeper cuts like underrated LA chefs, Mexican breakfast standouts, and whether LA food media ignores entire regions of the city. We also get into real-life dilemmas like bad restaurant recommendations, ordering disasters, and yes, Luca’s advice on finding a wife.On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, the biggest stories in LA food get the treatment. A San Gabriel Valley institution is forced to pull its iconic stinky tofu after neighborhood complaints, sparking a larger conversation about culture, identity, and who gets to “smell” in Los Angeles. The Horses saga returns as Will Aghajanian denies the now-infamous cat-killing allegations in a bizarre and headline-grabbing interview. Meanwhile, the Noma Los Angeles fallout continues to spiral, with conflicting accounts around a viral abuse story complicating an already explosive situation. Plus, we break down the wild new Dodger Stadium menu, including bone marrow tacos and loco moco, and highlight Night Out for No Kid Hungry, one of LA’s biggest food events of the year. (Use code LUCA20 for a discount!)In Part 2, we’re joined by world-class pizza chef Daniele Uditi live from Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. We dive into his latest project, Lele Dinner Club, and get into a full-on pizza myth-busting session. Should pizza have no flop? Is Neapolitan pizza supposed to be soupy? And are people crazy for expecting a dollar slice to still cost a dollar?If you care about LA food, pizza culture, or just want brutally honest takes on the restaurant world, this one’s for you.--Also don't forget you can discover amazing wines by subscribing to MVA.wine - use code LAFOOD for $50 off the first collection (first 20 listeners only!)

Today on The LA Food Podcast, James Beard Award-winning author, restaurateur, and longtime Angeleno Noah Galuten joins as guest co-host for a wide-ranging conversation on LA’s past, present, and future as a food city.In a moment where the restaurant world is dominated by headlines around René Redzepi and Noma, we take a different approach. Instead of focusing on controversy, we draft our Mount Rushmore of Los Angeles chefs—asking a deceptively simple question: who actually changed the game? Not just the best chefs, but the ones who reshaped how LA eats, cooks, and thinks about food. The result is a competitive, snake-style draft filled with legacy picks, bold calls, and a few names that might spark debate.We also dig into recent meals across the city, including Bistro Na’s, Loreto in Frogtown, and Secret Pizza, before diving into Noah’s career. From his early days running the influential food blog Man Bites World, to helping define some of LA’s most important restaurants of the 2010s, to his upcoming cookbook Grill Time, Noah shares how he’s built a career at the intersection of media, restaurants, and storytelling.In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we break down some of the biggest conversations shaping the food world right now:A Helen Rosner take on whether you can separate art from the artist in the wake of NomaThe rise of LA’s pop-up culture and whether it’s sustainable long-termCelebrities stepping into chef roles at events like the OscarsThe growing presence of global restaurant brands entering Los AngelesAnd a wild slate of new Taco Bell menu items for 2026Plus, we kick things off with listener feedback and what might be the early stages of a beef with one of LA’s most iconic food publications.--Presented by mva.wine. To learn more about becoming a member of the mva.wine community and receiving regular access to incredible wines you won't find anywhere else, visit mva.wine/subscribe - first 20 people to sign up using code "LAFOOD" receive $50 off.

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio and Karen Palmer break down the biggest restaurant industry story of the year: the escalating Noma scandal surrounding chef René Redzepi and the $1,500-per-person Noma pop-up in Los Angeles.Following a bombshell New York Times investigation into abuse and labor practices at Noma, protests erupted in LA led by former Noma fermentation director Jason Ignacio White. Sponsors pulled out, demonstrators gathered outside the Paramour Estate, and Redzepi ultimately announced he would step away from Noma’s day-to-day operations. Luca and Karen unpack what happened, why this moment hit differently than past allegations, and what it means for the future of fine dining, kitchen culture, and restaurant labor. Before diving into the controversy, the hosts share their latest LA restaurant recs and recent eats, including meals at Republique, 88 Club, Bell’s in Los Alamos, Pinyon in Ojai, and more.Then in Part 2, you’ll hear audio from the Noma protest press conference in Los Angeles, where organizers laid out demands including leadership change, worker reparations, and broader industry reforms addressing unpaid labor and abusive kitchen culture. All that, plus Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss covering LA Times popcorn nostalgia, the rise of the San Luis Obispo Coast wine region, Expo West’s protein-everything food trend, and drama inside the world of food media.--Presented by mva.wine. Subscribe to you first collection to discover unique wines that are meticulously selected and rarely (if ever) seen in LA. First 20 people to become members using code "LAFOOD" receive $50 off at check-out.

A new podcast is hitting the LA Food Podcast feed.Welcome to the debut episode of Couch Potatoes: A Food TV Podcast. To kick things off, Luca Servodio and Father Sal are joined by Bits Nicholas of Compliments to the Chef to preview Top Chef Season 23 and hold the first ever Fantasy Top Chef Draft for 2026.The twist? It’s Team LA Food Podcast vs Team Compliments to the Chef. Each side drafts chefs from the new season and will compete all season long to see whose picks dominate the competition.Along the way the crew breaks down the Season 23 cast, early favorites, potential dark horses, and which chefs could flame out early. If you’re a Top Chef diehard, a Bravo fan, or just love food TV debates, this is the ultimate pre-season preview.New episodes of Couch Potatoes will cover the biggest moments from Top Chef and the wider world of food television.

Matt Rodbard of This Is TASTE joins Luca Servodio as guest co-host on The LA Food Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of food media, restaurant discovery, and what’s happening right now in the LA dining scene.They dig into Rodbard’s recent interviews with Emma Orlow of Caper Media and David Cho of the restaurant discovery app Postcard, exploring the idea of “post-traffic” food media, whether apps like Beli and Postcard change how we discover restaurants, and what the next generation of food TV might look like.Plus, Matt and Luca break down their recent eats around LA — including Sqirl’s new dinner service, Max & Helen’s, Erewhon, Holbox, and brunch at Mirate in Los Feliz — before diving into the return of everyone’s favorite segment: Chef’s Kiss or Big Miss.On the table this week:• The Serving Spoon winning the James Beard America’s Classics Award• Whether media like the New York Times shapes what diners order• Restaurants getting paid to switch reservation platforms• And the internet’s newest meme: The Pitt, but set during a Waffle House night shiftIf you care about restaurants, food media, and how we discover what to eat next, this one’s for you.

Father Sal records his final episode as a bachelor, we launch our new Couch Potatoes Top Chef recap series, and then we head straight to Santa Monica for one of the most ambitious meals in Los Angeles: SELINE.Chef Dave Beran’s winter tasting menu is structured around the idea of “outside” and “inside” — cold, memory, warmth, progression. We break down the sunflower sequence disguised as cod, the venison tartare that had us laughing mid-bite, the short rib slider moment, and whether SELINE is already operating at a Michelin-star level.Then we zoom out.We unpack the James Beard Foundation’s State of the Restaurant Industry report, produced with Deloitte, and talk about what it actually says: volatility as the new norm, alcohol sales declining, guests spending less per visit, full dining rooms that still aren’t profitable, and the widening gap between consumer expectations and restaurant economics. Oh, and here's that New School report we keep referencing. After that, Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss returns — our recurring segment where we call balls and strikes on LA food culture:Sqirl flips to dinnerThe “restaurant monologue” backlashPizza losing ground to Mexican and Asian cuisineAnd a few takes that might ruffle feathersIn Part 2, we sit down with Laurent Vernhes (founder of Tablet Hotels) and Tito Melega of MVA.wine — a 600-member wine collective that blind tastes 50–60 wines in Tuscany and only selects six. No filler inventory. No mass distribution. Just curation and scarcity.And if you're interested in becoming an MVA member - a.k.a. a Vinefinder - the first 20 listeners to sign up get a $50 discount on their first collection with code "LAFOOD"Powered by Acquired Taste

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we’re diving deep into LA’s cocktail culture with James Beard semifinalist Max Reis, beverage director of Mirate and Daisy Margarita Bar. Max shares his journey from Napa to Los Angeles, how he became one of the country’s most respected mezcal advocates, and what it takes to build a world-class bar program. In Part 1, Luca and Father Sal recap a legendary Echo Park bar crawl, including strategy, standout stops, and inevitable chaos. Plus, Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss tackles the New York Times’ essential LA dishes list, the Max & Helen’s review debate, smart glasses in restaurants, AI reservation bots, and the battle over dining-room photography. Powered by Acquired Taste

Alison Roman joins The LA Food Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on cookbooks, creativity, and the unsettling rise of AI-generated recipes. We dive into Something From Nothing, her evolving aesthetic, growing up in the San Fernando Valley, and her early days in LA fine dining. Before that, Father Sal and Luca break down meals at Lucia, Bess, Max & Helen’s, and Cheesesteaks by Matu, plus the fallout from last week’s LA Dining Scam debate. In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: Noma controversy, Villa’s Tacos at the Super Bowl, Jenn Harris’ big career news, a David Chang review, and a Tesla Diner confession you truly won’t believe.

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio is joined by food reporter Karen Palmer to break down the viral LA dining discourse sparked by Kerry Rose Schwartz (@comfywithkerry) and her claim that “LA fine dining is a scam.”We dig into why Kerry’s videos exploded, the pushback from chefs like Jeremy Fox, and what the backlash reveals about hype culture, pricing, influencer power, and the widening expectation gap facing Los Angeles restaurants. Is this a needed reality check for diners—or damaging rhetoric during a brutal moment for the industry?Karen also shares where she’s been eating lately, including Broken Spanish Comedor, a return visit to Ronan, cocktails at Bar Benjamin, and what makes a restaurant worth revisiting beyond the hype cycle. Luca recaps recent meals at Napa Rose at Disneyland post-renovation, Darling by Sean Brock, and an accidental Bravo-side quest at SUR.In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we weigh in on the Crenshaw Food Hub and its community-first food model, Marco Pierre White going viral while eating McDonald’s, the rise of all-day cafés reshaping American dining, and the latest wave of algorithm-friendly “liquid food” and meal-replacement culture. A wide-ranging, opinionated conversation about what’s actually worth eating—and talking about—in LA right now.We also discuss Karen's latest on Hermon's and The Rainforest Cafe (lol). Powered by Acquired Taste

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, we’re doing a little bit of everything — industry analysis, hot takes, and a long, thoughtful sit-down with two people quietly shaping what neighborhood dining looks like in Los Angeles right now.In Part 1, Father Sal joins Luca to break down the 2026 James Beard Award semifinalists. LA had a massive showing this year, but how does it stack up against past years — and which semifinalists actually have a real shot at winning? We dig into the numbers, the narratives, and what Beard recognition really means in 2026. In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we cover Noma selling out in three minutes (and then making bagels), Bill Addison taking the gloves off, Firstborn LA going all-in on prix fixe, and a handful of LA chefs landing on one of the year’s most anticipated culinary TV shows.In Part 2, Luca sits down with Adam Weisblatt, Co-Founder and Partner of Last Word Hospitality, and DK Kolender, Chef and Partner of Hermon’s, one of LA’s most talked-about new neighborhood restaurants. We start with Hermon’s — the vision, the food, the drinks, and why it already feels like it’s been here forever — before zooming out to talk about Last Word’s broader strategy behind Found Oyster, Queen’s, Barra Santos, and more. Adam and DK share hard-earned perspective on building restaurants people actually return to, thriving as a restaurant group in today’s LA, and how they think about growth, praise, and sustainability. We close with reflections on Last Word Hospitality’s recent James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur nomination and what success looks like moving forward.Powered by Acquired Taste

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca sits down with Chef Jon Yao and Ryan Bailey (Co-owner, DOO & Wine Director) of Kato, one of Los Angeles’s most acclaimed and ambitious restaurants. The conversation traces Kato’s evolution from its pre-Michelin West LA strip-mall era to its Arts District rebirth — unpacking how Jon and Ryan built a fine-dining institution that balances Taiwanese & SGV roots, Western technique, fermentation, hearth cooking, and one of the most forward-thinking beverage and non-alcoholic programs in the country.We talk about the moment before Ryan joined in 2018, how their partnership transformed the restaurant’s trajectory, the decision to relocate to Row DTLA, the philosophy behind fermentation and “SGV food,” why the hearth is used with restraint, how the NA program went beyond trend to become identity, and what it means to operate a restaurant with one eye on legislation, labor, and rising costs.We also get real about external validation — from Michelin stars to LA Times #1 rankings to World’s 50 Best “One to Watch” — and whether Kato is still pushing toward the “French Laundry” tier of long-term cultural significance in Los Angeles.If you love LA dining, fine dining, Taiwanese cuisine, SGV food culture, fermentation, hospitality, Michelin, or restaurants building for the future, this conversation is for you.Now streaming everywhere you get podcasts.Keywords: Kato LA, Jon Yao, Ryan Bailey, Taiwanese food LA, SGV food, Michelin LA, World’s 50 Best, fermentation, non-alcoholic pairings, Arts District restaurants, fine dining Los Angeles, LA restaurant podcast, LA food scene, hospitality, wine programs LA

Today on The LA Food Podcast, we break down the LA food story that set the internet on fire: René Redzepi brings Noma to Silver Lake at $1500 per person. With guest Karen Palmer, we dissect the announcement, the backlash, the economics, and whether the outrage is justified—plus why “reindeer penis” somehow became part of the discourse.Then on Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we tackle the surprise return of Gourmet Magazine, a Westside restaurant losing its liquor license to NIMBY neighbors, the growing case for anonymous food critics, and whether it’s acceptable for couples to order the same entree.In Recent Eats, we run through meals at Little Fish, Electric Blue, Vandell, Bar Etoile, The Mulberry, and an Tacos Entre Amigos.Finally, in Part 2, we sit down with Jason Lee of Expense Account, the breakout new food podcaster published by Feed Me, for a fun conversation on food media, the LA vs NYC rivalry, and what it takes to build a hit food show in 2026.Powered by Acquired Taste.

Welcome back to The LA Food Podcast! In our second episode of 2026, Father Sal and Luca kick things off with Recent Eats, covering Hermon’s, Superba, Connie & Ted’s, and Etra. Then we dive into the new California food laws taking effect in 2026 — including updates to minimum wage, plastic bag rules, delivery app regulations, tortilla fortification, allergen menu labeling, retirement plan requirements, outdoor dining extensions, and more.Using reporting from Eater LA’s Mona Holmes, we break down how these policy changes affect restaurants, diners, delivery drivers, street vendors, and the broader hospitality industry. Are these laws a win for consumers? Added pressure for already-strained restaurants? Or a mixed bag lawmakers will need to refine?Plus, in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we hit:• Horses shuttering amid “catgate” fallout and tax liens• The closure of LA County’s oldest restaurant• A surprise Downtown comeback from a beloved chef• Pete Wells’ health-focused reset after stepping away from criticism• Blackbird’s 56 wild restaurant ideas for 2026If you care about LA dining culture, food policy, restaurant trends, and what's ahead for hospitality in 2026, this episode is a must-listen.SEO Keywords Included: new California food laws 2026, LA restaurants, delivery app regulations, California minimum wage 2026, Eater LA, Mona Holmes, restaurant trends 2026, Horses LA closure, Pete Wells health, LA dining news, LA food podcastPowered by Acquired Taste Media.

It’s the first episode of The LA Food Podcast in 2026, and Luca Servodio and Father Sal are kicking off the new year the only way they know how: with food resolutions, trend forecasting, and a healthy dose of Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss.On this episode, Luca and Sal trade three food-related resolutions each, from how they plan to dine out in 2026 to charitable goals that may or may not end in regret. Luca also officially announces the food category he’ll be counting down for the 2026 LA Countdown, while Father Sal attempts to prove he’s finally qualified to host a Los Angeles food podcast.In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, the guys break down what’s in and out for 2026, reacting to food predictions from The New York Times, Helen Rosner, and Matt Rodbard of This Is TASTE. Topics include quieter restaurants, comfort food, texture-driven cooking, value dining, non-alcoholic buzzes, food media’s future, and whether food culture is finally moving away from spectacle and back toward warmth, intention, and community.They also revisit last year’s predictions to see what actually held up, debate whether desserts truly require a glass of milk, and, of course, read a pair of truly unhinged Yelp reviews.If you care about LA dining, food trends, restaurant culture, and where food media is headed in 2026, this is the perfect way to start the year.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.

It’s a Christmas-week episode of The LA Food Podcast, and we’re celebrating with one of the most joyful restaurants in Los Angeles.This week, Luca Servodio sits down with Eric Bedroussian and Josh Hartley, the hospitality-driven duo behind Budonoki, the wildly popular Virgil Village izakaya that started as a roaming pop-up and grew into one of LA’s most electric dining rooms.In this How I Built This–style conversation, Eric and Josh walk us through how they met, how Budonoki evolved from college dinner parties to pop-ups at Melody and Ototo, and how they partnered with chef Dan Rabilwongse to create a restaurant that blends Japanese izakaya spirit with Thai, Vietnamese, and distinctly Angeleno influences. We dig into the details that define Budonoki — from front-of-house philosophy and menu experimentation to building a “party restaurant” that still takes food and hospitality seriously.We also talk candidly about the realities of running a restaurant in 2025, how tough the year has been for hospitality, what it’s like to receive glowing critical praise while being left off certain lists, and how the team stays grounded amid the hype. And, of course, we close with our holiday tradition: Eric and Josh share the three Los Angeles restaurants they’re loving right now.Consider this your Christmas gift if you love LA food, restaurant origin stories, and the people who make this city such a special place to eat.🎄✨Powered by Acquired Taste

The LA Food Podcast does awards… our way. In this first-ever LA Food Awards, Luca Servodio and Father Sal toss out the tired “Best Chef / Best New Restaurant” formula and replace it with an audio awards ceremony celebrating the restaurants, chefs, and cultural moments that actually defined LA dining in 2025. At least for us. From the FOMO Award for the restaurants we’re most anxious to finally visit, to debates over the hottest restaurants in LA — both physically and spiritually, we dig into what it really means to be a hot concept in Los Angeles right now. Along the way, we hand out awards for the chef we most want to grab a beer with, the restaurant we’ll never agree on, and the dining experiences that transcended a great meal and edged into something closer to the sublime.It’s irreverent, occasionally unhinged, and ultimately thoughtful. A holiday-season reflection on why we dine out, what makes a restaurant matter, and how LA continues to influence the way America eats. Happy holidays from The LA Food Podcast — thanks for listening, and welcome to the inaugural LA Food Awards.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

The LA food equivalent of a new Taylor Swift album dropped this week. The Los Angeles Times has released its annual 101 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles list, and Acquired Taste got early access before anyone else.On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio sits down with LA Times restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris at Mercado La Paloma, which was named the number one restaurant on the 101 for 2025. The trio digs deep into how the list is made, how hundreds of meals are evaluated, and why this year’s top pick reflects something bigger about Los Angeles dining, community, and resilience.Bill and Jenn break down the theme of the year, how catastrophe and creativity shaped the list, and what it means to rank restaurants during one of the toughest years the city has faced. They also explain major jumps and drops, including Damian, Stir Crazy, Vespertine, and Restaurant Ki, discuss the emotional weight of cutting restaurants from the list, and address the ongoing debate over whether food lists should consider community impact alongside culinary excellence.In Part 2, Father Sal joins Luca for their signature Frankly Psychotic Analysis of the 101. They examine rising stars, surprising omissions, restaurants that keep climbing, and those that seem to yo-yo year after year, plus the places that intrigue them most heading into 2026.Note: Luca’s audio dips briefly about 20 minutes into the conversation, but Bill Addison and Jenn Harris remain loud and clear throughout.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Welcome back to The LA Food Podcast. This week, Luca and Karen Palmer dive into one of the most fascinating food stories of the year: the global fight over wagyu. Karen breaks down what Japanese producers are trying to protect, whether A5 wagyu is actually worth the hype, and why the debate mirrors DOP fights in Italy over ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and Neapolitan pizza standards.We also unpack Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America 2025, where California dominated the list and Los Angeles landed an incredible six spots, including Travis Lett’s RVR crowned Restaurant of the Year. Karen explains what stood out, how the 5 C’s rubric plays into national lists, and which LA restaurants might have been unlucky snubs.In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we break down Michael Nagrant’s viral takedown of the James Beard Awards, Greg Dulan winning the LA Times Gold Award, The New York Times critics on what defines a four-star restaurant, DoorDash entering the reservation game, and The Infatuation declaring where you should host your office holiday party.Plus, Part 2 brings a festive return from Luca’s wife, who drops the hottest gift guide of the season. From Veso vermouth to butter bells, homemade shortbread to A24’s Scrounging cookbook, and at-home wine tasting to Kitchen Lingo classes, this guide has you covered for cocktail lovers, hosts, family, and anyone scrambling for last-minute inspiration.If you love LA dining, restaurant news, and smart food media commentary, this episode is packed.Keywords: LA restaurants, LA dining, wagyu beef, Esquire Best New Restaurants, Travis Lett RVR, James Beard Awards controversy, Greg Dulan, NYT food critics, DoorDash reservations, LA Times Gold Award, holiday gift guide, Los Angeles food podcast.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca welcomes back Nancy DaSilva, co-host of Compliments to the Chef, certified New Yorker, and our official ambassador from LA’s louder, older, and more globally hyped culinary sibling: New York City.We kick things off with a Thanksgiving ice-breaker before diving straight into the State of Dining in NYC. Is the vibe doom, boom, or mellow in-between? Nancy walks us through the restaurant openings shaping 2025, the spots she loves, the ones that let her down, and the trends taking over New York—while we compare them to LA’s little-gem-salad, Bub-and-Grandma’s-bread era.We also get into the NY food-media moment: the new critics at The New York Times, the rise of Feed Me and J. Lee’s podcast, and what it means for how diners discover restaurants. Then it’s Michelin time—what shocked Nancy in the 2025 Guide, how New Yorkers actually use it, and how it stacks up to LA’s still-evolving Michelin culture.From impossible New York reservations to Blackbird’s traction on both coasts, we break down how people are actually eating, booking and talking about restaurants right now. And yes, Nancy finally answers the question every Angeleno secretly wants to know: In 2025, does New York respect LA dining?Then we close with a special Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss lightning round featuring:• turkey prices soaring 70%• Meadow Lane, NYC’s new luxury-grocery fever dream• the rise of $945 caviar advent calendars• Bukayo Saka’s deranged childhood breakfastIf you love restaurant culture, food media, LA vs NY banter, or just need a Thanksgiving distraction, this one is for you.

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca and Sal dive into the most chaotic, delicious, and debate-worthy stories shaping Los Angeles dining and the national food world.We kick things off with recent eats at Wilde’s and Camphor before launching into our first-ever extended Chef’s Kiss or Big Miss lightning round.We break down Eater National’s Best New Restaurants 2025, including L.A.’s powerhouse showing with Ki, Komal, and Betsy — and what it means for the “LA restaurant scene is dying” narrative. We also get into Eater LA’s Best Sandwiches list, debating Bay Cities’ shocking omission.Next, we dig into LA Taco’s reporting on Taqueria Frontera’s ICE-delayed opening, the national wave of barista union wins, and Helen Rosner’s hot take that “recipes are brain rot.” Plus, Emily Sundberg says the best bars have terrible Instagrams — is she right?We also look at America’s top foodcation destinations, and the revelation that Josh Hutcherson is just a Silver Lake guy who loves Dayglow, Salt & Straw, and Night + Market Song like the rest of us. And in a wild twist, Eric Greenspan is leaving the Tesla Diner to open… a Jewish deli. Is ditching robot service for pastrami a chef’s kiss or a big miss?Finally, the mailbag returns with two bangers: • What inconvenient LA food is worth it? • What’s the best season of Top Chef?If you love LA restaurants, food news, chef drama, labor stories, sandwiches, tacos, and wildly specific opinions, this episode is loaded.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods–Vote for Mis Tacones PDX

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca sits down with Ben Leventhal — the founder of Eater and Resy — to talk about his most ambitious project yet: Blackbird, a next-gen restaurant loyalty and payments app that might reshape how we dine out and how restaurants survive. Recorded at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica, the conversation breaks down how Blackbird rewards you for actually showing up and paying at your favorite restaurants, why Ben thinks this model could transform the industry’s financial future, and how LA’s rollout fits into his vision for the app. We also get into Ben’s background in food media and reservations, and as a die-hard New Yorker, what he really thinks about Los Angeles as a tier 1 dining city.Before that, Luca and Father Sal kick things off with recent eats — from Atelier Manna to the San Diego Food + Wine Festival — before diving into a rare silver lining for food media. We react to a week of big news:The New York Times naming two new associate food critics, including friend of the pod Ryan SuttonElazar Sontag taking over as restaurant critic at The Washington PostEmily Sundberg’s Feed Me launching the podcast Expense AccountAnd rumors of a brand-new food media startup from former Puck staffersIn Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we tackle:Robot woks and automation at LA spots Tigawok and RobowokThe Infatuation’s Best New Restaurants in LA list for 2025Big three-star demotions in the Michelin Guide (Alinea, Masa, The Inn at Little Washington)AI-driven restaurant marketing and fully AI-generated ad campaignsAnd looming tariffs on Italian imports and what that could mean for pasta nightWe close with a Mailbag question on whether it’s finally time for us to launch a LA Food Awards of our own.If you care about LA restaurants, restaurant tech, loyalty apps, Blackbird, food media, Michelin stars, and the future of dining, this episode is for you.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, host Luca Servodio sits down with legendary chef Ludo Lefebvre — the culinary rockstar behind LudoBites, Petit Trois, and some of Los Angeles’ most influential restaurants. Recorded inside his intimate Paris-inspired bistro, this candid conversation dives into Ludo’s early days disrupting the LA dining scene, his transition into a restaurant empire, and why he still believes food — and butter — are the ultimate forms of creative freedom.Plus, co-host Karen Palmer returns to discuss what’s hot in LA dining right now: the rise of a local restaurant chain, David Chang’s new Century City spot, recent meals at Funke, Garibaldina Society, and Wallflour Pizza, and the biggest “Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss” moments — from The Infatuation’s Top 25 list to the backlash against The Bear and Unreasonable Hospitality, and even Erewhon’s wild new toothpaste smoothie.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.Keywords: Ludo Lefebvre, LudoBites, Petit Trois, LA restaurants, Los Angeles food podcast, Chef Ludo, Jonathan Gold, David Chang, Funke, The Infatuation, Erewhon, The Bear, Unreasonable Hospitality, LA dining scene, Acquired Taste Media–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

It’s a spooky milestone — 150 episodes of The LA Food Podcast! In this special Halloween edition, Luca Servodio and Father Sal dig into your listener questions in our first-ever mailbag episode: from the meals we felt peer pressured into liking to the undercooked food stories LA media ignores, and even what we’d do for restaurants if we were Mayor of Los Angeles. Expect chaos, confessions, and Father Sal’s unsolicited online dating advice.We also recap recent meals at Cafe Triste, RVR, Anajak and more. Then in Part 2, Luca sits down with Katie Parla — bestselling author, Italian food expert, and self-publishing trailblazer — to talk about the state of Roman cuisine, her new book Rome, and how she sees LA’s Italian food landscape evolving through chefs like Evan Funke, Gino Angelini, and the rise of Eataly.Insightful, funny, and deliciously nerdy — it’s the perfect episode to celebrate 150 with us.Powered by Acquired Taste Media

Did the New York Times just cross the line with its brutal review of an LA dining icon? 🍽️ This week on The LA Food Podcast, we unpack Tejal Rao’s headline-grabbing critique of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago, the Beverly Hills institution she labeled merely “Satisfactory.” On our segment Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we debate: was this fair criticism, coastal bias, or just plain nonsense?Plus, we’re diving into:🍔 Bold new California legislation that could transform how restaurants operate💸 Our insider tips for eating three meals in LA for under $25 a day, inspired by The LA Times article on doing the same🏛️ The heartbreaking, food-related fallout of the ongoing government shutdown📺 Father Sal’s sharp-tongued review of Netflix’s Next Gen Chef — did the LeBron James-produced show cook up something special or flop like a soggy soufflé?And don’t miss our 150th-episode announcement — we’re hosting our first-ever listener Q&A! Send your questions via DM to @TheLACountdown or @ItsAcquiredTaste.🎙️ Powered by Acquired Taste Media.

