The LA Food Podcast

Melissa Lopez is the James Beard semifinalist chef behind Barra Santos, one of the buzziest restaurants in recent memory to grace Los Angeles. Barra Santos is a tiny, sardine-tin of a restaurant in Cypress Park serving up thoughtful, super high-quality Portuguese fare. But as small as the restaurant’s footprint is, the noise it’s made since opening has been nothing short of deafening. After visiting the restaurant myself, I knew I wanted to get to know the mastermind behind the operation, and Chef Melissa did not disappoint. Would I go so far as to say we’ve got one of the country’s brightest rising stars on our hands? Yes, yes, I would. But listen to the interview and visit Barra Santos to make up your own mind on the matter. But first, a nasally rendition of a couple of things that caught my eye this week. There’s a Jenn Harris piece on how the tariffs are endangering the diversity that makes LA’s food scene one of the best in the country, a Substack newsletter (Khushbu Shah’s Tap Is Fine) on whether or not we should view influencers as experts, and an exciting new survey (from Emily Wilson at The Angel) on what Angelenos want from restaurants that I highly encourage you to take. Helpful Links:Jenn Harris on tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-11/los-angeles-restaurants-tariffs-southeast-asian-foodLaurie Ochoa on chili crisp and tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2025-04-12/its-too-late-to-tariff-the-globalization-out-of-american-cuisine-more-chili-crisp-please-tasting-notesKhushbu Shah on influencers, amateurs, and expertise https://khushbushah.substack.com/p/when-did-we-all-become-afraid-of?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2026436&post_id=161441896&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailEmily Wilson’s survey in The Angel https://www.theangel.la/p/what-angelenos-want-from-restaurants-survey?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1717567&post_id=161269590&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email&hide_intro_popup=trueGab Chabran and Suzanne Levy on grants for restaurants from the California Restaurant Foundation https://laist.com/news/food/10-000-grant-available-for-restaurants-affected-by-la-firesBarra Santos https://www.barrasantosla.com/–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

Tariffs, tariffs, tariffs. It’s the word on everybody’s lips this week and, as you’d expect, every food media outlet in the country published some sort of breakdown of what this means for restaurants and the food industry at large. Father Sal and I sift through the noise to distill what this means for LA restaurateurs and diners alike. Also on this episode, we issue a correction from last episode, we recap a beefy meal at the newly opened Matu Kai in Brentwood, and we dive deep on Meghan McCarron’s piece for the New York Times’ tracking how the decline of middle class restaurants - think Red Lobster, Chili’s, Outback Steakhouse and the like - speaks to a worrying trend in American dining. In Chef’s Kiss Big Miss, there’s the closure of an iconic Greek restaurant, the launch of a questionable celebrity (Glen Powell) sauce brand, and the announcement of a brand new Vince Vaughn flick that hit a little too close to home for yours truly. Helpful links:Jaya Saxena and Bettina Makalintal on tariffs https://www.eater.com/24401316/trump-tariffs-effects-on-food-spices-explained-burlap-barrel-natoora-tuk-tuk-snack-shop-interviewThe LA Times’ Patrick Comiskey on tariffs and wine https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-07/will-tariffs-kill-mid-priced-winesThe NY Times’ Eric Asimov on tariffs and wine https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/10/dining/drinks/wine-tariffs.htmlMatu Kai https://www.matusteak.com/Meghan McCarron on the decline of casual dining chains https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/04/dining/middle-class-restaurant.htmlPapa Cristos closing https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-06/papa-cristos-closing-dupars-chili-johns-struggling-la-old-restaurants-in-troubleGlen Powell BLT https://www.delish.com/food-news/a64410917/glen-powell-blt-recipe/Molly Baz vegan burgers https://pdx.eater.com/2025/4/3/24398516/portland-oregon-vegan-fast-food-restaurant-face-plant-open-molly-bazScott McTominay and tomatoes https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6234877/2025/04/03/scott-mctominay-man-united-napoli-italy-tomatoes/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Controversy in Hollywood as news breaks that Elon Musk - yes, THAT Elon Musk - has tapped beloved LA chef Eric Greenspan to helm his upcoming Tesla-themed Diner on Santa Monica Blvd. Is Chef Greenspan’s choice to take the job in any way defensible, or is he just another DOGE bag? Father Sal and I dig into the news and the backlash to make sense of it all. Plus, the James Beard Awards announced their nominees including 5 So Cal establishments, LA Taco’s Taco Madness got underway with one notable absence, and in Chef’s Kiss Big Miss we tackle revolving restaurants, gullible pastry chefs, and a list of rules for modern dining.Helpful links:Breijo and Goldman on Greenspan and the Tesla Diner https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-28/la-chef-picked-to-run-tesla-diner-in-hollywoodSoCal James Beard nominees https://la.eater.com/2025/4/2/24399234/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-nominees-2025LA Taco Taco Madness https://lataco.com/taco-madness-2025Con Mum https://www.netflix.com/title/81708174Galuten on best burger / martini combo https://la.eater.com/2025/4/1/24398077/best-bar-burger-martini-los-angeles-noah-galutenFinancial Times’ rules for dining https://www.ft.com/content/dba8928b-0961-4174-bd00-5096a2e65beaRevolving restaurants https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/dining/revolving-restaurant.html–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

