Top Chef Season 21 Recap. Plus, service fees live to fight another day, reservation resale platforms get the axe, and Luca gives vegans free political advice.

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/