Today on The LA Food Podcast, we’re flipping the script — focusing not on the restaurant, but on you, the diner. Joining Luca and Father Sal is James Beard Award–winning author Adam Reiner, whose new book The New Rules of Dining Out redefines how we experience hospitality from the other side of the table. Reiner shares insider wisdom on how to dine like a pro, earn the respect of even the most jaded servers, and why “enlightened hospitality” might be due for a rethink.Plus, Father Sal recaps recent eats including Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park (was it worth the line?), and the guys unpack Great White’s racist controversy, LA Taco’s questionable Mexican restaurant rankings, the new rules of visiting gentrified Mexico City, and Tyra Banks’s mind-boggling new “hot ice cream.”A candid, funny, and occasionally spicy conversation about what it really means to be a good diner in 2025. Powered by Acquired Taste.🎙️ Featuring: Luca Servodio & Father Sal 📚 Guest: Adam Reiner, author of The New Rules of Dining Out 🍕 Topics: LA dining culture, restaurant etiquette, hospitality myths, Quarter Sheets Pizza, Great White LA, Tyra Banks hot ice cream, Mexico City food scene#TheLAFoodPodcast #LAFood #AdamReiner #TheNewRulesOfDiningOut #Hospitality #QuarterSheetsPizza #LATaco #GreatWhiteLA #TyraBanks #MexicoCityFood

What do Marilyn Monroe, Jeff Bezos, and Henry Kissinger have in common with The LA Food Podcast host Luca Servodio? They’ve all dined at Chez Jay, the legendary Santa Monica dive bar that’s been serving surf, turf, and stories since 1959.In this week’s episode, Luca sits down with Mike and Chris Anderson, the father-son duo behind Chez Jay, and longtime chef Memo De Arcos to celebrate the restaurant’s 66th anniversary. They talk Hollywood lore, surviving Santa Monica’s transformation, and how they fought to keep Chez Jay alive when a shiny new park threatened to take its place. Stay tuned after the credits for bonus celebrity tales starring Pierce Brosnan, Fergie, and Elon Musk.Plus, Karen Palmer returns to discuss the culinary rise of Hermosa Beach, a Los Angeles restaurant’s cameo in the latest Taylor Swift album, and which classic LA restaurants she can’t live without. In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we’re talking pythons in drive-throughs, $100 smoothie kits, Priya Krishna on opening a restaurant in NY, and restaurants taking Bitcoin.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.

On this week’s LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio and Father Sal recap recent eats in NYC and LA before diving into Tejal Rao’s review of Baby Bistro — is it really the perfect encapsulation of LA dining in 2025? We also break down the new North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list: Atomix takes #1, New York dominates, Canada surges, and LA lands just three spots (Providence, Holbox, Kato). Plus, in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we tackle modern steakhouses, Eater LA’s new “Dining Report,” California’s allergen-labeling law, Zohran Mamdani’s food-fueled campaign, and Genghis Cohen’s big move.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.

Santa Barbara might be known as the American Riviera, but its food scene is finally demanding the spotlight. This week on The LA Food Podcast, we recap 72 hours of eats — from surprisingly great Mexican food to a bao joint everyone’s obsessed with — and explain why SB might just be California’s most exciting dining city right now.Plus, we sit down with the team behind Dom’s Taverna, the Basque-inspired newcomer from Dominique Crisp, Raj Nallapothola, and Ben Carey that’s redefining Santa Barbara dining.In Chef’s Kiss/Big Miss: goodbye Birdie G’s, the rise of convenience sushi, and a burger list showdown (how dare you, Farley Elliott).Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we dive into one of the most heated debates in the LA dining scene: why are Angelenos calling for a boycott of Enrique Olvera’s acclaimed downtown restaurant Damian? Is the backlash justified, or has a whistleblowing media outlet (LA Taco) gone too far?Father Sal joins the conversation as we unpack the Damian controversy, celebrate the two Los Angeles spots that landed on Bon Appétit’s 2025 Best New Restaurants in America list (Komal! Camelia!!), and highlight four beloved LA restaurants saved by community support (The Reel Inn! The Pantry!! Dulan’s!!! Cole’s French Dip????). We also break down the New York Times’ lukewarm review of one of America’s most famous dining rooms (Alinea).Plus, we recap recent eats across the city—from the new tasting menu at Firstborn in Chinatown, to the ever-popular Saffy’s in East Hollywood, to Father Sal’s first (and unforgettable) trip to the celiac-unfriendly cult favorite, Courage Bagels.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Today on The LA Food Podcast, Dave Beran—the award-winning chef behind Santa Monica’s Pasjoli and the tasting-menu temple Seline—sits down for his most candid interview yet. We talk about stepping into roles before you feel ready, the line between an intense kitchen and a toxic one, fundraising and vision, and how he truly feels about Seline not earning a Michelin star in year one. We also rewind to his Chicago years with Grant Achatz at Alinea and Next, and dig into how those experiences shaped his approach to leadership, hospitality, and creativity in Los Angeles.Before that, part-time co-host Karen Palmer joins for recent eats in Ojai, what she’s working on next (including a shockingly great pizzeria in a surprising location), and Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss:Food & Wine’s LA snub on its latest Best New Chefs listWhich LA spots made The New York Times 50 Best Restaurants in America (2025)The latest trend sweeping LA restaurants and how we actually feel about itIf you care about fine dining, honest kitchen culture, and where Los Angeles food is headed next, this one is for you.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today on The LA Food Podcast, we’re joined by none other than Nancy Silverton — LA’s Queen of Carbohydrates, President of Pizza, and Secretary of Sourdough. Recorded at Osteria Mozza, our free-flowing conversation covers Nancy’s legendary career, her impact on multiple eras of Los Angeles dining, and why she continues to bring new and exciting concepts to life. We also preview her upcoming panels at LA Chef Con 2025, including a tribute to Jonathan Gold and a celebration of 10 years of Netflix’s Chef’s Table.But first, Luca and Father Sal finally make it to Kato, the #1 restaurant on Bill Addison’s 101. Did Jon Yao and Ryan Bailey’s Michelin-starred spot live up to the hype? We break it down.In Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss, we dive into Jenn Harris’s review of Nobu, a buzzy new West Hollywood hotspot from a Southern celebrity chef (Sean Brock), plus an ode to the timeless Chinese American combo plate from a local legend.Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

What happens on the pod, stays on the pod—or does it? Following the hit Palm Springs recap, Luca is joined once again by his wife to break down a herculean three-day eating marathon at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the Strip’s buzziest new food destination. From Mother Wolf’s pasta to indulgent dinners at Don’s Prime and Chyna Club, dim sum at Washing Potato, and an ambitious food crawl at the Promenade Food Hall, they ask the big question: is Fontainebleau the best Vegas dining resort for true food obsessives?In Part 2, Luca sits down with Chef Laetitia Rouabah, executive chef of La Fontaine, who built her career alongside Alain Ducasse in Paris, London, and New York before bringing her classic French sensibilities to Vegas. They dive into her inspiration for leaving NYC, how she adapts French cuisine for a new audience, and the biggest misconceptions about Vegas as a food city.And of course, there’s Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss—covering the latest Cracker Barrel controversy, a new California restaurant requirement, a killer Infatuation Wallflour review, and the viral US Open cocktail that has everyone buzzing.If you love Las Vegas dining, fine dining perspectives, and food world hot takes, this episode has it all.Powered by Acquired Taste.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca and Sal dig into the biggest story in food media: the latest round of layoffs at Eater. With reporters like Jaya Saxena and Amy McCarthy let go and LA’s newsroom slimmed down, what does this mean for local food journalism, restaurant coverage, and the future of dining media in Los Angeles? We also debate whether influencer content and guides like The Infatuation can really replace in-depth reporting, and whether there’s a path forward for food journalism in LA.Plus: our signature Chef’s Kiss or Big Miss segment—covering everything from the rise of tableside carts and Florence’s iconic Pino’s Sandwiches opening in Los Feliz, to Anajak Thai’s renovations, Netflix’s new Next Gen Chef competition, and the return of the Gelato Festival World Masters. If you care about LA’s dining scene, the role of food critics and journalists, and the culture wars playing out in restaurants, this episode is for you.The LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media. Be sure to check out our sister shows: Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip. And don’t forget to rate and review!–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today’s LA Food Podcast is a first — our debut three-part episode. First up, host Luca Servodio breaks down the week’s biggest food stories, from Eleven Madison Park’s bold new pivot to Bill Addison’s glowing RVR review and how Ozempic is reshaping restaurant menus. He also sings the praises of recent meals at Budonoki, Lasita and Teddy’s Red Tacos. Then, LA Chef Con founder Brad Metzger joins us to preview the October 6 event at Redbird and Vibiana, bringing together the city’s top chefs and industry leaders. Finally, our headliner: Michael Voltaggio, the Top Chef season 6 winner, bad boy of molecular gastronomy, and creative force behind restaurants like ink. and The Bazaar. We revisit his groundbreaking career, unpack how the 2010s put LA fine dining on the global map, and explore why he’s still relentlessly pushing culinary boundaries.The LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media. Be sure to check out our sister shows: Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip. And don’t forget to rate and review!–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Chef Daniel Patterson has lived more culinary lives than most chefs could dream of. From earning multiple Michelin stars at San Francisco’s Coi, to shaking up the fast-food world with Roy Choi and Keith Corbin at Locol, to now hosting a 12-seat tasting menu out of his own home, Patterson’s journey is as unconventional as it is influential. Ahead of opening his new LA restaurant Jaca in the former Son of a Gun space, he joins us for a deeply personal conversation on mental health, why tasting menus still matter, and what it means to create work that truly lasts.But first—Father Sal returns to unpack Joe Rosenthal’s bombshell exposé on YouTube mega-chef Joshua Weissman, featuring allegations of recipe plagiarism, toxic workplaces, sexual harassment, and more. Is Weissman just another ego-driven chef—or something darker?In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we’re talking Nancy Silverton’s Korean-Italian pasta bar, a radical new hospitality business model in Sonoma, the heartbreaking closure of LA Cha Cha Chá, and yes… breast milk–flavored ice cream.If you care about food, restaurants, and the messy, fascinating people behind them, this is your episode.The LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media. Be sure to check out our sister shows: Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip. And don’t forget to rate and review!–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Elon Musk’s space-age Tesla Diner has been grabbing headlines—but when activist group Tesla Takedown staged a protest, it forced the media to look beyond burgers and milkshakes. This week on The LA Food Podcast, SF Gate’s Karen Palmer joins host Luca Servodio to explore how food writers should approach stories where dining intersects with politics, labor, and activism. Should they just stick to the food—or dig deeper?Plus: Karen teases her new feature on California’s barbecue boom, and in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we unpack:The influencer scandal that shut down a restaurantA spicy New York Times review that reads like a political takedownAnd a potential happy ending for LA institution Cole’s French DipThe LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media. Be sure to check out our sister shows: Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip. And don’t forget to rate and review!–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

On today’s episode of The LA Food Podcast, we’re diving into the culinary comeback of Palm Springs. Once dismissed as a “culinary wasteland,” the desert is now attracting big-name chefs like Mary Sue Milliken, Susan Feniger, and Richard Blais — and perhaps no opening captures that momentum better than The Thompson Palm Springs. We explore how this stunning hotel on Palm Canyon is transforming the local dining scene with bold new restaurants like Lola Rose Grande Mezze, Bar Issi, and Hall Napa Valley, plus buzzy food events and chef collabs that are finally giving the Coachella Valley its due.Plus, in a very special twist, Luca is joined by his wife as guest co-host — and let’s just say she might be coming for Father Sal’s spot.In Chef’s Kiss Big Miss, we react to the opening of Elon Musk’s Tesla Diner, the In-N-Out heiress Lynsi Snyder’s California exit, the just-announced destination for Top Chef Season 23, and the epic return of LA Chef Con.Listen to our sister shows Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip, and don’t forget to leave us a review.🔥 Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Downtown LA just lost a legend. This week on The LA Food Podcast, we’re joined by Cole’s French Dip owner Cedd Moses and Independent Hospitality Coalition’s Eddie Navarrete to unpack why this 117-year-old icon is closing—and what it reveals about the crisis facing LA restaurants. Eddie also shares what fixes at the city and state level could provide real relief, and how diners can help stop the bleeding.Before that, Luca and Father Sal break down the top LA dining trends of 2025 so far—no year-end list required. There’s Bar Everything, supper clubs galore, collab overload, and much, much, more.Then in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: A $1B hot chicken chain, per The LA Times’ Stephanie BreijoTejal Rao reviews Mori Nozomi for The New York Times, introducing us to the concept of “bromakase” Punch awards a LA-based bartender for their tea-based cocktailsEater’s Bettina Makalintal covers the surprising rise of protein-packed Uncrustables, questioning whether MAHA has ruined everythingNew York Magazine’s Adam Platt confirms what we’ve all always known - restaurants use too much saltThe LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media. Don’t forget to check out our sister shows Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip, and leave us a review wherever you pod.

Santa Monica’s dining scene wouldn’t be what it is without Chef Raphael Lunetta. This week on The LA Food Podcast, host Luca Servodio sits down with the legendary chef behind Lunetta, Marelle, and the iconic JiRaffe to reflect on nearly 40 years in the kitchen. From pioneering California cuisine alongside Josiah Citrin to becoming a regular haunt for Larry David (yes, Curb Your Enthusiasm fans, this one’s for you), Lunetta shares stories, insights, and what keeps him inspired.Plus: the shocking closure of Cole’s after 117 years, the return of Gladstone’s, the El Gato Night Market, and a farewell to The Angel—one of LA’s most essential independent food publications. Oh, and Luca issues a heartfelt apology to Evan Funke.Also check out our sister shows Taqueando with Bill Esparza and Let It Rip, the companion pod for FX’s The Bear.🔥 Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

🎆 Happy Fourth from The LA Food Podcast! This week, we go stars over stripes as Michelin unveils its 2025 California Guide — and LA finally joins the 3-star club (shout out Somni and Providence). Father Sal joins Luca to break down the historic wins for Somni and Providence, and ask: has the Michelin Guide fundamentally changed LA dining since its 2019 return?Plus: a deep dive into Chef Daniel Patterson’s new Jaca Social Club and what it reveals about his upcoming fine-dining project on West Third. In Chef’s Kiss Big Miss: Maido AKA best restaurant in the world, Noma’s LA residency, the “hot people food map,” Beli saves Gen Z, Jenn Harris on trompe l’oeil desserts, and Tejal Rao’s first review as the NYT’s new chief critic.In Part 2, we preview Let It Rip — our brand new Bear companion podcast with the crew from Compliments to the Chef. Whether you’re watching Season 4 or not, it’s a podcast about food, friendship, and chaos in the kitchen.🔥 Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, we welcome LA Times critic Bill Addison to go deep on his freshly dropped list of the 101 Best Restaurants in California. After years of dissecting his LA-only lists, we finally get to ask: what makes a spot one of the best in the state? Bill takes us behind the scenes of how the guide came together, shares the biggest surprises, and hints at who might quietly hold the crown for best restaurant in California.Then in Part 2, we recap Top Chef Season 22 with Nancy Dasilva and Bits Nicholas of Compliments to the Chef and content creator Jessie Evans AKA Jessie Eats—including who won this season’s Top Chef fantasy pool.Plus: we celebrate LA’s newly crowned Michelin-starred restaurants, including Providence and Somni, now the city’s only 3-star destinations.And don’t miss the trailer for our new pod Let It Rip, the unofficial companion to The Bear on FX, dropping July 1.🔥 Powered by Acquired Taste Media.–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

🎧 Today on The LA Food Podcast, we break down the biggest moments and key takeaways from this week’s James Beard Awards — with a spotlight on Los Angeles’ own Jon Yao of Kato, who took home the coveted Best Chef: California award. What does his win mean for LA’s dining scene, and where does Kato fit into the larger conversation about California cuisine?Then, we sit down with Evan Algorri and Andrew Lawson, the duo behind Etra and Café Telegrama, two of the hottest restaurants reshaping Melrose Hill. They share insights on building community through food, creating intimate neighborhood spaces, and what’s next for their corner of LA’s culinary world.📍 Whether you’re a die-hard foodie or just want to stay in the know on LA’s ever-evolving restaurant scene, this episode has you covered.🔥 Powered by Acquired Taste Media.#JamesBeardAwards #LosAngelesFood #LArestaurants #MelroseHill #JonYao #Kato #BestChefCalifornia #EtraLA #CafeTelegrama #LAfoodie #LAeats #AcquiredTasteMedia–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, we're heading south to explore San Diego’s rising food scene. Known for craft beer and beaches, San Diego is now a serious player in the California fine dining landscape. From creative tasting menus to casual neighborhood gems, we spent 48 hours eating our way through the city—and we're sharing every bite.Highlights include: 🍽️ A full San Diego restaurant guide with picks for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night bites 🍷 The best cocktail bar in San Diego 🌟 Our in-depth review of William Bradley’s Addison, Southern California’s only 3-Michelin Star restaurant, and why it sparked a fierce debate between Father Sal and me🏨 Where to stay for the perfect foodie weekend getawayWe also tackle this week’s Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss lightning round, featuring:The new New York Times food criticsEsquire’s best bars in AmericaOur feelings ahead of the Top Chef Season FinaleWhether you're into high-end tasting menus, restaurant reviews, bar guides, or just great conversation about California’s best food, this episode has something for you.The LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media, a disruptive food media brand bringing fresh and irreverent takes to the world of food and culture. Visit acquiredtastemedia.com and please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts!Helpful Links:The LafayetteWildflour DelicatessenCellar Hand HillcrestRoma NortePuestoADDISONTribute PizzaHeritage BBQ    –Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we dive into Pete Wells’ provocative New York Times piece on how some of the world’s top chefs are using artificial intelligence to reinvent fine dining. From crafting the perfect sausage to generating entire tasting menus, is AI the secret sauce of the future—or the recipe for a soulless, flavorless culinary dystopia? Luca and Father Sal break it all down.In Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss, we unpack: Evan Funke’s *ahem* sleek new Roman bar A spicy Bill Esparza take on Stanley Tucci Matt Rodbard’s controversial take on Jonathan Gold And McDonald’s getting… a little too online?The LA Food Podcast is powered by Acquired Taste Media, the studio behind Taqueando with Bill Esparza and The LA Countdown. Explore more at acquiredtastemedia.com and don’t forget to rate and review wherever you listen.#LAfood #foodpodcast #AIchefs #PeteWells #restauranttech #EvanFunke #BillEsparza #McDonalds #AcquiredTasteMedia–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we're diving into a bold new plan to revive Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade: open-container entertainment zones. Think Bourbon Street meets beachside retail. LA Food Editor Karen Palmer of SFGate joins us to unpack the potential impact on local restaurants and bars, drawing on reporting from other California cities where these zones are already live. Could this be the key to revitalizing LA’s struggling dining corridors—or just another overhyped nothingburger?In Part 2, we sit down with Scott Linder and Ryan Gianola of Matu and the brand-new Matu Kai in Brentwood. We get into why they expanded beyond Beverly Hills, how the new spot differs, and what they’ve learned in their first couple months serving steak to the Westside.Plus, in our lightning round of Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss:Bay Cities and its vermin problemYelp’s "definitive" ranking of the best fast food burgersThe New York Times takes a swing at one of the world’s most famous pizzeriasPowered by Acquired Taste Media. Don’t miss our other show Taqueando with Bill Esparza—this week, Luca takes some friendly fire over his fish taco opinions. And mark your calendar: The LA Chef Conference returns to Redbird and Vibiana on October 6.#LAfoodpodcast #SantaMonica #ThirdStreetPromenade #MatuKai #BrentwoodRestaurants #KarenPalmer #EntertainmentZones #LosAngelesDining #FastFoodRankings #LArestaurants #ChefsKissBigMiss #AcquiredTasteMediaHelpful Links:Karen Palmer on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/karenlpalmer/?hl=enKaren on entertainment zones for SFGate https://www.sfgate.com/california/article/california-entertainment-zones-public-drinking-20327329.phpBay Cities’ vermin problem https://la.eater.com/2025/5/27/24438312/bay-cities-deli-temporary-closure-rodent-insect-vermin-infestationNYT on Lucali’s exclusion from their pizza list https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/dining/why-lucali-still-isnt-on-our-best-pizza-list.htmlYelp’s burger ranking https://www.foodbeast.com/news/yelp-reveals-the-top-burger-chains-of-2025/Bettina Makalintal on influencer trips https://www.eater.com/24433836/food-creator-influencer-travel-tourMatu Kai https://www.matusteak.com/Scott Linder on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lindersc/Ryan Gianola on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ryanzane15/?hl=enThe LA Chef Conference https://www.lachefconference.com/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we dive into one of the wildest chef vs. critic stories in recent memory: Thomas Keller of The French Laundry allegedly asked SF Chronicle critic Mackenzie Chung Fegan to leave the restaurant. Was it a momentary lapse or a sign of a chef in crisis?Then: Chef Ari Kolender of LA seafood hotspot Found Oyster and Eagle Rock’s Queen’s Raw Bar & Grill joins us to talk about his gorgeous new cookbook How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea, the rebrand of Queen’s, and his journey from Kosher kid in South Carolina to one of LA’s most celebrated chefs.We also get into: 🧾 Congress' push for a No Tax on Tips law and what it means for restaurants and diners 🍔 Questlove’s no-beef burger spot in Westlake Village🥪 A Katz’s Deli dupe in Burbank 🍕 The unhinged, erm, rise and chaotic fall of Dough Drop Pizza, cyber-vigilanted by the one and only Turk’s Pizza Party in defense of LA’s pizza sceneHit play for chef drama, seafood revelations, and the latest in LA food chaos.Helpful Links:Ari Kolender on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/arikolender/?hl=enHow To Cook The Finest Things In the Sea https://www.arikolender.com/cookbookFound Oyster https://www.foundoyster.com/Queen’s Raw Bar & Grill https://queensrawbar.com/Mackenzie Chung Fegan on her dinner at The French Laundry https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/thomas-keller-french-laundry-20290670.phpQuestLove’s new spot per Rebecca Roland https://la.eater.com/2025/5/19/24433364/mixtape-burger-restaurant-opening-neighborly-westlake-village-questloveNo tax on tip law https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/dining/no-tax-on-tips-bill.htmlKatz’s Deli dupe per Matthew Kang https://la.eater.com/2025/5/19/24433481/katzs-deli-jewish-deli-burbank-sandwiches-opening-los-angelesDough Drop Pizza lol https://www.instagram.com/doughdroppizza/?hl=enTaqueando with Bill Esparza Episode 3, featuring Si! Mon chef Jose Olmedo Carles Rojas –Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we’re joined by Claire Dinhut—aka Condiment Claire—cookbook author, flavor scientist, and social media sensation. Born and raised in Los Angeles but now based in Europe, Claire has taken TikTok by storm with her inventive approach to sauces, spreads, and the science of taste. Recorded at Venice’s iconic Roosterfish bar, this episode covers her global condiment obsessions, her viral rise to food fame, and the delicious details behind her new release, The Condiment Book—a must-have for any home cook.We also dive into Claire’s “Condiment Mount Rushmore,” her hot takes on trending sauce brands, and her go-to LA eats whenever she’s back in town.Plus: why chefs love and hate burgers, the surprising economics behind oysters, and a major shake-up coming to one of LA’s most beloved French restaurants.Whether you’re a flavor fanatic, cookbook collector, or just obsessed with where to eat in LA, this episode’s for you.Helpful Links:Condiment Claire https://www.tiktok.com/@condimentclaire?lang=enJulia Moskin on burgers https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/10/dining/burgers-jeremy-fox-birdie-gs.htmlAmy McCarthy on oysters https://www.eater.com/2025/5/14/24430156/oyster-cost-dollar-oysters-restaurant?_gl=1*13g3fhu*_ga*NTY3MzcwNDY5LjE2Nzk1MzY5MTc.*_ga_GMSWCRTSTY*czE3NDczMzM3MzMkbzMyMyRnMSR0MTc0NzMzMzc1NSRqMzgkbDAkaDA.Jenn Harris on Pasjoli https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-05-15/pasjoli-santa-monica-french-restaurant-reopen–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Go check out Roosterfish