I (Luca) moderated the latest Family Meal panel discussion on how restaurants rose to the challenge during the January wildfires. This is the recording of that panel discussion, featuring four very impressive speakers who I introduce at the top of the recording. We discuss all matters of important topics including how restaurants can prepare for the next big crisis and what you and I can do to support them when shit inevitably hits the fan. We’ll be back Friday with our regularly scheduled programming. Father Sal and I have a ton to catch up on including my trip to Vegas for Pizza Expo, controversy surrounding the newly minted chef of Elon Musk’s Tesla diner in Hollywood, and Sal’s brazen decision to cheat on me with another podcast this week. You won’t wanna miss it. Helpful links:Family Meal https://www.family-meal.us/New School https://www.newschoolconsulting.com/Lien Ta https://www.instagram.com/lientigre/?hl=enHere’s Looking At You https://www.instagram.com/hereslookingatyoula/?hl=enAlycia Harshfield https://www.linkedin.com/in/alycia-harshfield-92350853Restaurants Care https://restaurantscare.org/Alexa Rousso https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexa-carpena-rousso_always-honored-to-represent-homeboy-industries-activity-7310095363577655296-BCed/Homeboy Industries https://homeboyindustries.org/Stephen Poux https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-poux-risk-management/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

Ryan Sutton is the chief critic and editor at The LO Times, one of the absolute best sources of food writing Substack has to offer. He previously served as Eater New York’s chief food critic for almost a decade, and prior to that, the New York critic at Bloomberg News. He’s won a James Beard Award and been nominated for two more, and today he lets us into his mind to understand not just how one earns the title of “critic,” but what food criticism actually entails. After Father Sal and I discussed the LA Times 101 at the end of 2024, it became abundantly clear to me that there’s a lot of confusion out there about what a critic’s role should be. Some believe it’s to put people on to new spots and to protect their dollars from the duds, while others believe it’s to point out the good and especially the bad aspects of the hottest restaurant in town. The truth is, it’s way more nuanced than that, and Ryan does an excellent job of breaking down the true responsibilities of a critic, not just on an individual level, but as a profession as a whole. It also doesn’t hurt that he has some fun anecdotes involving Red Lobster and Chick-fil-A, so if you do nothing else, stick around for those. Helpful links:The LO Times https://www.thelotimes.com/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

It’s been five years since the pandemic forced us to wipe down our groceries, binge Tiger King, and pick up hobbies like basket weaving or, in my case, eating 100 pizzas in 365 days. Of course, COVID also notably sent shockwaves through the restaurant industry, and to this day, the labor market still hasn’t recovered. What’s behind the lag and what are industry pros doing about it? Father Sal is with us to discuss two excellent articles by Adam Reiner on this exact topic. Also on the episode today, seven LA restaurants were added to the California Michelin Guide, which ones are we most excited to try? Listen to find out. Plus, a meal at the number 17 restaurant in the world, an LA food romantic drama unfolds on Instagram, a celebrity chef (Joshua Weissman) deems LA the best street food city in the world, and a couple of Chinese teenagers get a little frisky with a steaming bowl of hot pot. Helpful links:Join me at Family Meal on Monday March 24th! Use code “LACOUNTDOWN20” for a 20% discount on the $20 tickets https://www.tixtree.com/e/family-meal-how-to-make-help-helpful-9e559f3f393fAdam Reiner on labor shortage for Eater https://www.eater.com/24385730/restaurant-job-market-covid-pandemic-effectsAnd Adam again for The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/13/covid-pandemic-jobs-changeLA restaurants added to the Michelin Guide https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-03-12/michelin-adds-15-restaurants-california-guide-los-angelesSupport Bistro Blue https://www.instagram.com/share/_iQyQWS1rJoshua Weissman and Memo Torres try street food https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1S05ZClQj4Doggy bags on the way out https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/dining/restaurant-leftovers.htmlChinese hot pot-gate https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/03/13/travel/haidilao-china-urine-hotpot-broth-intl-hnk–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

