The LA Food Podcast

We’re joined today by Leah Marcus and Yasaman Bakhtiar, the co-founders of Good Girl Snacks, a company you might be familiar with if you’ve come across their viral Hot Girl Pickles on your social media feed. Yasaman and Leah join us to share their story of ditching their day jobs as recent grads to start a pickle company with a Gen Z twist. We’re also joined on the pod today by Father Sal to discuss a couple of newsy bits that caught our eye this week. There’s the taco guide to end all taco guides from the LA Times, another big win for LA’s street vendors, and an al pastor tutorial from Bill Esparza. On that note, we also discuss the fall out from last week’s Bill Esparza vs. Villa’s Tacos battle royale, and answer a few comments that y’all left for us on social media. Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK, our free Substack where you can find all the links to the stories we discussed today on the pod https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/its-rainin-taco-guides?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Good Girl Snacks https://goodgirlsnacks.com/ Good Girl Snacks on IG https://www.instagram.com/goodgirlsnacks Good Girl Snacks on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@goodgirlsnacks -- Get 10% off all macadamia products at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first purchase of wagyu beef at First Light Farms using code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

This week, legendary LA food writer Bill Esparza made waves when he dropped a scathing review of Villa’s Tacos on his Instagram stories. The review had been building for weeks, if not more than a year, and its Kendrick-style intensity left all of Los Angeles talking. Father Sal is with us today to dive deep into the situation, including what led to it, what the review got right and wrong, and how Victor Villa and others in the LA food community responded. We attempt to answer the essential questions - was Bill’s criticism fair? Did he go too far, was he too mean? And what does it mean that Bill’s opinions on these tacos, seems to be so far removed from that of other key voices in the food world including Bill Addison, LA Taco and even Michelin Bib Gourmand. One housekeeping note, Bill’s review took place on Instagram stories and is no longer available. Fear not, we’ve got your back. We took screenshots and the entire review can be found at our substack, LA FOODSTACK, linked in the show notes. On a lighter note, we’re also joined on the podcast today by Duncan Parsons and Joe Wedd, the duo behind Creamy Boys, a New Zealand-style real fruit ice cream concept down in Hermosa Beach. I had a blast talking to these two rambunctious fellas about how they turned their lifelong friendship and passion for their hometown delicacy into a business concept that is kind of taking Los Angeles by storm. If you haven’t had New Zealand style ice cream yet, I’m not sure you can really say your summer has even begun. So give this a listen, and then go get your Hokey Pokey on. Helpful links: LA FOODSTACK, where you can find Bill Esparza's Villa's Tacos review in its entirety https://thelacountdown.substack.com/ Creamy Boys https://www.creamyboys.com/ -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias with code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off on your first purchase of wagyu beef products at First Light Farms with code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Father Sal is with us today to talk about the LA Times’ 2024 Restaurant of the Year Baroo. We break down what the award means, why it’s significant, and why we are so excited for our upcoming meal at this very special restaurant. We also talk about the LA Times’ Gold Award winner, the rise of non-alcoholic beer, and the sudden closure of Rampart Village restaurant due to homelessness question mark?  Arguably even more exciting is that fact that we’re joined in Part 2 by none other than Eater’s Mona Holmes. A James Beard Award nominee, Mona is one of the most intrepid food reporters in the city and possibly the country. We have a wide-ranging conversation on the state of LA food, the state of LA food media, and much, much more. Helpful links: All articles mentioned on the pod are linked in LA FOODSTACK, our free weekly newsletter https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/baroo-is-the-la-times-2024-restaurant?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Mona Holmes in Instagram https://www.instagram.com/monaeats/?hl=en Mona Holmes in Eater https://la.eater.com/authors/mona-holmes Mona Holmes in KCRW https://www.kcrw.com/people/mona-holmes