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we dive into the results of a new survey from Substack favorite The Angel that asked Angelenos what they really want from restaurants. Hosts Luca and Father Sal break down what LA diners say matters most—vibe vs. food, great service, price, and originality—and reveal the surprising (and kind of maddening) contradictions in the data.In Part 2, we’re joined by Nancy DaSilva and Bits Nicholas from Compliments to the Chef for a Top Chef Season 22 midseason check-in. We talk fantasy picks, emerging food trends, and who we think has what it takes to win it all.Plus, big news: The LA Food Podcast is now part of the Acquired Taste Media network—home to the new show Taqueando with Bill Esparza! If you're into tacos, regional Mexican cuisine, and the LA food scene, this one’s a must-subscribe.Keywords: LA food scene, restaurant survey, Top Chef Season 22, LA dining trends, Bill Esparza, Taqueando, LA restaurants, Substack The Angel, Mexican cuisine, foodie podcastHelpful Links:Taqueando with Bill Esparza https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZY5gUvBo0Z3pRmCJILM6SJames Beard media nominations https://www.jamesbeard.org/stories/2025-james-beard-media-award-nomineesThe Angel survey https://www.theangel.la/p/what-angelenos-want-from-restaurants-survey-resultsCompliments to the Chef https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Is Jordan Kahn's Meteora on track for a second Michelin star? On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, we dive deep into LA’s most ambitious fine-dining jungle—Meteora. After falling for Chef Jordan Kahn’s futuristic tasting menu at Vespertine, we head to his Melrose Avenue follow-up to see if the hype (and the hefty price tag) is justified. Is this lush, high-concept, nature-driven restaurant actually deserving of a second Michelin star? We break it down, course by course.Plus, it’s Part 4 of our Opening Cafe Esca series with chefs Luke Reyes and Reilly Cox. This week, they walk us through the creative (and chaotic) process of building a food and beverage menu from scratch for their upcoming coastal Italian spot in LA’s Arts District.And don’t miss our rapid-fire Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss segment, featuring TikTok-famous olive oil squeeze bottles, Apple TV’s new chef series, and maybe the most aggravating pizza guy on the internet.Helpful Links:Meteora https://meteora.la/TASTE on those pesky squeeze bottles https://tastecooking.com/the-big-squeeze/Careme preview, per The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/arts/television/careme-french-chef.htmlEater on Texas Strip https://ny.eater.com/2025/4/25/24416858/texas-renaming-new-york-strip-steak-bill-texas-stripOpening Cafe Esca Part 1 https://open.spotify.com/episode/19HDiV4o0i2dP9ZZ7B7E9BPart 2 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7DoKDMtS74ngrVzjBBkzXIPart 3 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7J8MZ7HGuMIdRvq6zYezUy?si=hXmPzXKrQ9uwKktH3tIEuw–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Lele Dinner Club is the buzzy new supper club from Pizzana chef and master pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi, offering an exclusive 10-course Neapolitan tasting menu that’s quickly become Los Angeles’ hottest reservation. With only three seatings so far and a waitlist already topping 6,000 names, this underground culinary experience is redefining LA fine dining. On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, I take Father Sal behind the scenes of the entire Lele Dinner Club journey—how to get in, what’s on the menu, and why this immersive, communal experience is unlike anything else in the city’s restaurant scene.In Part 2, we’re joined by 13-time James Beard Award winner Steve Dolinsky for an exclusive Pizza City Fest Los Angeles 2025 preview. Happening this weekend at LA Live, Pizza City Fest will feature over 40 top pizzerias from across Southern California. I sat down with Steve at LaSorted’s in Chinatown to talk all things LA pizza—what makes it special, how it compares to pizza scenes in New York and Chicago, and why he believes LA is becoming a major pizza capital in the U.S.Whether you’re a die-hard foodie, pizza obsessive, or just trying to score a seat at Lele Dinner Club, this is one episode you don’t want to miss.Helpful Links:Lele Dinner Club https://www.leledinnerclub.com/Pizza City Fest https://pizzacityfest.com/Jenn Harris on Lele Dinner Club https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-21/le-le-dinner-club-italian-food-daniele-uditiNYT’s Priya Krishna on restaurant design https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/09/dining/restaurant-ambience-vibes.htmlNYT’s Kim Severson on the return of meat https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/dining/meat-beef-restaurants-politics.htmlEEEEEATSCON 2025 https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angelesAntoni Porowski’s cheese raves https://www.eater.com/2025/4/22/24413509/antoni-porowski-interview-queer-eye–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Melissa Lopez is the James Beard semifinalist chef behind Barra Santos, one of the buzziest restaurants in recent memory to grace Los Angeles. Barra Santos is a tiny, sardine-tin of a restaurant in Cypress Park serving up thoughtful, super high-quality Portuguese fare. But as small as the restaurant’s footprint is, the noise it’s made since opening has been nothing short of deafening. After visiting the restaurant myself, I knew I wanted to get to know the mastermind behind the operation, and Chef Melissa did not disappoint. Would I go so far as to say we’ve got one of the country’s brightest rising stars on our hands? Yes, yes, I would. But listen to the interview and visit Barra Santos to make up your own mind on the matter. But first, a nasally rendition of a couple of things that caught my eye this week. There’s a Jenn Harris piece on how the tariffs are endangering the diversity that makes LA’s food scene one of the best in the country, a Substack newsletter (Khushbu Shah’s Tap Is Fine) on whether or not we should view influencers as experts, and an exciting new survey (from Emily Wilson at The Angel) on what Angelenos want from restaurants that I highly encourage you to take. Helpful Links:Jenn Harris on tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-11/los-angeles-restaurants-tariffs-southeast-asian-foodLaurie Ochoa on chili crisp and tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2025-04-12/its-too-late-to-tariff-the-globalization-out-of-american-cuisine-more-chili-crisp-please-tasting-notesKhushbu Shah on influencers, amateurs, and expertise https://khushbushah.substack.com/p/when-did-we-all-become-afraid-of?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2026436&post_id=161441896&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailEmily Wilson’s survey in The Angel https://www.theangel.la/p/what-angelenos-want-from-restaurants-survey?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1717567&post_id=161269590&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email&hide_intro_popup=trueGab Chabran and Suzanne Levy on grants for restaurants from the California Restaurant Foundation https://laist.com/news/food/10-000-grant-available-for-restaurants-affected-by-la-firesBarra Santos https://www.barrasantosla.com/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. It’s the word on everybody’s lips this week and, as you’d expect, every food media outlet in the country published some sort of breakdown of what this means for restaurants and the food industry at large. Father Sal and I sift through the noise to distill what this means for LA restaurateurs and diners alike. Also on this episode, we issue a correction from last episode, we recap a beefy meal at the newly opened Matu Kai in Brentwood, and we dive deep on Meghan McCarron’s piece for the New York Times’ tracking how the decline of middle class restaurants - think Red Lobster, Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse and the like - speaks to a worrying trend in American dining. In Chef’s Kiss Big Miss, there’s the closure of an iconic Greek restaurant, the launch of a questionable celebrity (Glen Powell) sauce brand, and the announcement of a brand new Vince Vaughn flick that hit a little too close to home for yours truly. Helpful links:Jaya Saxena and Bettina Makalintal on tariffs https://www.eater.com/24401316/trump-tariffs-effects-on-food-spices-explained-burlap-barrel-natoora-tuk-tuk-snack-shop-interviewThe LA Times’ Patrick Comiskey on tariffs and wine https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-07/will-tariffs-kill-mid-priced-winesThe NY Times’ Eric Asimov on tariffs and wine https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/dining/drinks/wine-tariffs.htmlMatu Kai https://www.matusteak.com/Meghan McCarron on the decline of casual dining chains https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/dining/middle-class-restaurant.htmlPapa Cristos closing https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-06/papa-cristos-closing-dupars-chili-johns-struggling-la-old-restaurants-in-troubleGlen Powell BLT https://www.delish.com/food-news/a64410917/glen-powell-blt-recipe/Molly Baz vegan burgers https://pdx.eater.com/2025/4/3/24398516/portland-oregon-vegan-fast-food-restaurant-face-plant-open-molly-bazScott McTominay and tomatoes https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6234877/2025/04/03/scott-mctominay-man-united-napoli-italy-tomatoes/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Controversy in Hollywood as news breaks that Elon Musk - yes, THAT Elon Musk - has tapped beloved LA chef Eric Greenspan to helm his upcoming Tesla-themed Diner on Santa Monica Blvd. Is Chef Greenspan’s choice to take the job in any way defensible, or is he just another DOGE bag? Father Sal and I dig into the news and the backlash to make sense of it all. Plus, the James Beard Awards announced their nominees including 5 So Cal establishments, LA Taco’s Taco Madness got underway with one notable absence, and in Chef’s Kiss Big Miss we tackle revolving restaurants, gullible pastry chefs, and a list of rules for modern dining.Helpful links:Breijo and Goldman on Greenspan and the Tesla Diner https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-28/la-chef-picked-to-run-tesla-diner-in-hollywoodSoCal James Beard nominees https://la.eater.com/2025/4/2/24399234/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-nominees-2025LA Taco Taco Madness https://lataco.com/taco-madness-2025Con Mum https://www.netflix.com/title/81708174Galuten on best burger / martini combo https://la.eater.com/2025/4/1/24398077/best-bar-burger-martini-los-angeles-noah-galutenFinancial Times’ rules for dining https://www.ft.com/content/dba8928b-0961-4174-bd00-5096a2e65beaRevolving restaurants https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/dining/revolving-restaurant.html–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

I (Luca) moderated the latest Family Meal panel discussion on how restaurants rose to the challenge during the January wildfires. This is the recording of that panel discussion, featuring four very impressive speakers who I introduce at the top of the recording. We discuss all matters of important topics including how restaurants can prepare for the next big crisis and what you and I can do to support them when shit inevitably hits the fan. We’ll be back Friday with our regularly scheduled programming. Father Sal and I have a ton to catch up on including my trip to Vegas for Pizza Expo, controversy surrounding the newly minted chef of Elon Musk’s Tesla diner in Hollywood, and Sal’s brazen decision to cheat on me with another podcast this week. You won’t wanna miss it. Helpful links:Family Meal https://www.family-meal.us/New School https://www.newschoolconsulting.com/Lien Ta https://www.instagram.com/lientigre/?hl=enHere’s Looking At You https://www.instagram.com/hereslookingatyoula/?hl=enAlycia Harshfield https://www.linkedin.com/in/alycia-harshfield-92350853Restaurants Care https://restaurantscare.org/Alexa Rousso https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexa-carpena-rousso_always-honored-to-represent-homeboy-industries-activity-7310095363577655296-BCed/Homeboy Industries https://homeboyindustries.org/Stephen Poux https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-poux-risk-management/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Ryan Sutton is the chief critic and editor at The LO Times, one of the absolute best sources of food writing Substack has to offer. He previously served as Eater New York’s chief food critic for almost a decade, and prior to that, the New York critic at Bloomberg News. He’s won a James Beard Award and been nominated for two more, and today he lets us into his mind to understand not just how one earns the title of “critic,” but what food criticism actually entails. After Father Sal and I discussed the LA Times 101 at the end of 2024, it became abundantly clear to me that there’s a lot of confusion out there about what a critic’s role should be. Some believe it’s to put people on to new spots and to protect their dollars from the duds, while others believe it’s to point out the good and especially the bad aspects of the hottest restaurant in town. The truth is, it’s way more nuanced than that, and Ryan does an excellent job of breaking down the true responsibilities of a critic, not just on an individual level, but as a profession as a whole. It also doesn’t hurt that he has some fun anecdotes involving Red Lobster and Chick-fil-A, so if you do nothing else, stick around for those. Helpful links:The LO Times https://www.thelotimes.com/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

It’s been five years since the pandemic forced us to wipe down our groceries, binge Tiger King, and pick up hobbies like basket weaving or, in my case, eating 100 pizzas in 365 days. Of course, COVID also notably sent shockwaves through the restaurant industry, and to this day, the labor market still hasn’t recovered. What’s behind the lag and what are industry pros doing about it? Father Sal is with us to discuss two excellent articles by Adam Reiner on this exact topic. Also on the episode today, seven LA restaurants were added to the California Michelin Guide, which ones are we most excited to try? Listen to find out. Plus, a meal at the number 17 restaurant in the world, an LA food romantic drama unfolds on Instagram, a celebrity chef (Joshua Weissman) deems LA the best street food city in the world, and a couple of Chinese teenagers get a little frisky with a steaming bowl of hot pot. Helpful links:Join me at Family Meal on Monday March 24th! Use code “LACOUNTDOWN20” for a 20% discount on the $20 tickets https://www.tixtree.com/e/family-meal-how-to-make-help-helpful-9e559f3f393fAdam Reiner on labor shortage for Eater https://www.eater.com/24385730/restaurant-job-market-covid-pandemic-effectsAnd Adam again for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/13/covid-pandemic-jobs-changeLA restaurants added to the Michelin Guide https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-03-12/michelin-adds-15-restaurants-california-guide-los-angelesSupport Bistro Blue https://www.instagram.com/share/_iQyQWS1rJoshua Weissman and Memo Torres try street food https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1S05ZClQj4Doggy bags on the way out https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/dining/restaurant-leftovers.htmlChinese hot pot-gate https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/13/travel/haidilao-china-urine-hotpot-broth-intl-hnk–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

It’s time for the 2025 Top Chef Fantasy Draft!Season 22 of Top Chef kicked off this week in Canada. As we do every year, Father Sal and I hosted a draft of the 15 competitors vying for the title of Top Chef. We’re joined by 2024 champion Jessie Evans (alias @Jessie_Eats on Instagram), and Nancy DaSilva and Bits Nicholas of the Compliments to the Chef podcast. Plus, an LA Times article on a one-man tasting menu in Downtown LA, and a New York Times feature on a, erm, controversial restaurant in London town…Helpful links:Bravo Top Chef https://www.bravotv.com/top-chefCompliments to the Chef podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6Jessie Eats on IG https://www.instagram.com/jessie_eats/?hl=enHeather Platt on Sora Craft Kitchen https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-03-11/restaurants-los-angeles-one-employee-sora-craft-kitchenAmelia Nierenberg on The Yellow Bittern https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/dining/yellow-bittern-london-restaurant.html–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

We’re joined today by Chef Johnny Lee, the mastermind behind Rasarumah, one of LA’s hottest new restaurants serving inventive Southeast Asian food with a heavy Malaysian bent. Chef Johnny joins us to talk about the new concept, but also about what it was like to say goodbye to his deeply personal project Pearl River Deli. We talk about Hainan chicken, the struggles of learning to be a business operator when you’ve mostly worked the line your entire career, and what it’s been like to partner with Last Word Hospitality on his new exciting venture.But first, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Taco Bell’s Live Mas Live event in Brooklyn earlier this week. This is their event in the mold of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in which they offer sneak peeks from their test kitchen and roll out the new menu items for the year ahead. I met up with Daniel Wargo AKA Forking Around in the lobby of our hotel the morning after the event to debrief. Yes, we talk about which drops we’re most excited about, but we also ask ourselves what LA restaurants can learn from the Live Mas lifestyle. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this event - not just the food, but really the ethos behind what Taco Bell does to innovate and to build a relationship with its fans. I think there’s tons that even the most mom and pop of establishments can learn by taking a page out of the chalupa handbook, so to speak. Helpful links:Rasarumah https://rasarumah.com/Taco Bell Live Mas LIVE recap https://www.chowhound.com/1804512/taco-bell-new-menu-items-2025/Daniel Wargo https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/?hl=en–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

What is going on at The Original Pantry Cafe in downtown LA? Reports of a labor dispute threatening to close down the storied institution have been swirling all week. We try to make sense of the noise, and ask ourselves is there any hope for the house that Richard Riordan built? Secondly, Silver Lake lesbian bar The Ruby Fruit just added controversy to its menu. The bar has been fighting for survival since the wildfires took a massive hit to their bottom line. And while they’ve generally received an outpouring of support, an investigative piece from Eater suggests that not everybody is so enthused with how the bar has handled its business. Finally, what do raw milk, women's history month and Gordon Ramsey all have in common? Well, they all make an appearance in this week’s epic round of Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss. Helpful Links:The LA Times’ Cindy Carcamo on the Original Pantry Cafe situationhttps://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-21/the-original-pantry-cafe-owner-threatens-to-close-historic-diner-over-union-contract-disputeJake Hook (@dinertheory) on Original Pantry https://lataco.com/original-patry-closing-downtown-laMona Holmes and Rebecca Roland on The Ruby Fruit https://la.eater.com/2025/2/21/24370002/the-ruby-fruit-silver-lake-lesbian-sapphically-inclined-wine-bar-employees-inclusionRe:HER Women’s History Month https://www.regardingherfood.org/whmfLA Times’ Daniel Hernandez on pajarete https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-25/raw-milk-pajarete-mexican-culture-muscoy-compton–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

What’s the deal with the cease and desist letters going to Los Angeles pizzerias? Is OpenTable’s comeback slowly killing Resy? And was our visit to the LA Times 2024 Restaurant of the Year a Chef’s Kiss or a Big Miss? Father Sal’s with us today to discuss all of that and more, plus where you can try a $750 burger, what Molly Baz is doing to give back to wildfire victims, and an invitation I extended to Bill Esparza that can only be described as ill-advised and reckless. Helpful Links:NYT’s Kim Severson on teh legal brawl over “Dirt Candy” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/dining/dirt-candy-trademark-dispute.htmlGrubStreet on OpenTable vs. Resy https://www.grubstreet.com/article/restaurants-leaving-resy-for-opentable.htmlMolly Baz gives back https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2025-02-16/la-fires-rebuilding-kitchens-cooking-molly-baz-pantry-cooking-editorialTaste on mutton https://tastecooking.com/no-matter-what-you-call-it-mutton-is-delicious/Karen Palmer on the $750 burger https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/porsche-experience-center-carson-california-20107593.php–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park!⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Today we’re joined by LA Times food reporter Stephanie Breijo to discuss a brand new petition LA restaurateurs are bringing to city and state lawmakers. Stephanie has been on the frontlines of covering the tough time restaurants have been having over the last couple of years, and she actually joined the restaurateurs as they ventured to City Hall to meet with lawmakers and make their requests known. But the million dollar questions are - what are they asking for, and will it actually help? Listen to find out. In Part 2, it’s my conversation with James Beard semfinalist Chef Rashida Holmes of Bridgetown Roti. I visited Chef Rashida at her acclaimed Carribean restaurant to learn about her journey from pop-up to brick and mortar. We wound up talking about a laundry list of enticing topic, including why there’s a dearth of Carribean food in LA and what she’s hoping lawmakers will do to ease the burden on small business owners like herself. And what she thought of the Luka Doncic trade as a dedicated Mavs fan! Helpful Links:Breijo on LA restaurants’ petition https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-06/la-chefs-restaurateurs-petition-lawmakers-for-supportBreijo on IG https://www.instagram.com/breij/?hl=enBridgetown Roti https://www.bridgetownroti.com/Chef Rashida on IG https://www.instagram.com/chefrashidaholmes/?hl=enEater on sexy restaurants https://www.eater.com/24363702/sexy-restaurant-date-night-design?_gl=1*doavp3*_ga*NTY3MzcwNDY5LjE2Nzk1MzY5MTc.*_ga_GMSWCRTSTY*MTczOTQxMDMxNC4yODkuMS4xNzM5NDEwNjg2LjI1LjAuMA..Breijo and Danielle Dorsey on supper clubs https://www.latimes.com/food/list/best-supper-clubs-restaurants-live-music-los-angeles–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Nonalcoholic cocktails. Are they something to endure during months like Dry January? Or are they legitimately impressive feats of mixology that deserve respect any month of the year?I visited Philip Ross, Beverage Director of The Lonely Oyster Group, at The Lonely Oyster to discuss how he goes about conceptualizing an NA program that doesn’t just appease those who’d rather forego alcohol but delivers an entirely unique experience that’s worth checking out in and of itself. Look, I’m gonna be honest, I’ve been an outspoken critic of NA cocktails. My wife ordered quite a few during the month of January and it was hard not to feel like we were being fleeced for expensive juice. Speaking with Philip gave me a new perspective on the trend. But did he sway me enough to order one next time I’m out on the town? Listen to find out. Helpful links:The Lonely Oyster https://thelonelyoyster.com/Little Joy https://littlejoy.la/

We finally made it to Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine in Culver City, which reopened after a hiatus in the Spring of 2024, and earned not one but two Michelin Stars just a few months later. If you’ve heard people talk about VesperVespertineine, then you know that it elicits strong reactions. Some people can’t get enough of Chef Kahn’s otherworldly creations, with Michelin describing his food as “visually stunning” and “daringly inventive.” Others, however, walk away deeply confounded, scratching their heads like entire world in the wake of the Luka Doncic trade. I believe the Infatuation called it “unpleasant to consume.” But what did Father Sal and I think of the experience? Listen to find out as we walk you through our entire journey in our trademark, frankly psychotic fashion.  Helpful Links: Vespertine https://vespertine.la/ T-shirts for restaurant wildfire relief https://thelocalsupermarket.com/ Daniel Hernandez on guac https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-05/mexico-city-style-modern-mexican-spicy-guacamole Top Chef Season 22 trailer https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-22-trailer-cast-location-premiere-date Eater pans Chicken Guy! R.I.P. Guy Fieri, again https://ny.eater.com/2025/2/4/24358401/guy-fieri-chicken-guy-times-square-review – Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

We’re joined by Brad Metzger, President of hospitality recruitment firm Brad Metzger Restaurant Solutions, and Ryan O’Melveny WIlson, the CEO of legendary Los Angeles restaurant group Lawry’s, to hear about Chefs Love LA, an unforgettable evening of food and wine, celebrating LA heroes and supporting the restaurant community impacted by the fires. World-famous chefs including Curtis Stone, Jonathan Waxman, Daniel Bouloud, Nyesha Harrington, Jordan Kahn and many many more are all uniting on February 27 for what promises to be a culinary Live Aid happening at Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills, with all proceeds benefiting World Central Kitchen and Restaurants Care.  In Part 2, we’re joined by a chef who many credit with putting Peruvian food on the map in Los Angeles and beyond, I’m talking about Ricardo Zarate. Ricardo opened the cevicheria known as The Hummbingbird in Echo Park in 2024, and many hailed it as a sort of comeback. But speaking with Ricardo, it’s clear that The Hummingbird is a lot more than that. Helpful Links: Chefs Love LA https://www.chefslovela.com/ Brad Metzger Restraurant Solutions https://www.restaurant-solutions.com/ Lawry’s https://www.lawrysonline.com/lawrys-the-prime-rib-beverly-hills/ The Hummingbird https://www.instagram.com/thehummingbird.la/?hl=en – Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

After a dark start to the New Year, a little light at the end of the tunnel this week as 18 Los Angeles chefs, bars and restaurants were named James Beard semifinalists. With Angelenos earning spots in the categories of Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant and Best Chef: California, Father Sal is with us today for one of our trademark, frankly psychotic dissections of what it all means. We attempt to answer questions like, is this a downward or upward trending year for LA? What are Angelenos’ chances of turning their semifinalist nods into actual victories? Which restaurants most surprised us by earning a spot, and which snubs left us scratching our head? We also discuss a great article by the LA Times’ Jenn Harris on LA chefs’ wishlist for 2025, and after the break we’re joined by friends of the pod Luke Reyes and Reilly Cox for Part 3 of our Opening Cafe Esca series. As a reminder, this is our series in which we’re accompanying Luke and Reilly in their journey to open up an ambitious new coastal Italian restaurant in the Arts District this Spring. In this conversation, Luke and Reilly talk to us about bringing their ambitious design concept to life.  Feat. discussion of restaurants and chefs including Etra, Amiga Amore, Heritage BBQ, Evil Cooks, Barra Santos, Camelia, Baroo, Kato, Holbox, Gilberto Cetina, Chuy Cervantes, Damian, Bridgetown Roti, Poncho’s Tlayudas, Kuya Lord, Suzanne Goin, Capri Club, Franceco Allegro, The Arroyo Club, La Morra Pizzeria, Marino, and more.  Helpful Links The 2025 James Beard Semifinalists https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2025-james-beard-award-semifinalists Jenn Harris’ piece on LA chefs’ wishlist https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-01-21/restaurant-2025-wish-list-los-angeles-chef-restaurateurs Opening Cafe Esca Part 1 https://open.spotify.com/episode/19HDiV4o0i2dP9ZZ7B7E9B Opening Cafe Esca Part 2 https://open.spotify.com/episode/7DoKDMtS74ngrVzjBBkzXI – Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

The Palisades and Eaton fires have been raging for more than a week now. Restaurants and food vendors have played a huge role in the relief efforts, stepping up in a big way to feed first responders and evacuees.  Father Sal and I discuss a couple of excellent articles on restaurants in the midst of the wildfires, and we speak with three people who’ve experienced the fires from different perspectives: First is Matthew Schodorf, the co-owner of Cafe De Leche whose Altadena location was completely destroyed by the Eaton fire. We talk to Matt about how they’re navigating the situation and what we can do to help.  Second is Liz Gutierrez of Fiorelli Pizza in Venice, one of the first operations to spring into action to help first responders and evacuees. We talk to Liz about what they’re doing and how we the public can support restaurants as they carry out this important work.  Finally, we’re joined by Inclusive Action for the City’s Rudy Espinoza to hear about their fundraiser for outdoor workers - aka the men and women whose livelihoods depend on selling goods or executing jobs on the street. From a food perspective we’re talking about taqueros, fruteros, eloteros, and everyone in between.  Helpful Links: Cafe De Leche www.cafedeleche.net Cafe De Leche’s GoFundMe for staff https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-CDL-employees-after-the-eaton-fire Fiorelli Pizza https://www.fiorellipizza.com/ Inclusive Action for the City https://www.inclusiveaction.org/ IAC’s relief fund for outdoor workers https://www.gofundme.com/f/cash-aid-for-outdoor-workers-impacted-by-la-county-wildfires LA Community Meals https://www.instagram.com/lacommunitymeals/ Khushbu Shah’s article on restaurants leading the relief efforts https://khushbushah.substack.com/p/restaurants-were-the-first-to-step Meghan McCarron on food service workers in the Palisades https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/us/los-angeles-fires-service-workers.html Other Relief Efforts: World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/california-fires-jan25 Slice Out Hunger https://sliceouthunger.org/ – Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

No episode this week. Just three ways you can help restaurants as we navigate the devastating wildfires, and a bunch of helpful links. Side Pie fundraiser https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-side-pie-support-your-favorite-local-pizzeria?attribution_id=sl:86fa7075-75b8-4da8-8f92-b082665dda14&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link LA Times team on L.A. restaurants offering shelter, discounts, and food to fire evacuees and first responders https://www.latimes.com/food/list/los-angeles-restaurants-providing-food-shelter-evacuees-first-responders-fire Eater’s list of LA restaurants offering free meals to first responders and evacuees https://la.eater.com/2025/1/9/24340065/los-angeles-restaurants-offering-food-shelter-relief-fires-first-responders-firefighters-evacuees SFGate’s Karen Palmer on Altadena closures https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/eaton-fire-atladena-christmas-tree-lane-20023451.php SFGate’s Karen Palmer on Malibu closures https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/palisades-fire-pch-restaurants-destroyed-20023068.php LA Times team on notable restaurants destroyed by the fires https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-01-09/running-list-los-angeles-restaurants-destroyed-palisades-eaton-fires Eater’s running list of impacted restaurants https://la.eater.com/2025/1/7/24338882/los-angeles-pacific-palisades-eaton-canyon-fire-restaurant-closure Eater’s list of restaurants open during the wildfire https://la.eater.com/2025/1/8/24339315/los-angeles-restaurants-open-pacific-palisades-eaton-canyon-wildfires-2025 Slice Out Hunger’s fundraiser https://sliceouthunger.org/pizza-relief-la-wildfires-2025

