James Beard accused of "wokeness," while Hollywood hot spots wade into hot water

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/