Part 2 of our The Bear Season 3 recap. Father Sal is with us to break down episodes 6-10. If you listened to Part 1 on Monday, you'll know that we weren't too sweet on episodes 1-5. Did the second half of the season change our opinion? Not exactly, but keep listening to find out where exactly we feel the show got lost in the sauce, and most importantly, Father Sal's killer conspiracy theories about why.  But first, a couple of things that caught my eye this week. There's an end finally to the service fee saga, a massive win for street vendors, and some really insightful reporting on just how hard it is to score a liquor license in LA, courtesy of Emily Wilson at The Angel. Helpful links: LA Foodstack, our free newsletter where we curate all the week's most essential food news https://open.substack.com/pub/thelacountdown/p/the-epic-service-fee-saga-comes-to?r=31nins&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web -- Get 10% off at House of Macadamias with code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods -- Get 10% off your first order of wagyu products at First Light Farms with code "LAFOOD10" https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

Father Sal and I recap episodes 1-5 of The Bear Season 3, which is now streaming on Hulu. Helpful links: The Bear https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f -- Get 10% off when you use code "LAFOOD" on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

Santiago Lastra is the chef of Michelin-starred restaurant KOL in London. He visited in LA on the heels of the World’s 50 Best ceremony in Las Vegas, where KOL was named the number 17 best restaurant in the world. He stopped by the City of Angels for a special collab dinner with Vespertine’s Jordan Kahn, and I’m really honored he made time to grab lunch with me at Gilberto Cetina’s Holbox, the 2023 LA Times Restaurant of the Year, located at Mercado La Paloma.  This is truly a one-of-a-kind episode, dear listener. Chef Lastra tells us his frankly wild story, from growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico to becoming known globally as a nomadic chef hosting pop-ups all over the world. He tells us about working with Rene Redzepi on Noma’s famed pop-up in Tulum, how he developed his style as a chef who blends Mexican techniques and traditions with hyper-local ingredients, and he walks us through what a meal at KOL actually looks like. Personally, I was deeply moved by Santiago’s passion and philosophy around food and hospitality. Oh, and did I mention that Chef Gilberto Cetina was serving us lunch while we spoke? Chef Gilberto makes multiple cameos in the episode to chat with Santiago and to explain the incredible dishes he’s bringing to the table. It was an outstanding meal as meals at Holbox always are, and it was really cool for me to see these two powerhouse chefs exchange thoughts and ideas. I think you’ll enjoy it too.  Finally, no news on this podcast - but subscribe to LA FOODSTACK, our brand new Substack newsletter for our curation of the week's headlines. Helpful links: Chef Santiago Lastra on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/santiagolas/?hl=en KOL Restaurant https://kolrestaurant.com/ Holbox https://www.holboxla.com/#/ LA FOODSTACK, the LA Food Pod newsletter https://thelacountdown.substack.com/p/the-bear-season-3-drops-as-la-pizza?r=31nins -- Get 10% off when you use code "LAFOOD" at House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

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/

Kuya Lord’s Chef Lord Maynard Llera took home this James Beard Award this week for Best Chef California, and we’d like to extend him and his whole staff a heartfelt LA Food Pod congratulations. Today’s episode is all about awards. I’m joined by Father Sal to discuss LA’ showing at the Beards, as well as some of the most interesting takeaways from the World’s 50 Best, which was also announced since our last episode.  We talk about what these awards tell us about the state of dining in 2024, whether we’d rather win a Beard Award or be named on the World’s 50 Best and why, and which award recipients caught our eye and may warrant an LA Food Pod excursion in the future.  We also discuss a fascinating Karen Palmer article in SF Gate on why Little Tokyo as we know it may be endangered, and finally, the earth-shaking news that competitive eating GOAT Joey Chestnut has been banned from the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Stick around to the end if you want to hear a true story about the time that I, your friendly neighborhood podcast host, won an eating competition of my own. It’s a tale that’s frankly not for the faint of heart.  Helpful Links: James Beard Award 2024 Winners https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2024-james-beard-award-winners World's 50 Best https://www.theworlds50best.com/ Overheard at the World's 50 Best https://vegas.eater.com/2024/6/6/24173200/worlds-50-best-restaurants-awards-overheard-gossip-las-vegas-strip-winners SF Gate on Little Tokyo https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/little-tokyo-los-angeles-endangered-restaurants-19463905.php Joey Chestnut-gate https://www.npr.org/2024/06/12/nx-s1-5003036/joey-chestnut-banned-nathans-hot-dog-eating-competition John Mulaney's Everybody's in LA https://www.netflix.com/title/81742123 Gordon Ramsey's Food Stars https://www.fox.com/gordon-ramsays-food-stars/