What does the year of our Lord 2025 have in store for LA restaurants? According to The LA Times, a whole lot more struggle.  Father Sal is with us to break down a couple of fascinating pieces by Stephanie Breijo and Cindy Carcamo on the restaurants we lost in 2024, and what the landscape of challenges looks like for the year ahead. On a lighter note, we recap our holidays, including Father Sal’s first American Christmas and my continuing plight to force-feed my family the Feast of the Seven Fishes. And Sal also gives us a run-down of the must-visit spots from his most recent escapade to Mexico City.  In Part 2, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for - the 2025 Countdown reveal. In case you’re unfamiliar, every year I set out to eat 100 variations of a certain type of LA cuisine. In 2021 I ate 100 pizzas, in 2022 I visited 100 taquerias, 2023 brought me sandwiches and I just finished scouring the city for 100 epic noodle dishes. What will 2025 hold for yours truly and yours truly’s rapidly deteriorating gastrointestinal system? Stick around to find out.  Helpful Links: Stephanie Breijo on closures https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-12-31/how-many-la-restaurants-closed-in-2024 Cindy Carcamo on the 7 struggles ahead for LA restaurants https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-12-31/top-7-challenges-issues-facing-restaurants-in-2025 Father Sal’s top rec for Mexico City https://auna.com.mx/ -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Joining us on the podcast are  The Infatuation’s Brant Cox and Sylvio Martins. They’re going to walk us through their list of the Best New Restaurants of 2024, as well as the good and not-so-good trends that defined this year of dining in LA. We finish off with some predictions for what dining in 2025 will look like, and chat a little bit about our respective restaurant-related New Year’s Resolutions.  Helpful Links: Infatuation LA Best New Restaurants 2024 https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-new-restaurants-los-angeles-2024 Brant on IG https://www.instagram.com/brantcox/ Sylvio on IG https://www.instagram.com/sylvmartins/ – Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

I’d like to cordially welcome you to the second annual LA Food Pod Holiday Party!  Father Sal and I are joined by our favorite New York-based podcast ho ho hosts, Nancy DaSilva and Bits Nicholas of Compliments to the Chef, for a jolly ole time discussing what’s hot in the Big Apple, what we make of the premature closure of Frog Club, the quixotic restaurant helmed by Liz Johnson of Horses on Sunset fame, and we each bring a holiday cocktail to the table to hopefully inspire you to do some festive drinking of your own, dear listener. We close things off with an historic LA Food Pod Holiday Quiz - will Father Sal be able to secure the crown for Los Angeles, or will the interlopers from New York escape with the dub? Stay tuned to find out.  In Part 2, we’re joined by Marc Rose and Med Abrous, the co-owners of Call Mom Hosptialtiy Group. Their restaurant Genghis Cohen is one of the hottest tickets in town on any given Christmas, so much so, that they refer to it as their Super Bowl. Marc and Med join us to talk about how their restaurant handles the holiday, and, as the owners of La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills, we also discuss how they approach taking over legacy spaces in a way that both honors their history, while ushering them into a new era.  Helpful Links: Compliments to the Chef Pod https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/compliments-to-the-chef/id1727777167 Compliments to the Chef on IG https://www.instagram.com/complimentstothechef_pod/ Pete Wells on Frog Club https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/10/dining/frog-club-nyc-closes.html Vox on Crumbl https://www.vox.com/money/389782/crumbl-cookies-tiktok-viral-consumption Genghis Cohen https://www.genghiscohen.com/ La Dolce Vita https://www.ladolcevitabeverlyhills.com/ Call Mom Hospitality Group https://www.didyoucallmom.com/ McConnell’s / Genghis Cohen collab https://www.instagram.com/p/DDupoqDyCd_/?img_index=1 -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

What do the Eater layoffs mean for food media in Los Angeles? Did Bill Addison’s review of Vespertine get us more or less excited to visit the two Michelin-star juggernaut? And what to make of Melissa Clark’s underwhelming experiences at Thomas Keller’s Per Se and The French Laundry? Father Sal’s with us today to discuss all of the above, plus a controversy at Long Beach’s Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles, a bold proclamation of the best fast food item in America, and quote-unquote intrepid food influencer whose rating every steakhouse chain from the comfort of his own Tesla.  In Part 2, we’re joined by Reilly Cox and Luke Reyes for the second installment of our Opening Cafe Esca series. If you missed Part 1, this is our series where Luke and Reilly are bringing us along in their journey of opening an ambitious new Italian restaurant in a stunning Arts District development come March of 2025. For today’s conversation, I met up with Reilly and Luke at their very much under-construction restaurant space, to hear about how they’ve been working with their designer on a design concept that presents a modern Italian dining experience able to convey warmth while also standing out amidst the sea of Italian restaurants in Los Angeles. Today’s convo will focus on the concept of the design, and our next installment coming up in a few weeks will center around the nitty gritty of bringing that vision to life by way of materials, permitting, budget constraints, and more. Helpful Links: News about the Eater layoffs https://www.businessinsider.com/vox-media-lays-off-staff-at-lifestyle-brands-thrillist-eater-2024-12 Vox Media Union statement https://www.wgaeast.org/wgae-vox-media-union-statement-on-layoffs-at-thrillist-and-east/ Voc Media Union relief fund https://x.com/vox_union/status/1866132381758886148 Bill Addison reviews Vespertine https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-12-05/vespertine-culver-city-2024-review-jordan-kahn-bill-addison Melissa Clarke on Per Se and The French Laundry https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/dining/french-laundry-per-se.html Controversy at Roscoe’s https://la.eater.com/2024/12/4/24313359/roscoes-house-of-chicken-n-waffles-trump-doll-maga-los-angeles-southern-california The Ringer oral history on best fast food https://www.theringer.com/2024/12/03/food/chick-fil-a-waffle-fries-fast-food-rankings -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, dear listener, and I’m talking of course about the advent of The LA Times 101 Best Restaurants list.  Bill Addison and Jenn Harris dropped their picks at a highfalutin soiree earlier this week, and the reaction, as always, consists of everything from love to loathing. But what does it actually mean for Kato to earn the number 1 spot two years in a row, for restaurants like Bestia and Pijja Palace to fall off the list, and for new hot spots like Stella and Budonoki to be snubbed entirely? As you know, these kinds of questions eat Father Sal and I alive - so we decided to approach this year’s list with a frankly deranged level of in-depth analysis. So buckle up, dear listener, because we’ve combed through every 101 list since 2013 to determine what exactly this year’s list says about our city, its restaurants, and the people who write about them.  Helpful links: The LA Times 101 https://www.latimes.com/food/list/101-best-restaurants-los-angeles -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Black Friday. Father Sal and I are coming through with a very LA Food Pod Gift Guide. But first, there’s a piece in Taste making the case in favor of gatekeeping your favorite restaurants, a podcast with the brand new editor of The Best American Food & Travel Writing that elicited some red hot takes on the future of food media, and a snarky Substack article on whether 2024 was a year of lows for LA restaurants.  Helpful links: Shaan Merchant for Taste on gatekeeping ⁠https://tastecooking.com/is-there-a-case-for-gatekeeping/⁠ This is Taste interview with Jaya Saxena ⁠https://tastecooking.com/this-is-taste-499-best-american-food-writing-with-jaya-saxena/⁠ Bangers and Jams article on LA’s highs and lows ⁠https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/the-highs-and-lows-of-las-quiet-restaurant⁠ Eater’s Mona Holmes on Somerville and Long Beach’s new jazz lounge ⁠https://la.eater.com/2024/11/25/24305531/breakers-long-beach-hotel-sky-room-restaurant-opening-jazz-lounge-long-beach-southern-california⁠ GIFT GUIDE Gift for the accomplished home cook  Sal’s pick: Vitamix 5200 Blender ⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H4SLV6?tag=seriouseats-onsite-prod-20&ascsubtag=8648475%7Cnfb598f95b40b4663a3a1de10248b91ba01%7CB008H4SLV6%7C1732671051584%7C%7C&th=1⁠ Luca’s pick: Corto olive oil ⁠https://www.amazon.com/TRULY%C2%AE-Extracted-Straight-Official-Producer/dp/B00YG1DWP4/ref=asc_df_B00YG1DWP4?mcid=664965199a223a9aa11521ed5c649c18&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693129827186&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2661308734640888339&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030967&hvtargid=pla-762159356592&psc=1⁠ Gift for the beginner home cook Sal’s pick: Foodist Kitchen.    ⁠https://foodistkitchen.com/⁠ Luca’s pick: Botanica Magic Spice ⁠https://www.botanicarestaurant.com/products/magic-spice⁠Gift for the friend who only eats out: Sal’s pick: Gym membership Luca’s pick: Red Dining Book ⁠https://www.reddiningbook.com/products/los-angeles-2025⁠ Gift for the insufferable LA foodie  Sal’s pick: How to Stop Being Toxic Luca’s pick: Subscription to LA Taco Gift for the insufferable fan of The Bear Sal’s pick: Gift card to Ever ⁠https://www.toasttab.com/ever-restaurant-1340-w-fulton-st/giftcards⁠ Luca’s pick: Carmy’s white shirt ⁠https://merzbschwanen.com/blog/press-8/the-viral-95-t-shirt-in-the-bear-came-from-a-san-francisco-store-125⁠ Gift for the cookbook collector Sal’s pick: Random Seattle bookshop ⁠https://booklarder.com/products/gift-card⁠ Luca’s pick: Way more relevant Long Beach bookshop ⁠https://squareup.com/gift/MLR9NPYWBWS6J/order⁠ Gift that says more about you than about the recipient (the virtue-signaling gift)  Sal’s pick: Anonymous gift to PETA Luca’s pick: VISIONS wine clup at Psychic Wines ⁠https://www.psychicwinesla.com/wine-club⁠ Food gift for your S/O For Emily: Dining in the Dark ⁠https://dininginthedarkexperience.com/los-angeles/⁠ For my wife: Mercado Famous meats ⁠https://mercadofamous.com/products/papa-noe⁠l Gift we’d get each other  Sal to Luca: Ooni he already has Luca to Sal: Masienda tortilla kit ⁠https://masienda.com/products/tortilla-starter-kit?variant=42499201597589&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=21317473580&utm_content=_m_&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V-PRF7prmdx2jB-JKO3G4yXJLsrtgLVU118bVONv3ba71lum7BYJeEaAg8mEALw_wcB⁠ Gift I wish people would get me Sal needs nothing Luca wants Cangshan Maya knives ⁠https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cangshan-maya-block-set-12-piece-set/?clickid=wGBUu4Rh7xyKWHp1PfwtbQybUkCQcbzXI1PZQ40&irgwc=1&cm_cat=249354&cm_ven=afshoppromo&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=24935⁠ -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Welcome to episode 100. We hosted a live show to celebrate at Little Joy Cocktails in Echo Park, and what you’re about to hear is the recording of said live show. Father Sal and I were joined by Eater’s Mona Holmes to run through the headlines of the day and to play a round of Chef’s Kiss Big Miss. We debuted the first-ever LA Food Pod quiz - big thanks and sincere apologies to David Turkell of Turk’s Pizza Party for participating. And, finally, we had a conversation with Jackson Kalb of Ospi, Jemma, and Top Chef fame, on running a restaurant in today’s tricky economic environment, among other things.  But first, Father Sal joins me for some slightly indulgent navel-gazing on what this podcast means to us, and we also quickly touch on some exciting events we attended this week, including a very insightful panel discussion on restaurant PR and marketing hosted by New School, and a comedy show presented by none other than former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi.  Helpful links: Mona Holmes https://www.instagram.com/monaeats/?hl=en Jackson Kalb https://www.instagram.com/jacksonkalb/?hl=en Ospi https://ospi.com/venice Jemma https://jemmarestaurants.com/ Little Joy https://littlejoy.la/ The LA Food Pod Live Show was produced by: Robert Haleblian https://www.instagram.com/robert_haleblian/?hl=en -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! https://thelonelyoyster.com/ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

What do the best competition cook of all time, an uber-accomplished LA restaurateur and the author of one of the year’s best cookbooks have in common? Well, they’re all the same person and her name is Brooke Williamson. Brooke just released her first-ever cookbook, dear listener. It’s called SUN-KISSED COOKING, and it’s available now in stores. Brooke’s with us today to tell us what inspired the new book, why now felt like the right time in her storied career to release her first book, and what she liked and didn’t like about the arduous process of writing a cookbook.  Of course, I wouldn’t be doing my job if we didn’t also talk about her career as a prodigy on the Los Angeles restaurant scene, the secrets to her extraterrestrial ability as a competition cook, and how she’s seen the role of a restaurant operator evolve since opening her first restaurant back in the early aughts.  Helpful links: Sun-Kissed Cooking https://www.harpercollins.com/products/sun-kissed-cooking-brooke-williamson?variant=41531003830306 Brooke on IG https://www.instagram.com/chefbrookew/?hl=en The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Abdo Hajj -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! https://thelonelyoyster.com/ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today on The LA Food Podcast… What game is Norm Langer playing by reposting Rick Caruso’s scathing video of Mayor Karen Bass’ efforts (or lacktherof) to clean up MacArthur Park? Why is Martha Stewart irate over the way she’s being portrayed in her brand new Netflix documentary “Martha?” And why is a trip Dan Tana’s pretty much obligatory in your near future, dear listener? We’re joined today by SF Gate’s Karen Palmer to discuss all of the above. She’s filling in for Father Sal and, dare I say, Father Sal watch out. If he keeps abusing his PTO days, Karen just made a case for why there might need to be a change in administration. Too soon? In Part 2 we’re joined by Richard Pink of Pink’s Hot Dogs. The Hollywood icon that is Pink’s is celebrating its 85th birthday and is giving out 85 cent hot dogs to celebrate. I caught up with Richard at Pink’s to hear about the promotion, but more importantly, to hear his reflections on the little hot dog stand that could.  As always please consider leaving us a rating or a review wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m your host Luca Servodio and without further ado, let’s chow down.  Helpful links: Karen Palmer https://www.sfgate.com/author/karen-palmer/ Karen on IG https://www.instagram.com/karenlpalmer/?hl=en Karen’s piece on Dan Tana’s https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/california-italian-restaurant-dan-tanas-19880183.php Pink’s https://www.pinkshollywood.com/ Langer’s re-post of Rick Caruso https://www.instagram.com/p/DB7CglYvmzQ/?hl=en New York Times interview with Martha Stewart https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/30/movies/martha-stewart-netflix-documentary.html Eater’s stories on Martha https://www.eater.com/search?q=martha+stewart Taste on nonalcoholic martinis https://tastecooking.com/a-good-na-martini-is-possible/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Abdo Hajj -- Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! https://thelonelyoyster.com/ – Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Part 1 of our brand new series, Opening Cafe Esca. We’re joined by accomplished hospitality pros Luke Reyes and Reilly Cox, the dream team behind the upcoming Coastal Italian gem slated to open in the Arts District in March of 2025.  Luke and Reilly have agreed to visit us on the pod once a month to take us behind the scenes of all that’s gonna go into opening their ambitious LA restaurant. Why are they doing this? Well, typically when restaurants open you just see a blurb in Eater or stroll by it on your morning walk, but there’s tons of work that goes into opening a restaurant that often goes untold. Reilly and Luke are going to take us under the hood, sharing the good, the bad, the ugly, and of course the delicious. Think of this like a podcast version of The Bear Season 2, but with more City of Angels and far less family trauma.  But first, Father Sal is with us to talk New York versus LA food, whether Kamala Harris’ status as a foodie can actually help her win the election, and of course, to play a round of Chef’s Kiss Big MIss with us. He also makes a BIG, MASSIVE announcement that you’re not gonna wanna miss. All I’ve gotta say is, look out LA, there’s a new daddy in town.  Helpful links: Luke Reyes https://www.instagram.com/_luke_reyes/?hl=en Reilly Cox https://www.linkedin.com/in/reillyscox/ Rita’s Deluxe https://www.ritasdeluxe.com/ Psychic Wines https://www.psychicwinesla.com/ Jenn Harris on NY vs LA food https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-10-25/los-angeles-better-food-city-new-york-city-dodgers-yankees Meghan McCarron on Kamala’s foodie-ness https://www.bonappetit.com/story/kamala-harris-food-politics?srsltid=AfmBOoqPiaZxqUNliiwHMvaogf_kYPjpWZ3TBRbczCazjhHB7AjQUouM LAist Halloween foods https://laist.com/brief/news/food/seven-local-spots-serving-grim-goodies-this-halloween-season Mona Holmes on Homemade LA https://la.eater.com/2024/10/28/24275082/homemade-la-home-restaurants-mehko-food-service-vendors-los-angeles-county Cheese store robbed https://www.nbc.com/today/video/400000-worth-of-award-winning-cheese-stolen-in-london/NBCN854213543#:~:text=A%20con%20artist%20who%20posed,Neal's%20Yard%20Diary%20in%20London. The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Abdo Hajj -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today on The LA Food Podcast presented by Rusty’s Chips… how are influencers transforming LA’s restaurant scene? What does a legendary San Bernardino restaurant have to do with political polarization? And why did one Little Tokyo mochi manufacturer inspire a long-form feature in the New York Times? Father Sal is with us to discuss all of the above, beginning with a deep dive into Eater LA’s four-story package on the dreaded “i” word - influencers. Are they adding something valuable to the overall conversation? Or are they scammers that everybody from restaurants to consumers should be wary of? As always, we have the definitive, unquestionable, and unchallengeable answers, for you dear listener, so get excited, cuz this conversation is Lox Level 9.9. In Part 2, I caught up with the iconic Dominick DiBartolomeo at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. While The Cheese Store has been in business since the 60s, the latest iteration on Santa Monica Blvd is making waves that have the LA’s culinary nerds abuzz with excitement. Dom and I talk about all things cheese and sandwiches, we learn what his favorite cheeses are right now, and which cheese he would eat if he could only pick one to consume for the rest of his life. He tells us the crazy lengths he goes to to source his incredible product, and how he goes about forging relationships with LA’s best chefs. Talking to Dominick felt like talking to a long-lost relative, and that’s not just cuz we’re both Italian. He’s a true gem of a human being, and I can’t wait for you to brie this conversation. I mean, hear this conversation.  As always please consider leaving us a rating or a review wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m your host Luca Servodio and without further ado, let’s go Dodgers and let’s chow down.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills https://www.cheesestorebh.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj – Get 10% off at Rusty’s Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” ⁠https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN⁠ -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods cc: Gustavo Arellano, Bill Esparza, Meghan McCarron, Pete Wells, Steve Martin, Mona Holmes, Cathy Chaplin, Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang, Gab Chabran

Today on The LA Food Podcast presented by Rusty’s Chips… Evan Funke’s episode of Chef’s Table is out on Netflix, Father Sal and I watched it so you don’t have to. How did we feel about it? Well, let’s just say the episode gave one us an acute case of the ick that no amount of cacio e pepe can reverse. Listen to find out why.  But first, former Eater New York critic Ryan Sutton has some interesting thoughts on the future of restaurant criticism, the LA County government actually did something positive for aspiring restaurateurs, and there’s a tension rising between the need for restaurants to become increasingly sustainable while navigating the tough economic conditions. As always there’s a lighting round of Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, and Father Sal brought a Let Me Cook to the table that you’re not gonna wanna miss. One word for you - ARFID.  As always please consider leaving us a rating or a review wherever you listen to podcasts. I’m your host Luca Servodio and without further ado, let’s chow down.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj – Get 10% off at Rusty’s Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” ⁠https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN⁠ -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Is Eater’s new list of the Essential 38 Restaurants perfect, or is it the most chaotic list of all time? What do we find groundbreaking about Keith Corbin and Daniel Patterson’s upcoming fine dining concept? And where would we eat if we could only eat at 3 restaurants for the rest of our lives?  Father Sal is with us to discuss all of the above, why you should check out a newly released Great British Baking Show companion pod, why you can maybe skip Tom Colicchio’s new memoir/cookbook, and why your next tasting menu experience might be a couple courses shorter. Our interview today is with Chef Dominique Crisp, Culinary Director of The Lonely Oyster. Dom’s got a fascinating story and he also happens to be part of the Oyster Master Guild. That means Dom is to oysters what sommeliers are to wine. He teaches us to appreciate the wonderful world of merroir, and what distinguishes good oysters from oysters that are, to paraphrase Dom, better than s*x. Dom also tells us how the late, iconic Naomi Pomeroy played a pivotal role in his career, and what he learned from his previous venture Saso, which he opened in Pasadena smack dab in the middle of the pandemic and ultimately decided to walk away from despite its rip-roaring success.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ The Lonely Oyster https://thelonelyoyster.com/ Chef Dom Crisp https://www.instagram.com/domcrisp/ Keith Corbin's memoir https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677186/california-soul-by-keith-corbin/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj – Get 10% off at Rusty’s Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

What the hell is happening at Otium? Where the hell is Chef Tim Hollingsworth? And what are its former employees trying to do about it? We’re joined by former Otium employees Rylee Ratcliff and Melissa Mendoza for a raw and honest conversation about the exhausting, frustrating, and maddening weeks they’ve had since the acclaimed Downtown restaurant closed its doors for good on September 8. Father Sal also joins us to give Chef Tim some PR advice. We talk about LA Taco’s latest and greatest Taco 69 list, Ina Garten’s salacious new memoir, why the California legislature is banning farm-raised octopus, and what Paul Hollywood has been up to in his free time. Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Otium Unpaid Staff Instagram Page https://www.instagram.com/otium_la_unpaid_staff_feed/?hl=en The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj – Get 10% off at Rusty’s Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today on the LA Food Podcast, the most recognizable chef on the planet joins us for an interview - and I’m not talking about Chef Boyardee. Wolfgang Puck is with us today, alongside his son Byron Lazaroff Puck for honestly one of my favorite conversations we’ve ever had on this platform. Wolfgang has been one of the most if not THE most trailblazing chef in America for more than 40 years, and we discuss the many changes he’s seen in the Los Angeles food scene since he opened Spago back in 1982. But don’t just talk about the past - I was truly impressed to find that the Wolfgang Puck group of restaurants is as innovative and vibrant as ever and much of that is down to the passion and savviness of Byron Lazaroff Puck, Wolfgang’s son and heir apparent to the legendary restaurant empire. Wolfgang, Byron and I discuss what it’s like to operate as a father/son duo, how Wolfgang navigates the temptation to micromanage and how Byron approaches the pressure that naturally comes with the territory. Most interestingly, I ask them both about their vision for the company’s future, and I think their answers might surprise you. But first, Father Sal is with us to quickly recap the New York Times’ list of Best Restaurants in America, how the Los Angeles Times blatantly disrespected me by crowning somebody else LA’s sandwich king, and to dream brand new name for our beloved segment bad idea/horrible idea. RIP, all good things to come to an end, and all that jazz.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Wolfgang Puck https://wolfgangpuck.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini Abdo Hajj The Wolfgang Puck interview was produced by Matt Polizzi https://www.instagram.com/matt_polizzi/ – Get 10% off at Rusty’s Chips using code “LACOUNTDOWN” https://rustyschips.com/discount/LACOUNTDOWN -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today on the LA Food Podcast, which LA restaurant was named one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants of 2024? What’s the secret to Chef Josiah Citrin’s longevity? And which famous Los Angeles fruit did Tejal Rao dedicate an entire New York Times column to? Father Sal’s with us to discuss all of it, in addition to the pros and cons of guest chef dinners, the magical world of restaurant music playlists, and a round of bad idea/horrible idea featuring vegan food festivals, insane customized drinks, and a new LA Times seasoning rub question mark? In Part 2, we’re joined by olive oil specialist Lisa Pollack of Corto Olive Oil, located in Northern California. We do something a little different and I actually hand the reins of the pod over to Lisa so that she can treat us to our very own olive oil masterclass. Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Corto Olive Oil https://corto-olive.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

What do we make of Poltergeist and Button Mash closing? Was The LA Times out of line in writing about chef-driven optimism during the tough times restaurants are facing? And why does it matter that yet another LA chef has earned a place on Food & Wine’s vaunted list of Best New Chefs? Father Sal’s with us to discuss all of the above plus, why Taste waited until now to post one of the best think pieces on The Bear, why Netflix is giving David Chang’s Dinner Time Live a season 2, and whether pickles belong on pizza.  In Part 2, we’re joined by Chef Brandon Boudet of Little Dom’s in Los Feliz for a sneak peek of two exciting concepts he’s opening in Montecito and Ojai this Fall. Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Little Dom's https://www.littledoms.com/ Bar Lou Montecito https://www.instagram.com/barloumontecito/?hl=en Hotel El Roblar Ojai https://www.elroblarhotel.co/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

