The LA Food Podcast

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

Katie Parla, an acclaimed author and Italian food expert, dives into the world of Roman cuisine and her latest book, sparking a lively discussion about Italian culinary trends. She shares her insights on the evolution of LA’s Italian food scene, emphasizing chefs like Evan Funke. Parla also critiques Eataly, warning about its blend of artisan and industrial brands. The conversation touches on Roman dishes, food media experimentation, and suggestions for authentic Italian products, making for a deliciously informative chat.

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