Gabe Kennedy is the all-star chef behind Highland Park’s Checker Hall. He joins us today to tell us his high-octane journey, which includes winning Anthony Bourdain’s competition show “The Taste,” co-founding one of the hottest plant-based supplement companies on the market, and uprooting his life in New York to relocate to LA and grace our city with one of the most fun dining experiences I’ve had in a long time in Highland Park’s Checker Hall.  One conversation with Gabe and you’re immediately hooked. You can just really tell how much this guy cares, not just about making delicious food, but about doing things that have real meaning and thought behind them. Personally I’m stoked to have Checker Hall in my backyard, but they’ve got a chicken schnitzel that is 100% worth driving across town for. Not to mention the historic building, the fantastic cocktails, the music venue next door. It’s one of the most fun evenings you can have in our fair city, and I think you’ll be makin’ a rez right after you hear Gabe talk about it.  But first, Father Sal and I break down the things that caught my eye this week. There’s the Infatuation’s lackluster review of Vespertine, an intriguing albeit quite cringey Taste article on The Best Restaurant in Town, and a discussion on whether shoppy shops are good, bad or somewhere in between for neighborhoods. Helpful links: Checker Hall https://www.checkerhall.com/ Gabe Kennedy https://www.instagram.com/gabe_kennedy/?hl=en Plant People https://www.plantpeople.co/ Vespertine review from The Infatuation https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/vespertine?ifsb=yes The Best Restaurant in Town by Priyanka Mattoo https://tastecooking.com/the-best-restaurant-in-town/ LA Grocery opens up on Melrose Hill https://la.eater.com/2024/6/3/24167496/la-grocery-and-cafe-melrose-hill-los-angeles-produce-market Noise in restaurants https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/loud-restaurant-noise-health-effects/ Kevin D'Andrea show https://austinfoodmagazine.com/austin-chef-kevin-dandrea-to-host-new-nbcuniversal-series-breaking-baguettes/ EEEEEATSCON https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles/lineup --- Get 10% off on all House of Macadamia products using code LAFOOD houseofmacadamias.com/discount/LAFOOD  --- Get 10% off on your first purchase at First Light Farms using code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/us/

We’re joined on today’s episode by the Infatuation’s Brant Cox for the first-ever in person podcast in LA Food Pod history. Brant and I met up for lunch at Mae Malai in Thai Town for some wonderful boat noodles (and much more). We caught up about what it’s like to be BFFs with Chris Pine, where he’s been eating lately, and oh yeah, a little thing called EEEEATSCON. That’s right - EEEEATSCON is back at The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica next weekend June 8 and 9. Brant’s here to spill all the delicious details, and let me tell you, this is one of those food festivals you absolutely cannot miss if you call yourself an LA food lover.  But first, Father Sal is with us to round up the week’s news, including the trailer to Season 3 of The Bear, a Cathy Chaplin Eater story on mental health and burnout in the service industry, a new food media company coming to LA courtesy of The Hundreds, and widespread fatigue with Instagram-famous cookware.   Helpful links: EEEEEATSCON 2024 https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=conversion_la_ec_smart&utm_term=eeeeeatscon&utm_audience=la&utm_matchtype=p&utm_id=21258913198&utm_adgroup_id=165813394207&utm_ad_id=700539019081&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdW3ubiuxq2xEpWI0ivw3wj1FTUOiZE_Q9doEL8vGKKiOXUkADzuR0hoCki0QAvD_BwE Brant Cox on IG https://www.instagram.com/brantcox/ Season 3 Trailer of The Bear https://youtu.be/UHiwdDFPsZY Eater’s Cathy Chaplin mental health interview with Michael Scribner https://la.eater.com/2024/5/29/24166535/sommelier-michael-scribner-los-angeles-hospitality-career-work-life-balance-mental-health Family Style food publication https://la.eater.com/2024/5/30/24167704/family-style-festival-the-hundreds-food-publication-complex-new-ownership NYT on Instagram cookware https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/dining/instagram-cookware.html -- Get 10% off at houseofmacadamias.com with the code "LAFOOD" -- Get 10% off your first order at First Light Farms (https://www.firstlight.farm/us/) using code "LAFOOD10"