We’re joined on today’s pod by the icon known as Joe Sasto. Joe is a Michelin-pedigree chef whose exploits at San Francisco’s Quince and Lazy Bear earned him the chance to go on Top Chef. His high-octane performance on his season earned him a third-place finish, the opportunity to compete on Top Chef All-Stars, and more importantly, a place in the pantheon of Top Chef greats. Today Chef Joe brings us with him on his journey, from falling in love with what he calls tweezer food, to becoming a master of pasta, and eventually putting his mastery to work in the form of one of the most exciting snacks on the market - Tantos Pasta Chips. There’s so much in this conversation. We talk what it takes to earn Michelin stars, why he decided to enter the CPG space, who he most fears competing against on Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions, and one of my favorite anecdotes, how he became one of the only people on earth who’s ever served the Voltaggio brothers literal testicles. Plus, Father Sal is with us. We wonder, did the Infatuation just release the Da Vinci code of burgers? Does Evan Funke deserve to be on Chef’s Table? And why are fast food jobs in California on the rise despite the rising minimum wage? Among other exciting topics... Helpful links: Chef Joe Sasto https://www.joesasto.com/ Joe on IG https://www.instagram.com/chef.joe.sasto/?hl=en Tantos, the original puffed pasta chip https://www.eattantos.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq12I9gayDmHR6M0ANHnjncgK3sNSQDmlhWZJl0FAltZZo6fAE4 Subscribe to our newsletter, LA FOODSTACK, for access to all of the articles discussed on today's episode and more https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Today on The LA Food Podcast, is Langer’s closing for good? Is Chick-Fil-A going to save Hollywood? And does JD Vance even know what a donut is?  Father Sal is physically with us in Los Angeles today to discuss all this and more. We recap all of the amazing food he’s had in LA this week, from a beachside South American feast to an all-time steak dinner in Beverly Hills. I have him try the viral Ggiata Chicken Caesar Wrap live on the air, and we give a special shout out to our two biggest fans in LA.  In Part 2 we’re joined by Chef Avner Levi, the man behind Cento Pasta Bar in West Adams. Cento remains one of my favorite meals I’ve had all year, and Avner’s story is inspiring as hell. We chatted on Cento’s patio with a bottle of wine and, I don’t know if it was the alcohol or what, but I was legitimately moved by Avner’s passion and vision for Cento.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Avner Levi on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/glutton_ish/ Cento Pasta Bar https://www.cento.group/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Today on the LA Food Podcast, is work/life balance possible in fine dining? What the heck is postmodern craft beer? And why should Angelenos care about the passing of Famous Amos founder Wally Amos?  James Beard-nominated reporter Gab Chabran is with us today to explore all of these topics, and to tell us why he believes the city’s best tacos are in Whittier, and where you should consider heading next time you’re craving sushi or in need of Japanese pantry goods.  Our interview today is with Chef Daniel Shemtob, the founder of The Lime Truck and HATCH Yakitori in Downtown LA. Daniel’s most recent venture is called Snibbs. Snibbs is bringing cutting-edge, and rather good-looking work shoes, I might add to professional kitchens. Daniel saw a big hole in the market for stylish, functional footwear after slipping in the kitchen and missing the opening of his own restaurant. Daniel exudes entrepreneurialism, and this is a deeply inspiring conversation for anyone who’s ever thought of starting a business, or who’s even remotely interested in foot health and/or fashion. And did I mention that Daniel won two seasons of The Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race?  Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK, our free newsletter containing links to all of the stories we discuss on today's podcast https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ LAist Food Friday coverage https://laist.com/news/food Gab Chabran on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabchabran/?hl=en Daniel Shemtob on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/daniel.shemtob/?hl=en Snibbs https://snibbs.co/ The Lime Truck https://www.thelimetruck.com/ HATCH Yakitori https://www.hatchyalater.com/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Today on the LA Food Podcast, is Bill Esparza revolutionizing the restaurant review or is he merely feeding his ego? There’s an Anthony Bourdain biopic in the works, a New York Times article on whether the robots are ready to run restaurants, and a lightning round of bad idea / horrible idea featuring ice cream flavored water and and a Bon Appetit salad recipe that got way too personal.  Plus, my interview with Jason Ross, CEO of First Light Farms. First Light Farms is producing what they call the best-tasting beef in the world - it’s grass-fed and finished wagyu beef raised in New Zealand and served at Matu steak restaurant in Beverly Hills. We track the company’s journey pioneering a new way of doing things in the meat industry, and we discuss what we mean when we use terms like grass-fed and wagyu, what the heck the deal is with regenerative farming, and what plant-based activists misunderstand about creating a more sustainably food system.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK, where you'll find most of the articles we referenced today https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ THAT divorce salad https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/divorce-salad First Light Farms https://www.firstlight.farm/us/ The LA Food Podcast is produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Michelin held its 2024 California Guide Ceremony earlier this week, and it’s fair to say that LA restaurants fared rather well. Jordan Kahn’s Vespertine earned back its 2 stars, Holbox, Uka and Meteora earned their first, and LA also dominated the list of new Bib Gourmands. But, like I ask my therapist on a weekly basis, what does it all mean? Father Sal’s on the pod today to help us make sense of it all.  We also discuss the crucial matter of whether aspiring Vice President of the United States Tim Walz is a foodie, why Pete Wells decided to go all get off my lawn on his final essay as critic of The New York TImes, and a brilliant new series from Eater exploring iconic regional dishes from around the country. Finally, we’ve got Part 2 of our interview with Botanica’s Heather Sperling. Last week’s Part 1 received rave reviews, especially from those who appreciate behind-the-scenes looks at restaurant operations. Well, Part 2 is even better. Heather and I discuss in detail the factors making restaurant finances so damn difficult, and what can be done to ease the burden both for businesses and, get this, landlords. I bet you weren’t expecting that. We also talk about the exciting food happening at Botanica, of course, and why you as a consumer should feel good supporting a business such as theirs.  Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK newsletter on Substack https://thelacountdown.substack.com/p/3-hot-takes-on-the-2024-california Botanica https://botanicarestaurant.com/ Heather Sperling https://www.instagram.com/heathersper/?hl=en Heather Sperling in the LA Times https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-14/one-dollar-at-botanica-restaurant-los-angeles-heather-sperling -- Get 10% off your first order at House of Macadamias using code “LAFOOD” https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first order of wagyu beef products at First Light Farms using code “LAFOOD10” https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

We’re joined on the pod today by none other than Father Sal. As you know, dear listener, Father Sal doesn’t actually live in Los Angeles, but when he does visit our city, which happens often, he always comes prepared with the most thorough itineraries humankind has ever seen. If planning were an Olympic sport, Father Sal would take home gold, silver, bronze, and perhaps even the cutest leotard award. As a gesture of our goodwill to you, dear listener, we’re going to talk today about how to craft the perfect itinerary when visiting LA or when hosting out-of-town visitors. He’ll walk me through his latest plans, and I’ll critique them from a culinary perspective to make sure he’s not taking just another basic bitch visit to LA, but really getting into the guts of what makes  our city’s food great right now. Consider this the Gourmand’s Guide to Visiting or Hosting Visitors in LA.  We’re also joined today by a restaurant owner who has been a very vocal voice in recent conversations on the tough times restaurants have been having of late. You may have seen her piece in The LA Times breaking down where every cent of a dollar goes once you’ve spent it at a restaurant. It’s Heather Sperling of Botanica in Silver Lake and, honestly, this was such a fascinating conversation, I had to break it up into 2 parts. Today, we’ll be hearing about the path that led her to opening Botanica, and next week we’ll dive into the nitty gritty of owning and operating a restaurant in LA’s rather draconian regulatory environment. Heather actually worked in food media for a long time, and today’s portion of the interview includes some great insights on what we’re losing as the food media universe continues to hemorrhage dollars and therefore journalists.  Helpful links: Our free newsletter LA FOODSTACK https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Botanica https://botanicarestaurant.com/ Heather Sperling on IG https://www.instagram.com/heathersper/?hl=en This episode of The LA Food Podcast was produced with the help of: Adam Skaggs Tiffany Perez Tim Bertolini -- Get 10% off on all purchases at House of Macadamias with the code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first order of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using the code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

We’re joined today by Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar, the co-founders of Good Girl Snacks, a company you might be familiar with if you’ve come across their viral Hot Girl Pickles on your social media feed. Yasaman and Leah join us to share their story of ditching their day jobs as recent grads to start a pickle company with a Gen Z twist. We’re also joined on the pod today by Father Sal to discuss a couple of newsy bits that caught our eye this week. There’s the taco guide to end all taco guides from the LA Times, another big win for LA’s street vendors, and an al pastor tutorial from Bill Esparza. On that note, we also discuss the fall out from last week’s Bill Esparza vs. Villa’s Tacos battle royale, and answer a few comments that y’all left for us on social media. Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK, our free Substack where you can find all the links to the stories we discussed today on the pod https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/its-rainin-taco-guides?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Good Girl Snacks https://goodgirlsnacks.com/ Good Girl Snacks on IG https://www.instagram.com/goodgirlsnacks Good Girl Snacks on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@goodgirlsnacks -- Get 10% off all macadamia products at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

This week, legendary LA food writer Bill Esparza made waves when he dropped a scathing review of Villa’s Tacos on his Instagram stories. The review had been building for weeks, if not more than a year, and its Kendrick-style intensity left all of Los Angeles talking. Father Sal is with us today to dive deep into the situation, including what led to it, what the review got right and wrong, and how Victor Villa and others in the LA food community responded. We attempt to answer the essential questions - was Bill’s criticism fair? Did he go too far, was he too mean? And what does it mean that Bill’s opinions on these tacos, seems to be so far removed from that of other key voices in the food world including Bill Addison, LA Taco and even Michelin Bib Gourmand. One housekeeping note, Bill’s review took place on Instagram stories and is no longer available. Fear not, we’ve got your back. We took screenshots and the entire review can be found at our substack, LA FOODSTACK, linked in the show notes. On a lighter note, we’re also joined on the podcast today by Duncan Parsons and Joe Wedd, the duo behind Creamy Boys, a New Zealand-style real fruit ice cream concept down in Hermosa Beach. I had a blast talking to these two rambunctious fellas about how they turned their lifelong friendship and passion for their hometown delicacy into a business concept that is kind of taking Los Angeles by storm. If you haven’t had New Zealand style ice cream yet, I’m not sure you can really say your summer has even begun. So give this a listen, and then go get your Hokey Pokey on. Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK, where you can find Bill Esparza's Villa's Tacos review in its entirety https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Creamy Boys https://www.creamyboys.com/ -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias with code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef products at First Light Farms with code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Father Sal is with us today to talk about the LA Times’ 2024 Restaurant of the Year Baroo. We break down what the award means, why it’s significant, and why we are so excited for our upcoming meal at this very special restaurant. We also talk about the LA Times’ Gold Award winner, the rise of non-alcoholic beer, and the sudden closure of Rampart Village restaurant due to homelessness question mark?  Arguably even more exciting is that fact that we’re joined in Part 2 by none other than Eater’s Mona Holmes. A James Beard Award nominee, Mona is one of the most intrepid food reporters in the city and possibly the country. We have a wide-ranging conversation on the state of LA food, the state of LA food media, and much, much more. Helpful links: All articles mentioned on the pod are linked in LA FOODSTACK, our free weekly newsletter https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/baroo-is-the-la-times-2024-restaurant?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Mona Holmes in Instagram https://www.instagram.com/monaeats/?hl=en Mona Holmes in Eater https://la.eater.com/authors/mona-holmes Mona Holmes in KCRW https://www.kcrw.com/people/mona-holmes

Part 2 of our The Bear Season 3 recap. Father Sal is with us to break down episodes 6-10. If you listened to Part 1 on Monday, you'll know that we weren't too sweet on episodes 1-5. Did the second half of the season change our opinion? Not exactly, but keep listening to find out where exactly we feel the show got lost in the sauce, and most importantly, Father Sal's killer conspiracy theories about why.  But first, a couple of things that caught my eye this week. There's an end finally to the service fee saga, a massive win for street vendors, and some really insightful reporting on just how hard it is to score a liquor license in LA, courtesy of Emily Wilson at The Angel. Helpful links: LA Foodstack, our free newsletter where we curate all the week's most essential food news https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/the-epic-service-fee-saga-comes-to?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias with code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first order of wagyu products at First Light Farms with code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Father Sal and I recap episodes 1-5 of The Bear Season 3, which is now streaming on Hulu. Helpful links: The Bear https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f -- Get 10% off when you use code "LAFOOD" on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Santiago Lastra is the chef of Michelin-starred restaurant KOL in London. He visited in LA on the heels of the World’s 50 Best ceremony in Las Vegas, where KOL was named the number 17 best restaurant in the world. He stopped by the City of Angels for a special collab dinner with Vespertine’s Jordan Kahn, and I’m really honored he made time to grab lunch with me at Gilberto Cetina’s Holbox, the 2023 LA Times Restaurant of the Year, located at Mercado La Paloma.  This is truly a one-of-a-kind episode, dear listener. Chef Lastra tells us his frankly wild story, from growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico to becoming known globally as a nomadic chef hosting pop-ups all over the world. He tells us about working with Rene Redzepi on Noma’s famed pop-up in Tulum, how he developed his style as a chef who blends Mexican techniques and traditions with hyper-local ingredients, and he walks us through what a meal at KOL actually looks like. Personally, I was deeply moved by Santiago’s passion and philosophy around food and hospitality. Oh, and did I mention that Chef Gilberto Cetina was serving us lunch while we spoke? Chef Gilberto makes multiple cameos in the episode to chat with Santiago and to explain the incredible dishes he’s bringing to the table. It was an outstanding meal as meals at Holbox always are, and it was really cool for me to see these two powerhouse chefs exchange thoughts and ideas. I think you’ll enjoy it too.  Finally, no news on this podcast - but subscribe to LA FOODSTACK, our brand new Substack newsletter for our curation of the week's headlines. Helpful links: Chef Santiago Lastra on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/santiagolas/?hl=en KOL Restaurant https://kolrestaurant.com/ Holbox https://www.holboxla.com/#/ LA FOODSTACK, the LA Food Pod newsletter https://thelacountdown.substack.com/p/the-bear-season-3-drops-as-la-pizza?r=31nins -- Get 10% off when you use code "LAFOOD" at House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Top Chef Season 21 is in the books. A champion has been crowned, both for Top Chef and our LA Food Pod Fantasy Top Chef. Father Sal and I are joined by Jessie Evans also known as Jessie Eats, and Daniel Wargo AKA Forking Around to recap the finale and the season as a whole.  But first, a few things that caught my eye this week. An iconic LA fast food restaurant has closed forever, there’s yet another twist in the restaurant service fee saga, and, remember those pesky reservation resale platforms? Well, their days may be numbered. Finally, there’s free political advice for vegans, and a brand new LA Countdown website? Omg.com, dear listener.  Helpful links: Jessie Eats https://www.instagram.com/jessie_eats/?hl=en Forking Around https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/?hl=en The LA Countdown website https://www.thelacountdown.com/ Arby's closes https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-06-18/arbys-hollywood-closure-family-minimum-wage-law-fast-food Service fees live on https://calmatters.org/commentary/2024/06/california-restaurants-hidden-fees-law/ Grub Street on James Kent https://www.grubstreet.com/article/chef-james-kent-rip.html -- Get 10% off on House of Macadamias products using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first order of First Light Farms wagyu beef using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Kuya Lord’s Chef Lord Maynard Llera took home this James Beard Award this week for Best Chef California, and we’d like to extend him and his whole staff a heartfelt LA Food Pod congratulations. Today’s episode is all about awards. I’m joined by Father Sal to discuss LA’ showing at the Beards, as well as some of the most interesting takeaways from the World’s 50 Best, which was also announced since our last episode.  We talk about what these awards tell us about the state of dining in 2024, whether we’d rather win a Beard Award or be named on the World’s 50 Best and why, and which award recipients caught our eye and may warrant an LA Food Pod excursion in the future.  We also discuss a fascinating Karen Palmer article in SF Gate on why Little Tokyo as we know it may be endangered, and finally, the earth-shaking news that competitive eating GOAT Joey Chestnut has been banned from the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Stick around to the end if you want to hear a true story about the time that I, your friendly neighborhood podcast host, won an eating competition of my own. It’s a tale that’s frankly not for the faint of heart.  Helpful Links: James Beard Award 2024 Winners https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2024-james-beard-award-winners World's 50 Best https://www.theworlds50best.com/ Overheard at the World's 50 Best https://vegas.eater.com/2024/6/6/24173200/worlds-50-best-restaurants-awards-overheard-gossip-las-vegas-strip-winners SF Gate on Little Tokyo https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/little-tokyo-los-angeles-endangered-restaurants-19463905.php Joey Chestnut-gate https://www.npr.org/2024/06/12/nx-s1-5003036/joey-chestnut-banned-nathans-hot-dog-eating-competition John Mulaney's Everybody's in LA https://www.netflix.com/title/81742123 Gordon Ramsey's Food Stars https://www.fox.com/gordon-ramsays-food-stars/

Gabe Kennedy is the all-star chef behind Highland Park’s Checker Hall. He joins us today to tell us his high-octane journey, which includes winning Anthony Bourdain’s competition show “The Taste,” co-founding one of the hottest plant-based supplement companies on the market, and uprooting his life in New York to relocate to LA and grace our city with one of the most fun dining experiences I’ve had in a long time in Highland Park’s Checker Hall.  One conversation with Gabe and you’re immediately hooked. You can just really tell how much this guy cares, not just about making delicious food, but about doing things that have real meaning and thought behind them. Personally I’m stoked to have Checker Hall in my backyard, but they’ve got a chicken schnitzel that is 100% worth driving across town for. Not to mention the historic building, the fantastic cocktails, the music venue next door. It’s one of the most fun evenings you can have in our fair city, and I think you’ll be makin’ a rez right after you hear Gabe talk about it.  But first, Father Sal and I break down the things that caught my eye this week. There’s the Infatuation’s lackluster review of Vespertine, an intriguing albeit quite cringey Taste article on The Best Restaurant in Town, and a discussion on whether shoppy shops are good, bad or somewhere in between for neighborhoods. Helpful links: Checker Hall https://www.checkerhall.com/ Gabe Kennedy https://www.instagram.com/gabe_kennedy/?hl=en Plant People https://www.plantpeople.co/ Vespertine review from The Infatuation https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/vespertine?ifsb=yes The Best Restaurant in Town by Priyanka Mattoo https://tastecooking.com/the-best-restaurant-in-town/ LA Grocery opens up on Melrose Hill https://la.eater.com/2024/6/3/24167496/la-grocery-and-cafe-melrose-hill-los-angeles-produce-market Noise in restaurants https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/loud-restaurant-noise-health-effects/ Kevin D'Andrea show https://austinfoodmagazine.com/austin-chef-kevin-dandrea-to-host-new-nbcuniversal-series-breaking-baguettes/ EEEEEATSCON https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles/lineup --- Get 10% off on all House of Macadamia products using code LAFOOD houseofmacadamias.com/discount/LAFOOD  --- Get 10% off on your first purchase at First Light Farms using code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

We’re joined on today’s episode by the Infatuation’s Brant Cox for the first-ever in person podcast in LA Food Pod history. Brant and I met up for lunch at Mae Malai in Thai Town for some wonderful boat noodles (and much more). We caught up about what it’s like to be BFFs with Chris Pine, where he’s been eating lately, and oh yeah, a little thing called EEEEATSCON. That’s right - EEEEATSCON is back at The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica next weekend June 8 and 9. Brant’s here to spill all the delicious details, and let me tell you, this is one of those food festivals you absolutely cannot miss if you call yourself an LA food lover.  But first, Father Sal is with us to round up the week’s news, including the trailer to Season 3 of The Bear, a Cathy Chaplin Eater story on mental health and burnout in the service industry, a new food media company coming to LA courtesy of The Hundreds, and widespread fatigue with Instagram-famous cookware.   Helpful links: EEEEEATSCON 2024 https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=conversion_la_ec_smart&utm_term=eeeeeatscon&utm_audience=la&utm_matchtype=p&utm_id=21258913198&utm_adgroup_id=165813394207&utm_ad_id=700539019081&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdW3ubiuxq2xEpWI0ivw3wj1FTUOiZE_Q9doEL8vGKKiOXUkADzuR0hoCki0QAvD_BwE Brant Cox on IG https://www.instagram.com/brantcox/ Season 3 Trailer of The Bear https://youtu.be/UHiwdDFPsZY Eater’s Cathy Chaplin mental health interview with Michael Scribner https://la.eater.com/2024/5/29/24166535/sommelier-michael-scribner-los-angeles-hospitality-career-work-life-balance-mental-health Family Style food publication https://la.eater.com/2024/5/30/24167704/family-style-festival-the-hundreds-food-publication-complex-new-ownership NYT on Instagram cookware https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/dining/instagram-cookware.html -- Get 10% off at houseofmacadamias.com with the code "LAFOOD" -- Get 10% off your first order at First Light Farms (https://www.firstlight.farm/us/) using code "LAFOOD10"

Eddie Navarrette is the Executive Director of the Independent Hospitality Coalition in addition to being one of LA’s foremost consultants in helping restaurants navigate the debilitatingly confusing process of opening their doors. He’s been at the center of advocating for restaurants for several years now, helping shape much needed policies for boosting our restaurants during these unprecedented difficult times. We walk through his circuitous career journey, which includes playing in punk rock bands and joining the circus. And we also discuss many of the issues plaguing restaurants today and what IHC is looking to do about them. Plus, Something About Her sandwiches, World's 50 Best talk and the LA Times continues to cover struggling restaurants. Helpful links: Independent Hospitality Coalition https://www.ihcla.org/ FE Design & Consulting https://fedesignandconsulting.com/ Something About Her https://www.instagram.com/somethingabouther/?hl=en World's 50 Best 51-100 https://www.theworlds50best.com/stories/News/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-2024-51-100-list.html LA Times on life after restaurants https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-21/life-after-restaurants-former-restaurant-owners-chefs-why-they-left

A midseason check in on Season 21 of Top Chef. We’re about half way through the season, so LA Food Pod Top Chef correspondent Father Sal is on the pod to dissect the highs, lows and everything in between. We’re also joined by two of my new favorite people - Bits Nicholas and Nancy DaSilva, the hosts of Compliments to the Chef, the must-listen Top Chef companion podcast. They tell us about how they got their start, and they also join us in looking back at the season so far, and in making predictions for the episodes to come.  But first, a few things that caught my eye. Molly Baz found herself at the center of quite the media circus this week, the LA Times published a fascinating look at why restaurants are struggling right now, the Michelin Guide finally touched down in Mexico, and there’s a tournament of cheeseburgers afoot, courtesy of our friends at LAist. Plus, an LA Food Pod apology to one of LA’s great food journalists. Helpful links: Compliments to the Chef https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6 NYT on Molly Baz https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/10/style/lactation-cookies-billboard.html LA Times' Stephanie Breijo on restaurant struggles https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-15/restaurant-industry-economic-crisis-los-angeles Botanica's Heather Sperling on what happens to a dollar at their restaurant https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-14/one-dollar-at-botanica-restaurant-los-angeles-heather-sperling Michelin Mexico https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-mexico-stars-green-stars-sustainability LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers https://laist.com/news/food/tournament-of-cheeseburgers KCRW Good Food episode on Lalo Garcia https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/migrant-chef-life-and-times-lalo-garcia-laura-tillman -- Shop House of Macadamia LA Food Pod Bundle https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Use code LAFOOD10 for 10% off on your first order at First Light Farms https://www.firstlight.farm/

We’re joined by none other than Bill Esparza, the legendary award-winning writer, author, TV fixer and saxophonist. Maybe you’ve read his reporting at Eater, maybe you’ve eaten at one of his many finds, or maybe you’ve seen him on shows like Somebody Feed Phil. Regardless of where you know him from, Bill’s one of the most essential voices in LA food, and he’s with us today to talk about his journey in food, from starting a food blog in the aughts to winning a James Beard Award for his legendary taco guides. I also ask him about some of his more fiery opinions, including where his disdain for David Chang comes from, why he hates eating with “taco bros,” and what gets his goat about some of those influencers you see out there on social media, present company excluded of course.  But first, an LA restaurant gets the attention of the World’s 50 Best, 5 new So Cal restaurants are added to the Michelin Guide, Sweetgreen adds beef to the menu, and restaurants navigate uncertainty as California’s junk fee ban looms on the horizon. Helpful Links: Bill on IG https://www.instagram.com/streetgourmetla/?hl=en Bill's Eater page https://www.eater.com/authors/bill-esparza Kato wins World's 50 Best recognition https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-08/worlds-50-best-restaurants-kato-one-to-watch-resy Michelin's new additions https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/michelin-guide-california-new-additions-restaurants?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=3377c48b0cd911ef80b602d50a1eba23&utm_source=cj&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&utm_content=100037205&utm_term=15671072 Sweetgreen adds beef https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/dining/sweetgreen-steak.html Lauren Saria on junk fees https://sf.eater.com/2024/5/3/24148146/california-junk-fee-ban-restaurants-bars?_gl=1*1geowr6*

We give flowers to the very deserving LA-based journalists and writers who did score James Beard nominations, including Gab Chabran, Daniel Hernandez and Noah Galuten. We also talk about what we learned from a New Yorker deep dive on the Wild West that is restaurant reservations, why Angelenos are flocking to two new bakeries that opened this week, and the four pizzas that stole the show at this weekend’s Pizza City Fest.  We’re joined by Chef Jonathan Harris of Linden, a relatively new concept that opened in Hollywood last summer. Chef Jonathan is about as New York as it gets, and he had one hell of an upbringing eating all kinds of foods and working in his father’s acclaimed Long Island restaurant, Cornbread and Caviar. He talks to us about his journey, and how his unique path influenced the frankly mind-bending menu you can find at Linden. We also talk about his time operating a 26-seat tasting menu concept out of his apartment, and broader topics like the role black chefs and foodways have played in shaping American cuisine writ large. Helpful links: Linden https://lindenlosangeles.com/ James Beard nominees https://www.eater.com/24118355/2024-james-beard-awards-restaurant-chef-finalists How to LA on conchas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpu4LZ1V7o Gab Chabran on The LA Food Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7q29bhboG2WSHktlyJzEGl Daniel Hernandez on Mexico City https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-13/mexico-city-essay-daniel-hernandez New Yorker on reservations https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/why-you-cant-get-a-restaurant-reservation Petit Grain https://la.eater.com/2024/4/30/24141932/petit-grain-boulangerie-bakery-santa-monica-los-angeles-best-croissant Fondry https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-26/eagle-rock-bakery-fondry-croissants-los-angeles Sal and I on the Compliments to the Chef podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/6H4OqQQtpkAzfZFOnN7iJB -- Shop The LA Food Podcast bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off at First Light Farms on your first order by using the code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

Coachella is behind us, my friends, and your humble podcast host had the chance to descend on the desert to catch up with 8 amazing chefs who were out there serving their food to the masses. Today’s episode is a compilation of those conversations. I spoke with Eric Greenspan about his latest concepts, including a delivery-only duck pop-up you simply must get your hands on. I got a scoop from Fatty Mart chef David Kuo about a brand new project he’s opening in Downtown LA in the next 12-18 months. And I learned a little more than I bargained for about how Juan Garcia, the chef behind birria shop The Goat Mafia, likes to party when taking in the dulcet sounds of Sublime. That and much, much more.  But first, a few things that caught my eye, including Sage Bistro’s decision to no longer be vegan, Matthe Kenney’s decision to still be vegan but to also be a horrific person, and the inspiring tale of one man who’s making a real difference advocating for Los Angeles restaurants up in Sacramento. Helpful links: Article on Sage https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-24/sage-vegan-bistro-no-longer-vegan-backlash NYT Matthew Kenney expose https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/dining/vegan-chef-matthew-kenney.html Eddie Navarrette in Eater https://la.eater.com/2024/4/24/24138533/eddie-navarrette-small-business-support-act-assembly-bill-2550-policy-restaurant-california-law Pizza City Fest https://www.lalive.com/pizza-city-fest-la Support L.A. Taco https://lataco.com/members Eric Greenspan https://www.chefericgreenspan.com/the-story Fatty Mart https://www.fattymart.com/ Burger She Wrote https://burgershewrote.com/ Chris N Eddy's https://www.chrisneddys.com/ The Goat Mafia https://www.thegoatmafia.com/ Mano Po https://eatmanopo.com/about-us Battambong BBQ https://la.eater.com/2022/8/2/23288894/battambong-bbq-cambodian-texas-barbecue-long-beach-los-angeles-restaurants Slingers https://www.slingersla.com/ -- Shop The LA Food Podcast Bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first order at First Light Farms using the code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

Wendy Zeng is an award-winning chef and owner known around town and beyond for hosting cannabis-infused pop-ups, supper clubs and events. Make no mistake - we’re not talking about stoner food here, no shade to stoner culture. Wendy’s all about leaning into market-driven ingredients in the name of building community and destigmatizing recreational cannabis use.  What I found really fascinating, dear listener, was to learn about Wendy’s upbringing in Chengdu and how that influenced her love for cooking and her eventual desire to reclaim cannabis as a form of eastern plant medicine that was actually being utilized thousands of years before Cheech ever met Chong. We talk about how she approaches utilizing cannabis in her cooking, why she feels so passionately about destigmatizing the plant, and even what negative side effects have been ailing the industry since legalization took place and capitalism entered the chat. Finally, did you know that there’s a cannabis-tinged spinoff of Chopped on Discovery Plus, and that Wendy actually won the first ever edition!? Well you do now, and trust me, you’re gonna wanna hear more.  Helpful links: Drizzle https://www.drizzle.catering/ Mogu Magu https://mogumagu.co/ -- Shop The LA Food Pod bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Receive 10% off on your first order at First Light Farms with code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

