The LA Food Podcast

Епизоде

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  Why the New York Times’ Best Restaurants List Is Better Than Michelin. Plus, Influencer “Licenses,” the Unreasonable Unreasonable Hospitality Backlash & Crumbl Under Fire. 18.09.2026 1ч 1мин

  The New York Times named its 50 favorite restaurants in America, and somehow Komal is the first LA Mexican restaurant to make the list in six years. Luca and Sal break down LA selections Komal, Jacaranda and Yerord Mas Bakery & Deli, debate whether the list actually represents how America eats, and name the two Los Angeles restaurants they would have chosen instead. Plus: shrinking portions at Dune, Pawn Shop and Daisy Margarita Bar, the backlash against food influencers, “unreasonable hospitality,” and whether Crumbl even qualifies as a cookie.Sign up for Pizza Run Club!
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  Q&A: Farmers Market Whistleblowing, “Peak Millennial” Restaurants & Is WeHo Cursed? Plus, Ceviche Project, Pawn Shop & Holy Basil. 11.09.2026 1ч 5мин

  Father Sal returns for a full Q3 listener Q&A, and things get weird quickly. We debate whether having a controversial guest on a podcast counts as “platforming,” try to decode an anonymous tip about Sqirl’s alleged lack of presence at the farmers market, ask whether West Hollywood is cursed for restaurants, and determine which LA spots best capture peak-millennial dining culture. Plus: which restaurants are worth suffering LA traffic for, where to send someone for their one meal in Los Angeles, whether LA is actually a sports-bar town, and plenty of recent eats, including Holy Basil, Ceviche Project and Pawn Shop. We also make a brief case for beer corkage fees, because apparently that is where we are as a society. And because it’s a listener Q&A: keep sending us your questions, comments and deranged food opinions on Instagram, Spotify and wherever you listen.
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  Why LA Fish Tacos Suck with Bill Esparza + A Big Announcement About The Future of The LA Food Podcast 04.09.2026 1ч 6мин

  We’re reaching into the Taqueando with Bill Esparza archives for one of the only episodes Luca has ever joined Bill on, a deep dive into the glorious, deceptively complicated world of the real Ensenada-style fish taco. Bill breaks down what makes the Baja classic legit, why so many versions miss the mark, and everything Luca didn’t know about one of Southern California’s most iconic foods.There’s also a reason we’re bringing Taqueando to The LA Food Podcast feed today: big changes are coming to the Acquired Taste podcast universe. Plus, Pizza Run Club returns, worker-owned restaurants might not be quite as socialist as Luca initially assumed, and The New Gourmet becomes Buffet.Pizza Run Club tickets!
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  Hillstone Beef, LA’s Best Sandwich Drama, Michelin’s Latest Snub and the Hot New Restaurants to Try Now 28.08.2026 59мин

  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.
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  COUCH POTATOES: Does Tony Get Anthony Bourdain Right? Does It Matter? And Is It Better Than The Odyssey? 27.08.2026 53мин

  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.
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  LA Food News, Pizza Wisdom and the Content Machine with Alex Koons (Hot Tongue); Craveability and Building an Empire with Lawrence Longo (Prince Street Pizza, Irv’s) 21.08.2026 1ч 37мин

  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
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  Matt Rodbard & How Kev Eats: René Redzepi Is Back, $20 Burritos & LA’s Best Pancakes 14.08.2026 1ч 41мин

  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
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  Rose Previte Is Onto Something Huge at Maydan. Plus, Dine LA Is Cool Again, Condé Nast Goes Full Villain & Father Sal Was Right (Unfortunately). 07.08.2026 1ч 9мин

  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
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  LA Food "SubwayTakes" with Ronit Halmos. Plus, Lodge Bread’s Illegal Carport-to-Empire Story. 31.07.2026 1ч 21мин

  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. 
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  COUCH POTATOES: The Bear Is Over - Legacy, Rankings & Superlatives (Spoilers) 30.07.2026 56мин

  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.
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  Vespertine vs. Providence. NYT’s Chez Panisse Backlash. And Jacaranda’s Daniel Patterson & Sarah Lewitinn on Betting Big on Fine Dining. 24.07.2026 2ч

  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.
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  COUCH POTATOES: Everyone Loves Maddie's Secret. We Have Questions. (Spoilers) 21.07.2026 47мин

  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.
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  "F* Tradition": The TikTok Review That Sparked an LA Food War. Plus, Eric Greenspan on the Tesla Diner, Luxury Buffets Are So Back & Everyone Has Diarrhea 17.07.2026 1ч 5мин

  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.
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  Caper Eulogizes Eater — But Are They Dead Yet? Plus, Recent Meals at Bar Di Bello, Bad Roman, Tacos Royale & More. 10.07.2026 1ч 12мин

  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
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  Quiet Quitting Michelin. The Bear Is Low-Key Back. Top Chef Is Washed. And Eddie Huang vs. The New York Times. 03.07.2026 1ч 3мин

  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
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  LA’s James Beard Highlight Reel: Dave Beran Dunking on Haters, Kato’s Historic Run and Providence Aging Like Fine Wine. Plus, Zach Brooks on 10 Years of the “Terrible Idea” That Became Smorgasburg LA. 19.06.2026 1ч 30мин

  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
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  Q&A: LA Pizza, MAGA Food Influencers & Softball Interview Backlash. Plus, Mona Holmes on How 2020 Reshaped Food Media 12.06.2026 1ч 46мин

  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
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  How Bub and Grandma’s Took Over LA’s Bread Game 29.05.2026 55мин

  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!
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  Jessica Koslow on How Dinner at Sqirl Is Actually Going 22.05.2026 1ч 3мин

  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 <3 Every cent counts! Make sure to use Luca's link!
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  The Rise of Rick Lox. Plus, LA Gets an Erewhon Knock-Off, Vermin Hit LA Icons & the NYT 100 Causes a Stir 15.05.2026 1ч 37мин

  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!