It’s time for the 2025 Top Chef Fantasy Draft!Season 22 of Top Chef kicked off this week in Canada. As we do every year, Father Sal and I hosted a draft of the 15 competitors vying for the title of Top Chef. We’re joined by 2024 champion Jessie Evans (alias @Jessie_Eats on Instagram), and Nancy DaSilva and Bits Nicholas of the Compliments to the Chef podcast. Plus, an LA Times article on a one-man tasting menu in Downtown LA, and a New York Times feature on a, erm, controversial restaurant in London town…Helpful links:Bravo Top Chef https://www.bravotv.com/top-chefCompliments to the Chef podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6Jessie Eats on IG https://www.instagram.com/jessie_eats/?hl=enHeather Platt on Sora Craft Kitchen https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-03-11/restaurants-los-angeles-one-employee-sora-craft-kitchenAmelia Nierenberg on The Yellow Bittern https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/dining/yellow-bittern-london-restaurant.html–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

We’re joined today by Chef Johnny Lee, the mastermind behind Rasarumah, one of LA’s hottest new restaurants serving inventive Southeast Asian food with a heavy Malaysian bent. Chef Johnny joins us to talk about the new concept, but also about what it was like to say goodbye to his deeply personal project Pearl River Deli. We talk about Hainan chicken, the struggles of learning to be a business operator when you’ve mostly worked the line your entire career, and what it’s been like to partner with Last Word Hospitality on his new exciting venture.But first, I had the distinct pleasure of attending Taco Bell’s Live Mas Live event in Brooklyn earlier this week. This is their event in the mold of Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in which they offer sneak peeks from their test kitchen and roll out the new menu items for the year ahead. I met up with Daniel Wargo AKA Forking Around in the lobby of our hotel the morning after the event to debrief. Yes, we talk about which drops we’re most excited about, but we also ask ourselves what LA restaurants can learn from the Live Mas lifestyle. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this event - not just the food, but really the ethos behind what Taco Bell does to innovate and to build a relationship with its fans. I think there’s tons that even the most mom and pop of establishments can learn by taking a page out of the chalupa handbook, so to speak. Helpful links:Rasarumah https://rasarumah.com/Taco Bell Live Mas LIVE recap https://www.chowhound.com/1804512/taco-bell-new-menu-items-2025/Daniel Wargo https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/?hl=en–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

What is going on at The Original Pantry Cafe in downtown LA? Reports of a labor dispute threatening to close down the storied institution have been swirling all week. We try to make sense of the noise, and ask ourselves is there any hope for the house that Richard Riordan built? Secondly, Silver Lake lesbian bar The Ruby Fruit just added controversy to its menu. The bar has been fighting for survival since the wildfires took a massive hit to their bottom line. And while they’ve generally received an outpouring of support, an investigative piece from Eater suggests that not everybody is so enthused with how the bar has handled its business. Finally, what do raw milk, women's history month and Gordon Ramsey all have in common? Well, they all make an appearance in this week’s epic round of Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss. Helpful Links:The LA Times’ Cindy Carcamo on the Original Pantry Cafe situationhttps://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-21/the-original-pantry-cafe-owner-threatens-to-close-historic-diner-over-union-contract-disputeJake Hook (@dinertheory) on Original Pantry https://lataco.com/original-patry-closing-downtown-laMona Holmes and Rebecca Roland on The Ruby Fruit https://la.eater.com/2025/2/21/24370002/the-ruby-fruit-silver-lake-lesbian-sapphically-inclined-wine-bar-employees-inclusionRe:HER Women’s History Month https://www.regardingherfood.org/whmfLA Times’ Daniel Hernandez on pajarete https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-02-25/raw-milk-pajarete-mexican-culture-muscoy-compton–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠

What’s the deal with the cease and desist letters going to Los Angeles pizzerias? Is OpenTable’s comeback slowly killing Resy? And was our visit to the LA Times 2024 Restaurant of the Year a Chef’s Kiss or a Big Miss? Father Sal’s with us today to discuss all of that and more, plus where you can try a $750 burger, what Molly Baz is doing to give back to wildfire victims, and an invitation I extended to Bill Esparza that can only be described as ill-advised and reckless. Helpful Links:NYT’s Kim Severson on teh legal brawl over “Dirt Candy” https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/dining/dirt-candy-trademark-dispute.htmlGrubStreet on OpenTable vs. Resy https://www.grubstreet.com/article/restaurants-leaving-resy-for-opentable.htmlMolly Baz gives back https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2025-02-16/la-fires-rebuilding-kitchens-cooking-molly-baz-pantry-cooking-editorialTaste on mutton https://tastecooking.com/no-matter-what-you-call-it-mutton-is-delicious/Karen Palmer on the $750 burger https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/porsche-experience-center-carson-california-20107593.php–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park!⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