Daniele Uditi is the chef and partner behind Pizzana, one of Los Angeles’ best and most influential pizzerias. Daniele joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from his upbringing living above his aunt’s bakery near Naples, Italy, to his spontaneous relocation to Los Angeles which ultimately led him to meeting Candace Nelson and launching a bona fide pizza empire. We talk about the nitty gritty of dough and sourcing excellent products, but Daniele also offers us a window into the evolution of Los Angeles’ pizza scene over the last decade, what it means to lead a business with integrity in this day and age, and what he thinks of all of those pizza lists you see doing the rounds on social media. We learn about what his favorite pizzas in Los Angeles are besides his own of course, and we also hear about how he ideated the Padrino, LA’s best Italian sandwich, which is now permanently available for lunch at Pizzana’s Marina del Rey location.  But first, a couple of things that caught my eye... David Chang has chili crunched his way into quite the controversy, L.A. Taco is in dire need of our help, and Coachella is upon us, so I break down the 5 eats you absolutely must make time for, if you’re headed to the desert this weekend. Helpful links: Pizzana https://pizzana.com/ The Guardian on David Chang and chili crunch https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/04/chili-crunch-trademark-momofuku-david-chang Jenn Harris on David Chang and chili crunch https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-08/chili-crunch-chili-crisp-trademark-war-momofuku-fly-by-jing Support L.A. Taco https://lataco.com/ Coachella food line-up https://coachella.com/featured-restaurants Miya Miya https://www.instagram.com/miyamiyashawarma/ Mano Po https://www.instagram.com/eat.manopo/ Chipapas https://www.instagram.com/chipapasporvida Grindz https://www.instagram.com/eatgrindz/ Battambong BBQ https://www.instagram.com/battambongbbq/ Pizza City Fest https://www.lalive.com/pizza-city-fest-la -- Shop The LA Food Podcast bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Shop First Light Farms, get 10% off on your first order by using the code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

Father Sal joins us. There's a quick Top Chef recap, including a Kristen Kish assessment. Father Sal also fills us in on The Bear clip that leaked. News-wise we cover the announcement of the 2024 James Beard Award Finalists, a scathing Taste Magazine expose on the grocery store known as Trader Joe’s, and a long overdue minimum wage hike coming to California’s fast-food workers.  In Part 2, we recap a week-long food crawl Father Sal and I took while he was in town last week. We finally made it to modern Korean darlings Yangban in the Arts District, we revisited our old friend Diego Argoti at Poltergeist to see if that panang lamb neck was still hittin’, and, most surprisingly for me, we had a whirlwind at Evan Funke’s Felix in Venice, my first time visiting the restaurant since 2019. We also talk about Sal missing out on dinner at Pizzeria Bianco, where Chris Bianco himself made a surprise appearance... Helpful links: The Bear leak https://chicago.eater.com/2024/4/3/24120365/the-bear-season-3-trailer-clip-critics-fx-hulu LA's 2024 James Beard nominees https://la.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048240/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-semifinalists-2024 Taste on Trader Joe's https://tastecooking.com/we-need-to-talk-about-trader-joes/ California minimum wage hike https://la.eater.com/2024/4/1/24118202/california-fast-food-worker-minimum-wage-explained LA Times' Stephanie Breijo on World Central Kitchen https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-01/world-central-kitchen-workers-killed-gaza-jose-andres Yangban https://yangbanla.com/ Felix https://felixla.com/ Pizzeria Bianco https://www.pizzeriabianco.com/los-angeles Poltergeist https://www.buttonmashla.com/ -- Shop The LA Food Podcast bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Use LAFOOD10 for a 10% discount on your first order of First Light Farms wagyu beef https://www.firstlight.farm/

We’re joined by Scott Linder, one of the Founders and Operating Partners behind Matū, which just might be my favorite steakhouse in all of Los Angeles. Matū is famous for its dedication to serving only the highest quality grass-fed wagyu beef. But that’s not all - as they were getting ready to launch the restaurant, Scott and his fellow founders spent a ridiculous amount of time nailing down all of the variables that go into preparing the product correctly, and serving it up in a way that leads to maximum flavor and satisfaction.  Scott joins us to talk all things beef, but also how he got into the position of being the culinary mind behind all that Matū has to offer. He tells us about his love for Iron Chef, his time spent traveling the world as the private chef to an A-list celebrity famous for doing their own stunts, and how one fateful afternoon with Jerry Greenberg led him to moving to Los Angeles and betting it all on beef. Of course, I couldn’t let him leave without asking him about Matū's legendary Philly Cheesesteak. How did they come up with it, and what makes it so damn irresistible? But first, a few things that caught my eye. There’s change coming to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a crisis at the Health Department, and several excellent restaurant reviews I want you to go check out! Helpful links: Matu https://www.matusteak.com/aboutustext/ First Light Farms Steak Club https://steakclub.firstlight.farm/ Walk of Fame https://www.dailynews.com/2024/03/22/access-to-hollywood-plan-will-dramatically-redesign-hollywood-boulevard/ LA Times on Health Dept woes https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-15/restaurant-inspection-workplace-complaints Jenn Harris reviews Sophy's https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-21/review-sophys-cambodia-town-food-music-beef-jerky LA Times Koreatown guide https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-28/best-restaurants-bars-in-koreatown-los-angeles Brant Cox of the Infatuation on SUR https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/sur-restaurant-and-lounge

We're joined by Charbel Hayek, a Top Chef champion and World-All Stars contestant who’s recently opened up one of Los Angeles’ buzziest new restaurants. Charbel is the mastermind behind Ladyhawk, which opened last year inside of the La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood. Ladyhawk has been earning rave reviews for its forward-thinking Eastern Mediterranean menu, with LA Times critic Bill Addison calling it “Los Angeles’ most compelling Lebanese restaurant.” Charbel joins us to talk about the journey that led him to Ladyhawk, from growing up in Beirut as the son of a chef, to becoming the youngest ever Top Chef winner in global franchise history. Of course, I couldn’t let him leave without asking him all of the dirty deets on his Top Chef experience, especially with respect to last year’s World All-Stars in London. He breaks down just how grueling the filming schedule is, what it was like to win the Gaggan Anand challenge that allowed him to showcase his love for his country, and how he conceptualized the iconic onion dish that he’s become synonymous with in Top Chef-loving circles.  Also… There’s a War on Pizza playing out in New York City, a fascinating inside look at Vespertine 2.0, and the return of Cafe Tropical in Silver Lake. Helpful links: Ladyhawk https://ladyhawkrestaurant.com/ Bill Addison on Ladyhawk https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-01-25/ladyhawk-west-hollywood-lebanese-bill-addison-review War on Pizza https://abc7ny.com/new-york-city-department-of-environmental-protection-pizzeria-emissions/13429285/ Vespertine 2.0 by Paul Feinstein https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/vespertine-jordan-kahn-interview Cafe Tropical returns https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-15/cafe-tropical-reopen-return-sober-silver-lake --- Brought to you by House of Macadamias. Shop The LA Food Podcast bundle https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Top Chef is back! Season 21 kicks off next week March 20 in Wisconsin, and there are plenty of changes afoot. We discuss the changes, and hold our 2024 Fantasy Top Chef Draft. We’re expanding the competition this year and joining us are none other than Jessie Evans, also known as Jessie Eats, and Daniel Wargo, also known as Forking Around. Will one of them have what it takes to take down the champ, Father Sal? But first, a few things that caught my eye, including 9 new LA restaurants added to the Michelin guide, a new Roy Choi venture, the return of the not-so-Sweet Lady Jane, and an awesome Bill Esparza feature on how to do Valle de Guadalupe right! Helpful links: Top Chef Season 21 Trailer https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-21-trailer-location-cast-premiere-date 9 LA restaurants named to Michelin Guide https://la.eater.com/2024/3/12/24098634/california-michelin-guide-new-discoveries-restaurants-los-angeles-march-2024 Roy Choi's new concept https://la.eater.com/2024/3/12/24098695/roy-choi-tacos-por-vida-stand-los-angeles-overland-avenue Sweet Lady Jane reopens https://lamag.com/food/sweet-lady-jane-reopens-santa-monica-beverly-hills-new-owners#:~:text=After%20weeks%20of%20the%20bakery,under%20new%20ownership%20on%20Tuesday. Bill Esparza on Valle de Guadalupe for Alta Journal https://www.altaonline.com/culture/food-drink/a45977150/mexico-wine-country-valle-de-guadalupe-bill-esparza/ -- Brought to you by House of Macadamias. Discover the LA Food Podcast bundle https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Today, the first ever crossover pod in LA Food Podcast history. I (Luca) joined the PIE 2 PIE podcast, hosted by Hot Tongue Pizza's Alex Koons, to talk about pizza, influencers, and much, much more. Alex is making one of Los Angeles' best pizzas at Hot Tongue in Silver Lake. I loved talking to him about his pizza journey, from delivering pies at Tomato Pie to opening up Hot Tongue Pizza. We talked about his exit from veganism, the power of influencers like Dave Portnoy, and when is the right time for a Little Cesar's Hot N' Ready. Helpful links: PIE 2 PIE https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pie-2-pie-a-pizza-makers-podcast/id1668271578 Hot Tongue Pizza https://www.hottonguepizza.com/

Joining us today on the podcast is our very own Prodigal Father-turned-television correspondent, Father Sal. If you have a Hulu subscription, a Netflix subscription or a keen eye for billboards, you’ve probably seen an ad for one of David Chang’s many shows recently. Sal and I are going to do a bit of a deep dive into the world of Chrissy & Dave Dine Out, his show on Hulu with Chrissy Teigen and Joel Kim Booster in which they dine at LA restaurants with celebrity friends. Yes, it’s a classic LA Food Pod slice and dice of whether a food show is worth watching or not, but it’s also a larger conversation on what makes for a good food show in general, what it means to do Los Angeles’ food scene justice, and David Chang’s status within pop culture-at-large.  But first, we’re going to carve up a couple of news stories that whet our appetite this week. There’s a fantastic New York Times interview with 30 chefs on topics like tipping and Gen Z employees, a GrubHub lawsuit that stands to threaten the very existence of food delivery apps in California, and a lukewarm albeit detailed debate about the merits of tuna sandwiches.  Helpful links: Chrissy & Dave Dine Out https://www.freeform.com/shows/chrissy-and-dave-dine-out NYT interview with 30 chefs https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/dining/chefs-state-of-the-restaurant-industry.html GrubHub in trouble https://la.eater.com/2024/2/22/24080398/los-angeles-county-lawsuit-grubhub-deceptive-business-practices-customers-drivers-restaurants Carla Cafe https://la.eater.com/2024/2/26/24079376/carla-cafe-los-angeles-sandwich-shop-west-third-beverly-grove-avi-ahdoot Infatuation smashburger rankings https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-smashburgers-los-angeles Southern Smoke Foundation mental health resources https://southernsmoke.org/mental-health/

The inaugural LA Wine and Food Festival is coming to Santa Monica pier next week (March 1-3). Organizer Cecile Rebbot joins us to offer a sneak peak at what you can expect from this bona fide chef-a-palooza. Plus, my thoughts on Eater's 2024 "Where to Eat" list, Mona Holmes' article on whether LA has achieved "peak smashburger," and what restaurants can do to weather the junk fee-related storm ahead. Helpful links: LA Wine and Food Festival https://www.lawineandfood.com/ LA Wine and Food Festival on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lawinefoodfest/ Eater Where to Eat 2024 https://www.eater.com/24009889/best-places-to-eat-restaurants-travel-2024-list Mona Holmes on smashburgers https://la.eater.com/2024/2/15/24074061/smash-burgers-hamburger-takeout-pop-up-los-angeles-opinion-southern-california Stephanie Breijo on junk fees https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-15/new-california-hidden-fees-law-service-fee-ban Top Chef Season 21 trailer https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-21/videos/your-first-look-at-top-chef-season-21 Unlistables on Gold Spoon https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/reel/C3lOu9rvlDH/ Episode in which I give my take on why smashburgers are like making out https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-infatuations-brant-cox-on-eeeeeatscon-and-a/id1667175207?i=1000611882092

Joining us today on the podcast are Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba, the duo behind Echo Park’s Tsubaki and Ototo, as well as the upcoming project Camelia, in the Arts District. Both Tsubaki and Ototo have been making serious noise for years, in Los Angeles and beyond. Their modern, California-centric approach to the classic izakaya experience has been widely lauded and recognized by the likes of the LA Times, the James Beard Awards, and many, many more.  Charles and Courtney walk us through the respective paths that led to their fateful meet-cute at EN Japanese Brasserie in New York City, and how they went from being colleagues in the New York restaurant scene to partners in life and business. We talk the ins and outs of sake, the inspirations behind Charles’ menu items, and the unlikely media hit that launched Tsubaki into a whole new stratosphere of success. Helpful links: Tsubaki http://tsubakila.com/ Ototo https://www.ototo.la/ Article on Camelia https://la.eater.com/2024/1/3/24008079/camelia-restaurant-french-japanese-opening-los-angeles-arts-district-courtney-kaplan-charles-namba Original LA Times review of Tsubaki https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-patricia-escarcega-tsubaki-review-20190328-story.html

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, dear listener, and, like a box of chocolates from your office building’s custodian, we’re here with a surprise gift of an episode - a Procrastinator’s Guide to the perfect Valentine’s Day. I’m joined by food reporter Jada Montemarano to talk about how, if you’re one of those people who’s left their plans to the last minute, you just might be able to still hit a Valentine’s Day buzzer beater.  We talk tips and tricks for staging the perfect Valentine’s Day at home, a few hacks if you’re one of those people who insists on taking their beloved out for one of the most cursed nights on the dining calendar, and what you might consider doing if you’re one of the single guys or gals prepping for a good ole Galentine’s bash.  There’s talk of sushi, Korean barbecue, the most romantic restaurant in Los Angeles, and why Father Sal was present at my first-ever Valentine’s Day date with my now wife. Helpful links: Jada on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jadamontemarano/?hl=en Cheat Day on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDFSPggKc7pzA6rHYyrFAiA

I’m joined by my friend Daniel Wargo, who you might know on TikTok and Instagram as Forking Around, to devise the ideal Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-inspired Super Bowl spreads. We’re going category by category, and challenging ourselves to devise two different spreads sourced from Los Angeles area restaurants, that perfectly capture the essence of Taylor and Travis respectively. Forks is going to do the Travis spread, I’m doing the Taylor spread, and you’re going to get hungry thinking about these absolutely insane, imaginary Super Bowl parties that none of us would ever be invited to in a million years.   Also discussed on this episode... Service fee trouble at Found Oyster, Jenn Harris demolition of All’Antico Vinaio, and a big win for LA street vendors. Plus a new exciting series on The LA Countdown! Helpful links: Forking Around YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/ForkingAround Forking Around TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@forkingaround_tv Forking Around Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/?hl=en Last Word Hospitality lawsuit https://la.eater.com/2024/2/1/24058584/last-word-hospitality-los-angeles-restaurant-class-action-lawsuit-service-charges-found-oyster Jenn Harris on All'Antico Vinaio https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-05/favorite-sandwiches-los-angeles LA street vendors' win https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-06/council-lifts-ban-on-vending-near-hollywood-bowl-other-popular-l-a-locations Manzke and Bicyclette closures https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-05/manzke-bicyclette-closing-michelin-starred-tasting-menu-los-angeles

We’re joined today by Alexis Readinger, the founder of Preen Inc., an international award-winning hospitality architecture and design firm based right here in our City of Angels. Alexis walks us through her fascinating career designing some of Los Angeles’ most iconic dining rooms, from Michelin star establishments to beloved hot chicken powerhouse Howlin’ Ray’s.  More than that, though, Alexis discusses all that goes into the design process. And, sure, there’s talk of logistics and timelines, but there’s also reflections on getting to the heart of what a restaurant is trying to convey and how you bring a feeling or a vibe to life in a physical space. We talk about design trends over the years, which design trends Los Angeles is recognized for around the world, and what the heck an architect does when a client won’t stop asking for a punny neon sign.

19 LA area restaurants are named James Beard Semifinalists while 94 journalists at The Los Angeles Times, including some food journalists, lose their jobs - needless to say, it’s been a week of high highs and low lows. Father Sal joins us to dissect it all. We have some fun, congratulatory chat about the amazing restaurants like Amiga Amore and Kuya Lord getting the James Beard nods. And we have a thornier conversation on the importance of local media and what can be done to ensure a more sustainable media ecosystem moving forward.  On an entirely positive note, we’re also joined today by Traci and Shad Davis, the power couple behind Vietnamese fast casual concept My Lai Kitchen. Traci and Shad walk us through the inspiration for their rapidly expanding spring roll empire. We talk through the nuances of opening a fast casual concept, why some fast casual concepts succeed better than others, and the discoveries they’ve made as they translate the beauty of Vietnamese cooking into the fast casual format. Traci also talks to us about her inspiration for opening My Lai in the first place, and Shad tells a hilarious anecdote about how he chooses to spend his birthday each year. Traci and Shad are an absolute delight, and their food is delightful too, so make sure to stick around for that. Helpful links: My Lai Kitchen https://www.mylaikitchen.com/ My Lai Kitchen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themylaikitchen/ James Beard semifinalists https://la.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048240/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-semifinalists-2024 LA Times layoff news https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/los-angeles-times-lay-off-94-workers-union-president-2024-01-23/#:~:text=Jan%2023%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20The,media%20industry%20in%20recent%20weeks. Eater story on Melrose Hill https://la.eater.com/2024/1/23/24042254/melrose-hill-los-angeles-neighborhood-new-restaurants-bars-zach-lasry-developer-gentrification Danielle Duran Zecca on the LA Food Pod https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MdotJ7CPm5Ni0VhLPbZNQ?si=HkF7D6WTRVCR8nzTvcInDA

We’re joined today by L.A. Taco’s Janette Villafana to discuss the ins and outs of the Justice 8. If you’ve been scrolling Los Angeles food news on social media or the web over the past few weeks, you may have seen the name “Justice 8” being tossed around. Who are the Justice 8 and what do they have to do with food? In a nutshell, the Justice 8 are a group of street vendor activists who are being held in jail for reasons that many are calling unjust. Janette’s been covering the issue in depth, and is here to break down the situation, what it means for Los Angeles street vendors, and what’s happening next.  But first, a couple of things caught my eye that I wanted to quickly talk to you about, dear listener. From Plant Food + Wine to Cookbook to Sweet Lady Jane, accusations of bad restaurant behavior are running rampant and I want to unpack it all just a little bit. I also want to quickly give the Emmy-winning food shows their flowers, and take a quick second to plug some pretty cool things that I have cooking outside of the podcast.

We’re joined by Danny Castillo, the pitmaster behind San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue, one of Southern California’s premiere barbecue destinations. In recent years Heritage has earned the attention of the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants List, they’ve been named Restaurant of the Year by the OC Register, and they’ve even gained Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.  While Danny’s “Cali Craft Barbecue,” as he calls it, is now legendary, the story that got him there is full of pit stops and perseverance. Danny shares with us how he went from fixing up old cars, to working at Whole Foods, to finally breaking out on his own to dedicate himself fully to his one true passion - smoking meats. Beyond Danny’s story, I loved this conversation because Danny shows his true, barbecue nerd side. We speak in depth about the different types of barbecue, why certain woods yield different results, how the heck those big ole offset grills you see at barbecue joints even work, and more. There’s a touch of barbecue history in there, and a ton of recognition for the pitmasters who paved the way for Heritage and others to thrive today.  Helpful links: Heritage BBQ https://www.heritagecraftbbq.com/ Heritage on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heritagebarbecue/?hl=en

We’re flipping the script today and Father Sal will be interviewing me on today’s podcast. Why are we doing this? Well, today happens to be the day that I announce which type of food I’m focusing on for the 2024 Countdown, a.k.a. My annual expedition to try 100 different versions of a certain Los Angeles food. As a reminder, in 2021 I tackled pizzas, in 2022 I visited 100 different taquerias, and in 2023 I ate 100 epic LA sandwiches in 365 days. Which food will 2024 spotlight? Burgers? Noodles? Tinned fish? Let’s find out.  But first, Father Sal and I catch up on our holiday plans. We hear about his exotic travels to Morocco and South Florida, and I share the behind-the-scenes details of my annual Feast of the Seven Fishes extravaganza. We talk New Year’s Resolutions, and share the top two food-related goals we each aim to complete in 2024. Also stick around to the end if you want to hear real-life audio of my wife and I surprising Father Sal in Seattle for his birthday. He turned 21 for the 11th time this past Wednesday, so a very special Happy Birthday to him from the entire LA Food Pod community.  Helpful links: The LA Countdown https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/

Believe it or not, it's already been one full year (and 50+ episodes!) of The LA Food Podcast. As we gear up for 2024, here's a compilation of some of our favorite moments from 2023. Happy New Year! Helpful links: Gilberto Cetina episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/34o2zYM6KVJHqu8D1q76bK?si=zAzzkHxoTAaUi5unZdV3Xg Diego Argoti episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/5Aci2o7gLVn4jtLlOuwZZR?si=1nUibxNWSNWyrbyfyKUIEQ Lien Ta episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VjeSpIelDfrXsMMbvIXQd?si=NNfO7BuFQz6LNOLOaJVhog Gustavo Arellano episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/7iST9Uyzbdcc92R4ERhkAr?si=_Y2NZIbMTheqIewtT3IOwQ Farley Elliott episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/4jJTzB5avWHZsxY6qb3x3L?si=DhQivuDmSQWgsFBt8cvpzw Jeremy Fox episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/7dkkJfaXT76lAy06pZ41Jb?si=JreoyC5gRM674wX0h1b9aQ Courtney Storer episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Crkss2igPVP6CG43qHqMr?si=bHBiF5_BQhKn0mnF3JOMrw The Menu episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MOjASg51JCYgeiCuCpBDk?si=TQ0gS1sjT_y6hCqG4gv4cQ

Welcome to the first-ever LA Food Pod Holiday Party! Father Sal joins us to talk holiday plans and to try our hands at some festive mixology. We're making something called a Merry Margarita, brought to us by our friends at Hornitos. Will we like it? Will we hate it? Will you want to try making it for your holiday gathering? Listen to find out.  But that’s not all. What is a holiday party without some sort of game? In a game that only makes sense in the context of the LA Food Podcast, Father Sal and I have combed the food lists of 2023 from the likes of the LA Times, Eater, The Infatuation and more, to draft which ones we thought did the best job. It's a deliciously convoluted white elephant of sorts, except instead of gifts, what you get to walk away with is our arbitrary ranking of a bunch of other arbitrary rankings. What’s not to love? Helpful links: Eater Where to Eat https://www.eater.com/23506205/best-places-to-eat-restaurants-travel-2023 NYT Mexico City dishes https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/t-magazine/mexico-city-restaurants-food.html LAT Hall of Fame https://www.latimes.com/food/list/los-angeles-hall-of-fame-restaurants-modern-classics LA Taco pupusas https://lataco.com/best-pupusas-los-angeles LA Taco tacos https://lataco.com/69-best-tacos-in-la LA Times Italian Sandwiches https://www.latimes.com/food/list/best-italian-sub-sandwiches-los-angeles-guide Infatuation Celebrity-owned restaurants https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-celebrity-owned-restaurant-power-rankings LAist Cheap Fast Eats Gardena https://laist.com/brief/news/food/deliciously-messy-teriyaki-burgers-a-bowling-alley-coffee-shop-and-secret-shu-its-cheap-fast-eats-gardena Kenji Lopez Alt for South Seattle Emerald https://southseattleemerald.com/2023/08/26/j-kenji-lopez-alts-favorite-south-end-restaurants/ NYT's LA 25 https://www.nytimes.com/article/best-restaurants-los-angeles.html

We’re joined by Brant Cox and Sylvio Martins of The Infatuation LA to break down their list of the Best New Restaurants of 2023. They dropped this list a couple of weeks ago now, and it includes some truly stellar spots that have graced the LA dining scene this past year, such as Donna’s of Echo Park and Loreto of Frogtown. Brant and Sylvio walk us through their process for compiling this list. We learn about their favorites, honorable mentions that just missed out, and why some big names like Funke and Poltergeist didn’t quite make the cut.  We also talk food trends of 2023 - from the Great Martini Revival to the seemingly inescapable barrage of red sauce Italian spots flooding our timelines - and they look forward to 2024, discussing which upcoming restaurant openings have them chomping at the bit.  First though, there are a couple of headlines in the food world I wanted to discuss, from LA’s Al Fresco Program moving towards permanence to the closure of several big name restaurants. Helpful links: Infatuation Best New Restaurants 2023 https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/collection/best-new-restaurants-los-angeles-2023 LAT on Al Fresco dining https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-12-08/los-angeles-city-council-permanent-al-fresco-dining Michelin adds 3 LA restaurants to guide https://la.eater.com/2023/12/12/23998495/michelin-guide-discoveries-2023-hibi-baroo-olivia-restaurants-los-angeles Kinn closure https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-11-21/los-angeles-korean-restaurant-kinn-chef-mental-health#:~:text=On%20closing%20L.A.'s%20Kinn%2C%20chef%20highlights%20mental%20health%20issues,close%20his%20tasting%2Dmenu%20restaurant. Craft closure https://la.eater.com/2023/11/20/23969943/craft-la-kinn-koreatown-closed-restaurants-los-angeles-november-2023 Angry Egret closure https://la.eater.com/2023/12/14/24001272/chef-wes-avila-angry-egret-dinette-chinatown-restaurant-closure-los-angeles

LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison dropped his much-anticipated 101 Best Restaurants list on Tuesday and it’s set the internet abuzz with thoughts and reactions aplenty. Congratulations to all of the restaurants who made the list, I hope you’re all celebrating accordingly. I offer some high-level observations and perhaps a couple of nuggets of constructive criticism. Because that’s just the helpful guy that I am.  We’re also joined by Father Sal to talk about the trend of influencer-backed restaurants, and we also break down the latest season of The Great British Bake Off. The Bake Off conversation is jolly good fun - we talk about the new host, our fave contestants, and we get into a pretty heated debate about whether this is actually a show about food, or if it’s really just vibes.  Helpful links: 101 list https://www.latimes.com/food/list/101-best-los-angeles-restaurants-ranked-2023 Hall of Fame https://www.latimes.com/food/list/los-angeles-hall-of-fame-restaurants-modern-classics LA Times on influencer-backed restaurants https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-11-24/influencer-backed-restaurants-los-angeles-worth-the-hype Great British Bake Off https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/ Eater article defending Prue https://www.eater.com/23972427/leave-prue-leith-alone-great-british-bake-off

