Boycott brewing at Enrique Olvera’s Damian? Plus, 2 LA restaurants win Bon Appétit honors, 4 endangered LA restaurants find lifelines, and the NYT dunks on Alinea.

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.

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