Chef Jeremy Fox is best known in Los Angeles for helming the widely acclaimed restaurants Rustic Canyon and Birdie G’s. He joins us to walk through his illustrious career, from his days at David Kinch’s Manresa in Los Gatos, to earning a Michelin star for a vegetarian restaurant attached to a yoga studio in Napa Valley. He talks about how an impounded car led him to move to Southern California, and his very personal inspiration for opening Birdie G’s, his Santa Monica restaurant that he describes as the product of an Eastern European Jew who grew up in the Midwest and settled down in California by way of the American South. Now, there’s a journey. Helpful links: Birdie G's https://www.birdiegsla.com/about/ 8 Nights at Birdie G's https://blog.resy.com/2023/10/8-nights-at-birdie-gs/ Rustic Canyon https://rusticcanyonrestaurant.com/ Chef Jeremy Fox on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/chefjeremyfox/?hl=en

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Today’s episode is all about gratitude. For our main course today, I’m joined by Father Sal to reminisce on the meals that we feel most grateful for in 2023. And although yes, there are tales of surf n turf burritos, roasted bone marrow gnocchi, and pizza so good that it haunts my dreams to this day, it’s really a conversation about the intangibles that make certain meals that much more memorable.  But first, Father Sal and I chop up the latest and greatest headlines in the food world. There’s a GOAT-level list of Best Dishes in Mexico City from The New York Times and a not-so-GOAT level list of where to eat in LA from pop singer Tate McRae. We do a “cop or drop” inspired by the many food holiday gift guides that have come out in the past week, and Father Sal gives us his expert take on the Infatuation’s latest guide to LA’s Indian and Pakistani restaurants. There’s a fun little helping of bad idea/horrible idea for ya, and for dessert, we’ve got another edition of our acclaimed segment, “Shitty Yelp Review of the Week,” in which we each share a moment in the past week when the people in our lives would have been justified in leaving us a shitty yelp review as humans. Let’s just say that mine involves shrimp tacos, a stray dog, and Poltergeist chef Diego Argoti. You won’t wanna miss it. Helpful links: The best food guide, in my opinion https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-food-scene/a-food-themed-holiday-gift-guide Infatuation's Best Indian and Pakistani restaurants https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-best-indian-pakistani-restaurants-in-la NYT's Best Dishes in CDMX https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/t-magazine/mexico-city-restaurants-food.html Infatuation's Best New Restaurants 2023 https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/collection/best-new-restaurants-los-angeles-2023 Infatuation's Tate McRae list https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/tate-mcrae-la-restaurants NY Carbone private dining club https://www.grubstreet.com/2023/11/zzs-club-carbone-privato-nyc.html

We’re joined today by writer and editor Virali Dave to talk all things Negronis. Virali is a well-versed and passionate consumer of cocktail culture, and the well loved Italian cocktail has been an obsession of hers as of late. She joins us to talk about the cocktail’s origins, how to tell if your bartender’s making you a good one, and where to find the five best versions around the City of Angels. We also spend some time talking about her journey as a food writer, from her humble beginnings fact checking at The Ringer, to her most recent experience writing and editing some pretty awesome pieces for Eater LA.  Also... there have been some important developments with respect to legal street vending in Los Angeles. In October, LA City Council Member Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a motion that could have some pretty significant ramifications for LA’s street vendors. We’re joined by Doug Smith of Inclusive Action for the City to break down what it all means. Helpful links: Virali on IG https://www.instagram.com/virali/?hl=en Virali's article on Rendition Room https://la.eater.com/2023/9/11/23863248/rendition-room-speakeasy-studio-city-scott-warren-bartender-feature Rendition Room https://therenditionroom.wildapricot.org/ Margot https://www.margot.la/ Grandmaster Recorders https://grandmasterrecorders.com/ Baar Baar https://www.baarbaarla.com/

LA3C Food and Music Festival is coming to Downtown LA’s Historic Core this weekend. We’re joined by Joey Rubin, who leads food curation for the festival, to hear about how him and his team put together one of the coolest food festival experiences this city has ever seen. From a Oaxacan sushi pop-up featuring the folks over at Simon in Silver Lake, to a bonkers collab between Poltergeist’s Diego Argoti and Pearl River Deli’s Johnny Lee that may or may not feature an orange chicken burrito, this is truly the kind of food experience that could only happen in LA. So listen to the conversation with Joey, go buy the $20 tickets - $20! That’s it! - and I’ll see you there, dear listener. But first, I’m going to give you a quick rundown of 3 news stories that caught my eye this week. There’s a LA restaurant that’s been named to Eater’s list of Best New Restaurants in America 2023, a fascinating look at Erewhon’s questionable past, and some fried chicken drama cracking on between Timeout LA and Le Coupe. Helpful links: LA3C Marketplace tickets https://www.la3c.com/marketplace Biite Club https://biite.club/ Joey on IG https://www.instagram.com/joey.rubin/?hl=en Eater's Best New Restaurants America https://www.eater.com/2023/11/7/23949168/eaters-best-new-restaurants-america-2023 The Cut on Erewhon https://www.thecut.com/article/erewhon-smoothie-boston-los-angeles-history.html Timeout LA fried chicken list https://www.timeout.com/los-angeles/restaurants/best-fried-chicken-in-los-angeles

We’re joined today by Farley Elliott. One of Los Angeles’ preeminent voices in food media, Farley’s been bringing us mouth-watering stories for more than a decade via the likes of LAist, LA Weekly and, more recently, in his capacity as Senior Editor of Eater LA. Farley recently announced that he’d be leaving Eater for a new adventure as the So Cal Bureau Chief of SF Gate, where he’s already gotten off to a fast start, covering interesting topics ranging from In N Out Burger’s reclusive founder to the LA dude who went viral for ordering a scooped, gluten-free bagel at a New York City bagel shop. Farley tells us the story of how we went from eating poutine and Thousand Island dressing on his family’s dairy farm in upstate New York, to traversing the South Land for the tastiest bites and stories our region has to offer. It’s a conversation full of delicious anecdotes, lessons learned and thoughtful reflections on what it means to report on food and restaurants in a city like Los Angeles, and what he hopes to accomplish in his new role with SF Gate. And oh yeah, there’s even a bit about  a viral video featuring tiny hamsters eating tiny burritos. Don’t say I never gave you anything, dear listener.  Helpful links: Farley's page at SF Gate https://www.sfgate.com/author/farley-elliott/ Farley on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/overoverunder/?hl=en Farley's book on street food https://www.amazon.com/Los-Angeles-Street-Food-Tamaleros/dp/1626199914 Tiny hamsters eating tiny burritos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOCtdw9FG-s

We’re joined today by the indomitable Bricia Lopez, a widely respected entrepreneur and author whose family restaurant, Guelaguetza, has been enchanting the palates of Angelenos with Oaxacan delicacies for nearly three decades. Bricia joins me to discuss the restaurant’s origin story, how she and her siblings helped save it from bankruptcy 10 years ago, and what it means to uphold Guelaguetza’s legacy while working to keep things fresh and exciting. We get into the ins and outs of mole and why you should never even THINK about calling it a chocolate sauce, and Bricia even gives us a run-down of how to spend the ideal weekend getaway to Oaxaca. It’s a treat of a conversation and I can’t wait for you to listen to it, dear listener.  Father Sal also swings by to chop up some of the biggest headlines in the food world. We talk about a couple of fascinating new developments coming to a sleepy corner of Chinatown, a troubling new twist in California’s service fee saga, and the first signs of a potential Mario Batali comeback (please hold while I vomit). Most importantly, though, I get to vent about an LAist article that felt a bit like a personal insult, and if you think that sounds dramatic, just you wait, dear listener. Helpful links: Guelaguetza website https://www.ilovemole.com/ Mole and More by Bricia Lopez website https://moleandmore.com/bio Asada Cookbook https://store.ilovemole.com/collections/home-and-kitchen/products/asada-the-art-of-mexican-style-grilling-signed-copy Bricia Lopez on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bricialopez/?hl=en Mario Batali comeback? https://www.eater.com/23929016/mario-batali-teases-comeback-instagram-virtual-events Service fees in trouble https://sf.eater.com/2023/10/18/23922950/california-restaurant-service-fee-ban-junk-fee-law-confusion-rob-bonta?_gl=1*lb21tw* Victor Heights LA Times article https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-10-24/victor-heights-alpine-street-perilla-chinatown-gentrification LAist article in question https://laist.com/news/food/this-guy-ate-100-la-burgers-over-8-years-in-a-quest-for-the-best

Our guest today is Paul Feinstein, the author of the upcoming book Italy Cocktails: An Elegant Collection of Over 100 Recipes Inspired by Italia. Paul is a renowned food and travel writer with bylines in publications ranging from BBC to La Cucina Italiana. He spent months singularly focused on compiling the best recipes and stories associated with Italian cocktails. The end product is a gorgeous book that I’m predicting will be one of this holiday season’s hottest culinary gifts. In my mind, Paul is kind of like the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World of food and travel writers, so we also talk about how he found his way into this globe-trotting line of work. We talk about which travel experiences most deeply impacted him, which types of stories he most enjoys writing, and how one particular food writing assignment almost brought him face to face with his maker. So head to your bar cart, dear listener, fix yourself a stiff drink and prepare for a doozy.  Helpful links: Pre-order the book! https://amzn.to/46PJeJD Paul's website https://www.mrpaulfeinstein.com/ Paul's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrpaulfeinstein/

We’re joined today by Aaron Melendrez, the chef and owner behind one of Southern California’s most exciting sandwich shops, Uptown Provisions in Whittier. From an Asian-inspired egg salad that’ll change your life, to a pastrami sandwich that could go toe to toe with the best of ‘em, Uptown Provisions is the LA sandwich scene’s best kept secret. It’s no surprise that behind such an interesting operation is a dude with a super interesting story. Aaron walks us through how he went from living in South Korea doing intelligence for the Air Force, to helming some of LA’s most forward-thinking beverage programs, and eventually going out on his own to start a baller sandwich shop that draws on his techniques as a mixologist to make some of the most interesting sandwiches this town has ever seen.  Personally, I was super inspired by Aaron’s story. It’s very much one of learning as you go, drawing inspiration from the unlikeliest of situations, and regularly checking in with yourself to determine whether the path you’re on is actually making you happy. Helpful links: Uptown Provisions https://www.uptownwhittierprovisions.com/ Uptown Provisions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/uptown_provisions/?hl=en

We’re joined today by Hannah Wilen, the co-founder of Kavahana, Los Angeles’ first-ever kava bar. Kava is a drink that’s traditional to the Pacific Islands. It’s been consumed and celebrated for more than 3,000 years, and is known for making you relaxed and happy without any ABV to speak of. Kavahana is looking to bring the kava experience to Los Angeles, and today’s conversation is a fascinating journey into the drink’s history and its many health and wellness benefits. We also get into the topic of what it’s like to have an idea for a business and transform that idea into a reality. We talk about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and Hannah shares some pretty inspiring wisdom for anyone looking to start a business of their own.  Also on this pod... It's the end of the legislative session in California, and there are several new laws on Governor Newsom’s desk that stand to impact the restaurant industry in big ways. Being the helpful podcast that we are, we’re going to give you a quick run-down of what those laws are, and offer our takes on how they could potentially help or hurt our beloved local businesses.  Helpful links: Kavahana https://www.kavahana.com/ Kavahana on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kavahanabar/ Kavahana on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@kavahana Eater round-up of the new laws hitting California's food and bev industry https://la.eater.com/2023/10/3/23872067/california-legislation-session-governor-gavin-newsom-lawmakers-los-angeles-san-francisco LAist article on the new law allowing cannabis stores to serve food https://laist.com/news/food/cannabis-lounges-could-soon-serve-food

The New York Times dropped a list of “The 25 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Right Now.” Coming on the heels of the paper’s 2023 Restaurant List a few weeks ago, critic at large Tejal Rao describes the new list as her “current favorites in one of the greatest food cities in the world.” Father Sal joins me to comb through the selected restaurants, opine on the quality of the list as a whole, and share a couple of Rao’s choices that left us scratching our respective heads. We also ask ourselves the questions who is this list really for, what’s the point of having so many similar lists floating around in the ether, and what would be an even better way to do this whole listicle journalism thing? But first, Father Sal and I round up the headlines to sift through what matters and what doesn’t. There’s a waste controversy at Erewhon, another round of harassment allegations at Nobu Malibu, and a sad landlord story affecting one of LA’s most beloved Japanese cafes. We also talk robot food delivery, coffee omakase, and my new favorite topic, dining in the nude. We finish the episode off with a brand new segment called “Bad Yelp Review,” where we each share a moment from the past week in which the people in our lives would have been justified in leaving us a shitty Yelp review as humans. Podcasting was gonna be fun, they said.

We’re headed to Los Angeles’ temple of soccer, BMO Stadium, home of Los Angeles FC, to break down how to achieve the best day of eating in and around the stadium. Friend of the pod Daniel Wargo, who you might know as Forking Around on social media, joined me this past Saturday for a day of food, fun, and futbol, as we attended the white hot rivalry match between LAFC and the LA Galaxy. The game was beyond intense, but so was our commitment to finding the best way to make your day at the stadium an unforgettable eating experience as well.  We break down the best places to eat before the game, what to nosh on when you’re inside the stadium, and where to head for a late night feast once the game’s all said and done. We also tell you about our experience at the game itself, so get ready for stirring tales on-field heroics, and a recounting of a pretty hairy but also wildly hilarious altercation Daniel and I had with a half-naked LA Galaxy supporter.  Whether or not you’re a soccer fan, I think this episode is a great reminder of what makes Los Angeles such a fun and exciting place to live. And it all culminates with a round of our trademark game The Perfect Rec - I challenge Daniel to offer the perfect recommendation for where to eat around all of LA’s greatest sports venues. How does he fare? Listen to find out.

Gustavo Arellano is one of Southern California’s most influential voices in food and culture over the course of the last 25 years. Gustavo is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and he’s also currently the namesake of KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament, which culminates this October 8 at Smorgasburg in Downtown LA.  He’s a best-selling author, he was the long-time food critic of the storied OC Weekly, and his TV appearances include the likes of David Chang’s Ugly Delicious, Chelsea Handler’s Chelsea Lately and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. He joins the pod today to tell us about his storied career, from his days at the OC Weekly to his more recent endeavors with the Times and KCRW. His anecdotes are absolutely hilarious, and his takes are hotter than the chili peppers he apparently grows in his front yard. More than anything, I found Gustavo’s whole approach to food wholly refreshing. The joy, curiosity and excitement with which he approaches pretty much any topic is contagious, whether he’s talking about the current state of food journalism or what distinguishes a good tortilla from a crappy one. And by the way, we get into both on this podcast! Helpful links: Gustavo's website https://www.gustavoarellano.org/newsletters/ The tortilla tournament https://www.kcrw.com/events/tortilla-tournament Alta Baja Market https://www.altabajamarket.com/ Taco USA https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Taco-USA/Gustavo-Arellano/9781439148624 Gustavo's LA Times page https://www.latimes.com/people/gustavo-arellano Gustavo on X https://twitter.com/GustavoArellano Gustavo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gustavo_arellano/?hl=en

Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports went viral last week after he posted one of his One Bite Pizza Reviews. He was reviewing Dragon Pizza, a small independent pizza shop in Somerville, Massachusetts. Turns out the owner, Charlie Redd, wasn’t such a fan of Portnoy’s and came out front to give the man a pizza of his mind. See what I did there? Never mind.  This was just the beginning though! Their profanity-laden interaction quickly became the talk of TikTok, Instagram, and the app formerly known as Twitter. Portnoy went on Tucker Carlson to talk about the incident, and Redd did an interview with Bon Appetit to give his side of the story. The situation spiraled out of control with Portnoy’s followers pulling out all of the stops to mess with Dragon Pizza, including tanking their Yelp rating and putting in fake orders at the shop.  It’s a pizza feud that says a lot about the state of food criticism, the power of food influencers, and the insanity of the culture wars. I had to have Father Sal join me to chop up all the hairy details and discuss the questions of do we care, why do we care, and what the heck does this all mean?

Carmen Dianne and Kara Still are the co-founders of Prosperity Market, a farmers market on wheels whose mission is to support local black farmers and food businesses throughout L.A. and create food access in communities where it’s currently lacking. They believe that by focusing on the local food system, they can feed their neighbors, and create a substantial economic impact.  Carmen and Kara join the pod today for a fascinating conversation on how Prosperity Market was born, the systemic challenges facing black farmers and business owners in today’s society, and what we can do as consumers and concerned citizens to create an ecosystem where everyone can thrive. Father Sal also joins us to discuss a week of escape rooms and good eatin’ in our City of Angels. We break down the tasting menu at Holbox, debate the criteria for what makes a good taco crawl, and reminisce on a pretty epic night out at The old Airliner in Lincoln Heights on the heels of the news that it’s now being re-oponed as a fancy pan-Asian restaurant. Helpful links: Prosperity Market https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/ Together We're Greater fundraiser https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/its-bigger-than-us-initiative/ LA Times Prosperity Market article https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-08-18/prosperity-market-helps-black-owned-businesses-stay-open-los-angeles Food insecurity info https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/about/#why Poltergeist article https://la.eater.com/2023/8/30/23851438/poltergeist-restaurant-button-mash-echo-park-los-angeles-service-check Airliner re-opens https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-09-04/century-old-lincoln-heights-bar-the-airliner-reopens Tesar fired https://pagesix.com/2023/09/01/top-chefs-john-tesar-out-at-own-eatery-after-three-months-following-altercation/

Gilberto Cetina is the chef and owner of Holbox, the Los Angeles Times 2023 Restaurant of the Year. On this episode, Cetina traces the journey that brought him to where he is today. We talk about the dreaded childhood chore that was helping his family make tamales to sell at church, his adolescence spent spearfishing with his cousins on the Yucatan peninsula, the experience that was opening the family’s first restaurant, Chichen Itza, and what he learned from a failed expansion into a second location. The story culminates, of course, with the opening of Holbox, and Chef Cetina is very generous in letting us see behind the curtain to learn more about the magic behind some of his most iconic dishes.  Helpful links: Holbox website https://www.holboxla.com/#/ Holbox on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/holboxlosangeles/ Chichen Itza https://www.chichenitzarestaurant.com/ LA Times names Holbox 2023 Restaurant of the Year https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-06-13/gilberto-cetina-holbox-los-angeles-times-2023-restaurant-of-the-year

UK cooking show Five Star Chef has finally made it to Netflix, and Father Sal joins me today to break down what can only be described as the best British export to grace these shores since Harry Styles began serving angelic sounds and androgynous fashion choices. Five Star Chef follows a cast of up-and-coming chefs as they compete to take over the iconic Palm Court restaurant at the five-star Langham Hotel in London. The show is a bona fide rollercoaster of emotion, and whether you’ve seen it or not, I think you’ll enjoy our discussion of what makes a cooking show actually good, as opposed to the gimmicky nonsense clogging up our Hulu home screens.  But first, Sal and I get into the Los Angeles food news of the past couple weeks. We discuss an absolutely heinous list brought to us by the LA Times, why a vegan restaurant in Santa Monica has decided to add meat to their menu, and what the heck is driving all of the high profile restaurant closures we’re seeing in 2023. Tallulah, we hardly knew ya. Helpful links: Five Star Chef https://www.netflix.com/title/81507383 Margo starts serving meat https://la.eater.com/2023/8/21/23840379/margos-former-plant-based-adds-meat-to-menu-santa-monica-restaurant Restaurant closures https://la.eater.com/2023/8/22/23840539/biggest-restaurant-closures-los-angeles-summer-2023-news Etta-gate https://la.eater.com/2023/8/22/23842250/etta-culver-city-eviction-staff-layoffs-los-angeles-news Kristen Kish feature https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/dining/kristen-kish-top-chef.html LA Times NY list https://www.latimes.com/food/list/15-nostalgic-new-york-inspired-restaurants-for-a-slice-of-the-big-apple

Lien Ta is the restaurateur behind All Day Baby, Here’s Looking At You and Tet a Tet. Lien’s story is a fascinating one, and we retrace her steps from her childhood in Georgia eating beige foods at Chili’s to her culinary awakening in New Orleans, which eventually resulted in her opening one of LA’s best loved restaurants of the last decade, Here’s Looking At You in Koreatown. We discuss the challenges of opening a new restaurant, what it was like to close seemingly for good during the pandemic, only to then rise from the ashes against all odds. From her leadership at her restaurants to her work supporting woman-owned business with Regarding Her Food, Lien is truly a shining light in the Los Angeles food community, and I’m stoked for you to hear our conversation.  Also on this episode… The Infatuation released a controversial list of the 19 best pizzerias in Los Angeles this week. This caused quite a stir to say the least, so I outline the pizzerias I think were most hard-done by being excluded from the list.  Helpful links: Lien's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lientigre/?hl=en Here's Looking At You https://www.hereslookingatyoula.com/ All Day Baby https://www.alldaybabyla.com/ Regarding Her Food https://www.regardingherfood.com/ Infatuation Pizza List https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-best-pizza-in-los-angeles Pizzana https://pizzana.com/ Milana's http://www.milanasnewyorkpizzeria.com/ Pi LA https://pila213.com/ Gra https://xn--gr-nia.com/ Gorilla Pies https://gorillapies.com/ Dough Daddy https://www.instagram.com/doughdaddyla/?hl=en Dtown Pizzeria https://www.dtownpizzeria.com/ Lucky Nick's luckynickspizza.com Brandoni Pepperoni https://www.brandoni-pepperoni.com/ Quarantine Pizza Company https://www.instagram.com/quarantinepizzaco/ Hail Mary Pizza https://hailmarypizzala.com/ Hot Tongue https://www.hottonguepizza.com/ Tomato Pie https://www.tomatopiepizzajoint.com/ Bagel and Slice https://bagelandslice.com/ Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn https://www.pizzawagonofbrooklynmenu.com/ Dough Box https://order.doughboxla.com/ Blackbird https://blackbirdpizzashopla.com/ Mother Wolf https://www.motherwolfla.com/ Speak Cheezy https://www.speak-cheezy.com/ Best Bet https://www.bestbetpizzeria.la/ Friends and Family https://www.ffpizzaco.com/ Ghisallo https://www.ghisallo.la/

David Chang’s Secret Chef is out on Hulu, and Father Sal joins me to break down the first season. We discuss the concept, the contestants, the challenges, and ask ourselves whether one of the most iconoclastic chefs in the game succeeded in breaking the mold of cooking competition shows. We also discuss a couple of chaotic news weeks in food. Taco Maria has closed, John Tesar tried to get canceled, a diabolical service fee spreadsheet has burst onto the scene, and our city has been confronted with a pork crisis that’s squeezing barbecue pitmasters and carniceros alike… We discuss all of that and more. Helpful links: Secret Chef https://press.hulu.com/shows/secret-chef/ Pork crisis https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-08-04/los-angeles-barbecue-restaurants-react-to-proposition-12-pork-prices Taco Maria closure https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-25/taco-maria-closes-saturday-carlos-salgado-future-relocation Service charge spreadsheet https://la.eater.com/2023/8/8/23823809/los-angeles-service-charge-reddit-am-intel Tesar loses it https://la.eater.com/2023/8/9/23823674/chef-john-tesar-video-strike-union-labor-workers-orange-county-yelling-knife-restaurant-news The Bear Season 3 predictions https://chicago.eater.com/2023/7/28/23809939/the-bear-season-3-fx-hulu-predictions Dave Portnoy pizza fest https://www.tmz.com/2023/08/01/barstool-sports-dave-portnoy-one-bite-pizza-festival/ Restaurant reservation fee https://ny.eater.com/2023/8/3/23817542/reservation-fees-deposits-resy-opentable-nyc?_gl=1*1bx0wxg*

We are joined today by Tanya Kollar, the food curator of Outside Lands. She has the massive responsibility of assembling the vendors that keep the masses fed, working with them to figure out how they’re going to serve their food in a festival setting, and ironing out all of the mind-boggling logistics to make it all happen. Even if you’re not going to the festival next week, you’re gonna want to add some of the restaurants we discuss to your Bay Area bucket list.  I also share with you 3 incredible meals I’ve had recently. I’ve been eating like a damn prince lately, if I’m being honest, and it was insanely difficult to choose just 3 for today’s pod. But alas, choices were made, and I’ve got stories of mariscos, roast beef and Italian ice coming your way in just a minute.  Helpful links: Outside Lands https://sfoutsidelands.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwoK2mBhDzARIsADGbjermZ_F1mXw-bzNW2_B9Lb5aXZ0GprL0-rhBc0oCd-BuKRC9K5NyVhQaAn7sEALw_wcB Outside Lands food https://sfoutsidelands.com/food-and-drink/taste-of-the-bay-area/ Za Za Za www.zazaza.la Pane Bianco https://www.pizzeriabianco.com/pane-bianco-los-angeles Coco's To-Go Go https://www.instagram.com/cocostogogo/?hl=en

Joining us on the pod today are Francesca Pistorio and Francesco Lucatorto, the husband-and-wife team behind Ceci’s Gastronomia in Silver Lake. Ceci’s is designed to recreate the authentic Nonna experience. If you’ve got a Nonna, an abuela, an Oma or any kind of grandmother, you know what I’m talking about. You stop by her house for a quick coffee, maybe a pastry, and before you can say “mamma mia”, you’re leaving with a to-go container of lasagna, gnocco alla romana, suppli and whatever the heck she felt like whipping up on that particular day. Well guess what, that’s also what happens every time I go to Ceci’s. And Not only is the food at Ceci’s spectacular, the experience is too. It’s cozy, familial, welcoming, and frankly, the closest approximation to a true Italian breakfast-and-lunch spot that you can find in Los Angeles. What about Francesco and Francesca, you ask? Well, they’re an absolute treat. Their story of falling in love with food and with each other will leave you hankering for a rewatch of your favorite Italy-based rom com. Under the Tuscan Sun would be my choice. What’s yours? We talk about surfing, suppli, the state of Italian food in LA, and so much more. Helpful links: Ceci's https://www.cecisoven.com/ Ceci's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cecis_gastronomia/?hl=en Taste of Italy https://www.iamla.org/taste-of-italy/

Ian Asbury is the Co-founder of Good Clean Fun, an absolutely bitchin’ natural wine shop and bar in downtown LA. Natural wine has been on the rise for a minute now, but a lot of folks are still skeptical. How is it made? Is it real wine? Is it even any good? These are all questions we get into with Ian, who’s passion for the form is, frankly contagious. We also talk about his journey from dining at Olive Gardens in Beaverton, Oregon to becoming a widely respected food and wine entrepreneur in our City of Angels.  Father Sal also joins us to break down Michelin’s California Guide, which was released earlier this week. Once again, Los Angeles was low-key snubbed, losing two stars and gaining only one. We tlak about what this says about LA, what this says about Michelin, and whether you as an eater should even care. We also spend a little bit of time talking about the LA Times’ recent coverage of Mexico City. Daniel Hernandez published a nice little three-piece set on the changing face of the city, and how to best enjoy it as a traveling Angeleno.  Helpful links: Good Clean Fun https://gcfwines.com/ California Michelin Guide https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-star-revelation/michelin-guide-california-stars LAT on Mexico City https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-13/mexico-city-essay-daniel-hernandez LAT tips for traveling in Mexico City https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-14/mexico-city-tips-dos-donts-daniel-hernandez LAT Mexico City recs https://www.latimes.com/food/list/best-mexico-city-restaurants-bars-tacos-cantinas-dessert

Kat Turner is chef and partner of Highly Likely, one of LA’s hottest all day restaurant concepts. They’ve been serving the West Adams neighborhood for several years now, and are on the verge of opening a second location in Highland Park. Chef Kat joins us to discuss Highly Likely’s food and new location, but also her own personal journey which has taken her from acting in a David Lynch movie to private cheffing for Billy Corrigan on tour. Also, did I mention she’s a Chopped champion? We talk about what that was like, and I even give her a virtual basket of mystery ingredients to see if she’s still got it.  We’re also joined by world-renowned Top Chef scholar Father Sal to discuss the late breaking news that Season 10 champion Kristen Kish will be taking over as host now that the great Padma Lakshmi has stepped down. Will she be up to the challenge? Or is this a missed opportunity for the show to go in a totally new direction? We discuss all that and what we think of setting season 21 in Wisconsin.  Helpful links: Highly Likely on IG https://www.instagram.com/itshighlylikely/ Kat Turner on IG https://www.instagram.com/katturnerwashere/?hl=en Highly Likely website https://www.itshighlylikely.com/ Chef Keith Corbin's book https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677186/california-soul-by-keith-corbin/

Today’s episode is all about The Bear. We’re joined by culinary producer Courtney Storer to break down the behind-the-scenes of Season 2, which is now airing on Hulu. Courtney is a Los Angeles-based chef who’s many credentials include running the kitchen at Jon & Vinny’s. Courtney is, in a nutshell, one of the main reasons why The Bear feels like such an accurate representation of restaurant life, and why it’s resonated with so many inside and out of the industry. We talk about her experience working with actors to ensure they’re moving around the kitchen believably, how she went about creating the gut-wrenching chaos present in the already iconic Feast of the Seven Fishes episode guest starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and how important it was to her to do right by Chicago’s legendary culinary scene. Courtney is wise beyond her years and we also get into some heavier topics like mental health in the kitchen, how our personal trauma informs our beliefs about ourselves, and why so many chefs have no problem taking care of others, but have a really tough time taking care of themselves. In Part 2 we’re joined by Father Sal. We give our overall takes on Season 2, and discuss things like who gave the best performance, which episode made us cry the most and is Rick Bayless an idiot for saying the show set the industry back 20 years. In Part 3, we let our creative juices flow and pitch our best ideas for how we think The Bear should open Season 3, Episode 1. If you’re afraid of spoilers, I recommend listening to Part 1 with Courtney and saving the rest of the pod for after you’ve seen the show. Helpful links: Courtney's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/courtney__storer/?hl=en The Bear on FX https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/the-bear Queen Street https://resy.com/cities/la/queen-st?date=2023-07-07&seats=2 Yang's Kitchen https://www.yangskitchenla.com/

Gab Chabran is the Associate Editor of Food and Culture at LAist. He’s a Whittier native and a Long Beach resident, and joins the pod to offer a diverse and far-reaching perspective on our region's amazing food. Gab tells us the story of how his dual passions for music and food molded his professional journey, landing him in the driver’s seat of one of LA’s most respected food newsrooms. Gab’s is a story of tenacity, perseverance and, of course, plenty of delicious food. We talk old school pizza parlors, new school burger pop-ups, and of course, what goes into making the perfect mixtape. Because what else would you want to learn on a food podcast? Helpful links: Gab's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabchabran/?hl=en Gab on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@gabchabran Gab's bio https://laist.com/people/gab-chabran LAist's food section https://laist.com/news/food

Father Sal joins me to discuss the 2023 LA Times Restaurant of the Year. This year’s honors went to Holbox, Gilberto Cetina’s seafood concept at Mercado la Paloma near USC, and while we definitely give them their flowers, our discussion today is more about what it means to be s a Restaurant of the Year in the first place, what distinguishes this type of recognition from other big time awards in the food world, and which LA restaurants we can see snagging the title in years to come. We also recap the latest and greatest in the food world, from the most recent iteration of the World’s 50 best  Restaurants List, to Netflix’s foray into the pop-up dining world.  Finally, we’re joined by our good friend Brian Lerner who you might know on social media as Brian Eats. We’re debuting a new segment with Brian in which we explore what to eat when you’re on the road in different cities. Brian recently left our City of Angels for San Jose, and he walks us through the eats you absolutely must check out next time you’re up there on a business trip, family visit, or your annual pilgrimage to the alma mater of Joey Chestnut. That’s right, dear listener, the greatest eater of all time went to San Jose State. Imagine that. Helpful links: LA Times Restaurant of the Year https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-06-13/gilberto-cetina-holbox-los-angeles-times-2023-restaurant-of-the-year LA Times Jonathan Gold Award winner https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-06-13/2023-la-times-gold-award-winner-parks-korean-bbq-jenee-kim World's 50 Best https://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50 Brian Eats on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brianeats__/?hl=en Brian Eats on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@brianeats Pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine https://www.instagram.com/prehispanicmxcuisine/?hl=en Adamsons French Dip https://www.adamsonsfrenchdip.com/ Slice of Homage Pizza https://www.sohpizza.com/ Horn Barbecue https://www.hornbarbecue.com/ Kowbird Fried Chicken https://www.instagram.com/kowbird/?hl=en

Food writer, editor and founder of Pain Pizza Karen Palmer joins the pod for a wide-ranging conversation on making a career in food writing, the joys of pizza, and why everyone should aspire to become a regular at their favorite restaurants. I'm a big fan of Karen's and her perspective on food (read: carbs) and I think this conversation will remind you to do (and eat) what you love. Father Sal also joins me for a far less enjoyable conversation reliving Top Chef Season 20. We allow him to revel in his Fantasy Top Chef victory, and we award the superlatives of the season. Helpful links: Karen Palmer website http://www.karenlpalmer.com/ Karen Palmer on IG https://www.instagram.com/karenlpalmer/?hl=en Pain Pizza https://www.painpizza.com/about Pain Pizza on IG https://www.instagram.com/painpizza/

Daniel Wargo joins the pod to recap the epic season finale of Top Chef World All-Stars Helpful links Forking Around on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/ Forking Around on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@forkingaround_tv Top Chef website https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef

Happy Top Chef Finale Week to all those who celebrate. To preview the occasion, we’re joined by Top Chef Executive Producer and Showrunner Doneen Arquines. We talk why this season of Top Chef World All-Stars has been so damn special and why you should drop everything to tune into the finale on Thursday night. We also dive into Doneen’s incredible journey from being a Production Assistant in 2006 when the show started, to Executive Producing the show today. I ask her what her favorite challenges have been over the years, which city she most enjoyed filming in, and of course, what the show will look like without the great Padma Lakshmi, who announced last week she’ll be moving on from the show starting next season.  Speaking of culinary legends, Father Sal joins me to discuss a weekend that saw Los Angeles dominate the medal count at the James Beard Awards. We give love to Anajak Thai, giggle at Eater’s petty behavior towards Bill Addison, and reflect on what these awards mean for LA’s continuing culinary ascendance. Helpful links: Full list of winners https://www.eater.com/23749724/james-beard-awards-2023-winners-restaurant-and-chef-awards Petty Eater article that minimizes Bill Addison's win https://la.eater.com/2023/6/6/23750210/los-angeles-restaurants-james-beard-awards-winners-ceremony-chefs Diep Tran's JB Award-winning essay https://www.foodandwine.com/the-day-my-cooking-ambitions-got-the-best-of-me-6950944 Fatima Ali's book, Savor https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/books/review/savor-fatima-ali.html The YouTube show that beat Top Chef https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rX1LVnB3U NYT piece on James Beard "interrogations" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/31/dining/james-beard-restaurants-investigation.html

Joining us today on the pod is Evan Lovett of LA in a Minute. You’ve probably seen Evan’s face on your TikTok or Instagram feeds, dropping some serious knowledge on the City of Angels’ wonderful and often whacky history. Whether he’s answering the question of why Trader Joe’s parking lots are always so damn small, or why people from LA say “the” before freeway numbers, Evan’s passion for Los Angeles is the secret ingredient that makes his storytelling so special.  On this episode, we discuss topics like why so many fast food chains were born in Los Angeles, what the heck Jaleel White has to do with revolutionizing the LA food scene, and why the City of Angels is definitely in the conversation for best food city in the world. There are tales of FBI raids, East Coast vs. West Coast hip-hop, and even murder! So if you’re the type of person who finds themselves wondering, who the heck invented the smoothie or what’s the oldest restaurant in LA, this is definitely the episode for you.  Helpful links: LA in a Minute on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@evanlovett?lang=en LA in a Minute on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lainaminute/?hl=en In a Minute with Evan Lovett podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-a-minute-with-evan-lovett/id1672118172

Poltergeist, Diego Argoti's bold and brash concept located inside of Echo Park arcade Button Mash, takes the cake for "best meal I've had in 2023." Whether you're munching on a Parker House Roll with fermented butter or spooning Panang lamb neck into a golden saffron bao, you'll find yourself alternating between thinking "this makes NO sense" and "this makes TOTAL sense." But as wild a journey as Poltergeist's menu takes you on, it's nothing compared to the journey that brought Argoti to where he is today. From losing his mentor in a freak helicopter crash, to being stood up at the altar after living a double life, to taking an acid-fueled walk to Bestia to demand an opportunity... Argoti's story is truly Slumdog Millionaire-esque in the ways that random and often tragic events have served as the building blocks of something beautiful. Perhaps my favorite LA Food Pod interview to date, Argoti's story is heartwarming, thought-provoking, and inspiring. It made me laugh, cry, gasp, and seriously ponder what it means to love food, love cooking, and love this crazy industry. Helpful links: Button Mash and Poltergeist website https://www.buttonmashla.com/#poltergeist Bestia https://bestiala.com/ Bavel https://baveldtla.com/ Saffy's https://www.saffysla.com/

Father Sal joins the pod to discuss a particularly busy news day. The James Beard Awards are being accused of "bending to wokeness" for informing Alabama chef Timothy Hontzas that he is no longer being considered for 2023 Best Chef: South for ethical reasons, while the hotel group in charge of Hollywood heavyweights like Mother Wolf and Ka'Teen is being investigating for allegedly stiffing workers of the 5% service fee charge. We discuss what we're most excited about on the eve of EEEEEATSCON 2023, and Father Sal gives us a recap of where things stand in our Fantasy Top Chef battle royale. Helpful links: Eater article on the James Beard situation https://www.eater.com/23721900/james-beard-awards-2023-resignations-todd-price-timothy-hontzas-investigation-transparency LA Times article on the 5% service fee situation https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-05-16/la-fo-city-investigating-la-restaurants-for-service-fees-workers The Bear Season 2 trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5U-w1yL4r0 EEEEEATSCON https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles Baar Baar Los Angeles https://www.baarbaarla.com/

This episode is guaranteed to give you a sugar rush! We're joined by Valerie Gordon, the chocolatier, chef, and entrepreneur behind Valerie Confections and Valerie Echo Park. Valerie walks us through her journey, and tells us what it takes to run a successful food business that lasts the test of time. We get into fun topics like what it was like to be a maître d' at one of San Francisco's hottest restaurants in the 90s, how she became a barbecue expert, and where she goes when she's craving a good ole' fashioned sandwich. Helpful links: Valerie Confections https://valerieconfections.com/ Valerie on IG https://www.instagram.com/valerieconfctns/?hl=en Valerie's book https://valerieconfections.com/products/sweet Maison Matho https://maisonmatho.com/ Pizza City Fest https://pizzacityfest.com/events/los-angeles/ Tribute Pizza https://www.tributepizza.com/

This episode is what the kids call "a banger." Brant Cox of The Infatuation joins us to talk about how he became one of LA's most trusted food critics, how The Infatuation goes about rating restaurants, and why anonymity in food criticism is no longer a must. He talks us through EEEEEATSCON, The Infatuation's upcoming behemoth of a food festival, which is coming in hot May 20 and May 21 at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar. Father Sal and I proceed to then recap an epic food crawl we took through LA last weekend, which took us from noshing on smashburgers in Santa Monica to gnawing on Thai fried chicken in Sherman Oaks. Helpful links: EEEEEATSCON (including ticket links!) https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles Brant Cox bio https://www.theinfatuation.com/contributor/brant-cox Brant Cox Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brantcox/?hl=en Infatuation LA Instagram https://www.instagram.com/infatuation_la/?hl=en Flavors From Afar https://www.flavorsfromafar.co/ Tail O The Pup https://www.tailothepup.com/ Heavy Handed https://heavyhanded.la/ Crudo e Nudo https://www.crudoenudo.com/ Pizzana https://pizzana.com/ Angler https://anglerla.com/ Mother Wolf https://www.motherwolfla.com/ Poltergeist https://www.buttonmashla.com/ Anajak Thai https://www.anajakthai.com/

In 2019 Benson Tsai quit his job at SpaceX to start... a pizza company. Stellar Pizza isn't just any pizza company, though. Benson and his co-founders used their engineering backgrounds to launch a fully automated robot-powered pizza operation, which eventually attracted the financial support of Jay-Z and is now operating trucks that serve USC and UCLA. Benson joins us to talk about Stellar Pizza's journey so far, how the heck it all works, and what's next on their quest for global pizza domination. Also on this episode... I quickly recap an insane social media interaction I witnessed this week between Eater's Bill Esparza and the owner of Guisados. Food criticism in the social media age is wild... Helpful links: Stellar Pizza's website https://www.eatstellarpizza.com/ Stellar Pizza on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eatstellarpizza/?hl=en Pizza City Fest https://pizzacityfest.com/events/los-angeles/ Love Letter Pizza & Chicken https://www.loveletterrh.com/ 38 Essential Tacos to Try in LA https://la.eater.com/maps/best-tacos-los-angeles-taquerias-mexican

Father Sal returns to the pod to discuss some hot-topics in LA and global food news, including the recent backlash incurred by a new Salt & Straw location in Silver Lake, the pros and cons of music festival food, and why L.A. Taco's Taco Madness competition is actually a great way to gauge the actual merits of a taqueria. We also give a quick updated on how our Fantasy Top Chef is progressing and - spoiler alert - it's not looking good for yours truly. Helpful links: Eater article on Salt & Straw and Pazzo Gelato https://la.eater.com/2023/4/12/23680602/pazzo-gelato-salt-and-straw-silver-lake-controversies-los-angeles-whats-going-on-explained LA Times on Coachella food https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-04-18/where-to-eat-at-coachella-this-year-for-best-food LA Taco's Taco Madness https://www.lataco.com/taco-madness-2023/ Press release on Elena Reygadas' award https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mexico-citys-elena-reygadas-named-130000107.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACO-nL0emODGcflWAcyaxaPF06mUTtPcU_ikkeg_J4F7_nvRComN2ZZsQf2zQ9uxDfKIdy0mcfFboHoIruyKoMgx8XVTcMZYZDKHGqGFObumcCv973eg5GFf4OpxcGaUmDR1Pe2pOgHWBg1k__OiQ_fAdlUsubhmRQ3b3P0sVxrO&guccounter=2 Eater on Blackbird's dining NFTs https://ny.eater.com/2023/4/20/23674545/ben-leventhal-blackbird-loyalty-platform-restaurant-nfts

Solo pod alert! We're a third of the way through the year, dear listener, and I want to tell you about four incredible dining experiences that I've had of late. From handmade cavatelli to wood-fired kanpachi, you're gonna want to have your DoorDash app open cuz impending hunger is guaranteed. Helpful links: Uncle Paulie's - https://site.unclepauliesdeli.com/ Mirate - https://www.mirate.la/ Isla - https://www.isla-la.com/ Pasta Night at Pizzana - https://pizzana.com/

I'm joined by a true OG of the food influencing world today to discuss the ins and outs of this weird world. Jessie Evans has been producing food content under the moniker of @JessieEats for the better part of a decade, putting her storytelling to work so that foodies from all over can learn where to eat next. We discuss how she started, how she approaches reviewing spots that offer a less-than-positive experience, and we even play a round of The LA Food Podcast's favorite game, "The Perfect Rec." Helpful links: Jessie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jessie_eats/?hl=en Jessie's website - https://jessieeats.com/ Angler - https://anglerla.com/ Anajak Thai - https://www.anajakthai.com/ Oy Bar - http://oybarla.com/ Sonoratown - https://www.sonoratown.com/ Factory Kitchen - https://thefactorykitchen.com/ Maude - https://www.mauderestaurant.com/ Stephanie Breijo at LA Times - https://www.latimes.com/people/stephanie-breijo

Big news! Your favorite podcast host tied the knot recently! Cousin Sal joins me to talk all things wedding food, including what makes for an unforgettable wedding menu and what he really thought of the food served at my wedding. We then go head to head as we each try to create the ideal wedding menu using our favorite dishes from Los Angeles restaurants. Who won? You decide! Helpful links: James Harden's new prosecco - https://www.foodbeast.com/news/james-harden-debuts-his-own-signature-prosecco/ Dublin's alcohol-free bar closes - https://www.foodandwine.com/dublin-alcohol-free-bar-closes-virgin-mary-7372205 Birba Palm Springs - https://www.birbaps.com/ Bavel - https://baveldtla.com/ Bestia - https://bestiala.com/ Little Joy - https://www.instagram.com/littlejoyla/?hl=en Girl & The Goat - https://girlandthegoat.com/los-angeles Sichuan Impression - https://www.sichuanimpressions.com/ Open Sesame - https://www.opensesamegrill.com/ Mother Wolf - https://www.motherwolfla.com/ DTown Pizzeria - https://www.dtownpizzeria.com/ The Win-Dow - https://www.thewin-dow.la/ Tacos El Unico - https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-el-unico-los-angeles-3 Tacozone - https://www.yelp.com/biz/taco-zone-los-angeles

Michael "Fat Phuck" Cannata joins us to talk about his journey as a long-time food influencer, what eats he's been enjoying recently, and what the heck makes for a good New Haven-style apizza (pronounced "a-BEETZ!"). We then debut a brand new LA Food Pod game, "The Perfect Rec," in which our guest is tasked with providing the pinpoint ideal restaurant rec for a very specific and rather outlandish scenario. Helpful links: Fat Phuck on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fat_phuck/?hl=en Fat Phuck on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@eatwithfatp Breadologie - https://www.breadologie.com/ EP & LP - https://www.eplosangeles.com/ Sichuan Impression - https://www.sichuanimpressions.com/ Angry Egret - https://www.aedinette.com/ The Griddle Cafe - https://www.thegriddlecafe.com/ Button Mash - https://www.buttonmashla.com/#poltergeist

What would LA be without its street vendors? From pupusas to tacos de canasta, some of my favorite places to eat in this fair city don't even have names. They're just there. But them being there shouldn't be taken for granted - in fact, making street vending legal has been a long and arduous fight in this city. Today, Rudy Espinoza stops by to talk about the fight for legal street vending in LA. For more than a decade now, Rudy, his organization (Inclusive Action for the City) and other organizations have spearheaded the campaign for street vending alongside the street vendors themselves. He breaks down how far we've come, and how far we still have to go. Helpful links: Great article on how street lending became legal - https://www.kcet.org/shows/city-rising/making-it-official-how-l-a-street-vending-became-legal Inclusive Action for the City website - https://www.inclusiveaction.org/ Inclusive Action for the City Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/InclusivAction/ Rudy Espinoza IG - https://www.instagram.com/rudyespi/?hl=en Tacos Arabes de Puebla - https://www.instagram.com/tacosarabes/?hl=en

Top Chef Season 20 airs TONIGHT on Bravo at 8p ET/PT. It's a special season - they're headed to London for a World All-Stars in which winners and finalists from past editions across the globe will go head to head. Cousin Sal joins me to preview the season and to conduct a draft for our very own game of Fantasy Top Chef! Helpful links: Top Chef website - https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef Contestant Bios - https://www.goldderby.com/gallery/top-chef-20-cast-chefs/top-chef-season-20-3/

Kyle Davidson joins the pod to talk about Dough Daddy, his Detroit-style pizza concept that first popped up during the pandemic. We discuss why Dough Daddy got started, how it rose to such rapid success, and what the journey has been like for Kyle, both from a business and a mental health perspective.

We're joined by the all-star chef of one of LA's hottest new restaurant concepts, Amiga Amore. Chef Danielle Duran Zecca is cooking up Italian-Mexican fusion, and she tells us about the concept's history, as well as its exciting future. I'm then joined by Daniel Wargo of the Forking Around social media channels for an epic duel with ChatGPT - who can provide the best list of Top 10 restaurants in LA? Us or the machines!? Listen to find out. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really. Helpful links: Amiga Amore website Amiga Amore Instagram Forking Around Instagram Forking Around TikTok Restaurants mentioned: Ka'teen Ye Olde King's Head El Cholo Midori Sushi Petit Trois Jitlada Harold and Belle's Sunnin Cafe Cici's Cafe Pizzana Bavel Villa's Tacos Sushi Bar Sichuan Impression Asadero Chikali Park's BBQ Night + Market Holbox Providence Osteria Mozza n/naka Gjelina Republique Felix Trattoria Mother Wolf Animal Majordomo Langer's Delicatessen

As the City of Los Angeles proposes new hoops for restaurants to jump through in order to keep serving diners outdoors, Casa Vega's Christy Vega joins us to break down just what the new red tape would mean for LA's restaurateurs. She also tells us about what it was like to grow up in and take over one of LA's most legendary Mexican restaurants, and how the Ventura Blvd icon became a Kardashian mainstay.   To celebrate the imminent return of Bravo's Top Chef, Cousin Sal joins me to brainstorm what the BEST food competition show of all time would look like. We come up with a (frankly genius) concept on the fly, and are now accepting meeting invites (looking at you, HBO). Sponsored by TUMS. Not really. Helpful links: Casa Vega Christy Vega's website Christy Vega's Instagram The LA Times' Jenn Harris on the new outdoor dining ordinance LA Mayor's Office contact page Top Chef Season 20 preview

We're joined by James Beard Award-winning broadcaster, author and podcaster Steve Dolinsky to talk all things pizza, including the first-ever Pizza City Fest LA, coming to L.A. Live on April 29-30. Cousin Sal and I then celebrate my birthday by holding the 2023 Draft of the Top 10 restaurants and bars for LA-based birthday celebrations. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Helpful links from this episode: Pizza City Fest LA Steve Dolinsky's website Steve Dolinsky's pizza book Pizza City Tours Pizza City Podcast The World's 50 Best Restaurants Restaurants mentioned (in Los Angeles unless otherwise specified): Oriole (Chicago, IL) My Pi Pizza (Chicago, IL) Pudgy's Pizza (Chicago, IL) Barnaby's Pizza (Chicago, IL) Pizzeria Uno (Chicago, IL) Apollonia's Pizzeria Pizzana Bettina (Santa Barbara, CA) Tribute Pizza (San Diego, CA) LaSorted's Long Bridge Pizza Co. (San Francisco, CA) Pi LA Slice House (coming to Thousand Oaks, CA) The Slice & Pint Truly Pizza (Dana Point, CA) Ronan Bulgarini Gelato Gra Double Zero Masa of Echo Park Labriola (Chicago, IL) Lou Malnati's (Chicago, IL) People mentioned: Emeril Lagasse Kevin Brauch Alton Brown Michael Symon Masaharu Morimoto Dana Cowin Alex Guarnaschelli Karen Palmer Chris Bianco Brian McGinn Nancy Silverton Fred Eric Matthew Kenney

The epic sequel to our blockbuster debut, Cousin Salman and I do a little round-up of the top food news stories this week, and then have a lively recap conversation of foodie satire "The Menu." Spoiler alert, there are spoilers. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Articles referenced: LA Times - The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers - https://www.latimes.com/food/list/best-los-angeles-restaurants-to-visit-february-2023 Eater - Resy Is My Best Frenemy (and It Could Be Yours, Too) - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23512517/resy-restaurant-critic-privacy?_gl=1*1un0y5y* Eater - How to Get Into the Restaurant You Can’t Get Into - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23580233/how-to-make-reservations-hot-restaurants-nyc-resy?_gl=1*1d0x2k3* Eater - How Resy Won - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23475584/how-resy-won-reservation-wars-opentable Eater - Suburban School Worker Accused of Stealing $1.5 Million in Chicken Wings  https://chicago.eater.com/2023/2/1/23581736/chicago-harvey-school-district-154-chicken-wing-theft?_gl=1*1i0jdy0*- Restaurants referenced (all in LA, unless otherwise stated): El Prado Mother Wolf Felix Em (Mexico City, Mexico) Carmen (Cartegena, Colombia) Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark) Alinea (Chicago, Illinois) People referenced: Aimee Rizzo Seth Reiss and Will Tracy Evan Funke Paul Feinstein Jonathan Gold

On this epic POD DEBUT, I give you the 411 on what the heck the Countdown is, and why I'm embarking on a quest to eat 100 iconic LA sandwiches in 365 days. We're then joined by Friend of the Countdown Cousin Salman to talk about the James Beard Awards' semifinalists, and why we should even care about these kinds of awards in the first place. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Find The LA Countdown on TikTok and Instagram at @thelacountdown: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelacountdown https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/ News discussed during this episode: - James Beard Awards Semifinalists - https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2023-james-beard-awards-semifinalist Restaurants mentioned : - Little Coyote - https://www.littlecoyotelbc.com/ - Da Michele - https://damicheleusa.com/ - Pizzana - https://pizzana.com/ - Langer's Deli - https://www.langersdeli.com/ - Bay Cities Deli - https://order.bcdeli.com/ - Philippe The Original - https://www.philippes.com/ - Kamp Social House - https://www.kampseattle.com/ - Moo's Craft BBQ - https://www.mooscraftbarbecue.com/ - Pijja Palace - https://www.pijjapalace.com/ - Jitlada - https://jitladala.com/ - Holbox - https://www.holboxla.com Food personalities mentiond : - Aimee Rizzo @ The Infatuation Seattle - https://www.theinfatuation.com/contributor/aimee-rizzo - Kenji Lopez-Alt - http://www.kenjilopezalt.com/ - Evan Funke LOL - https://felixla.com/evan-funke - forkingaround.tv - https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/ - Fat Phuck - https://www.instagram.com/fat_phuck/?hl=en - Rick Lox - https://www.instagram.com/ricklox/?hl=en

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