It’s beginning to feel a lot like Black Friday. Father Sal and I are coming through with a very LA Food Pod Gift Guide.
But first, there’s a piece in Taste making the case in favor of gatekeeping your favorite restaurants, a podcast with the brand new editor of The Best American Food & Travel Writing that elicited some red hot takes on the future of food media, and a snarky Substack article on whether 2024 was a year of lows for LA restaurants.
Helpful links:
Shaan Merchant for Taste on gatekeeping https://tastecooking.com/is-there-a-case-for-gatekeeping/
This is Taste interview with Jaya Saxena https://tastecooking.com/this-is-taste-499-best-american-food-writing-with-jaya-saxena/
Bangers and Jams article on LA’s highs and lows https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/the-highs-and-lows-of-las-quiet-restaurant
Eater’s Mona Holmes on Somerville and Long Beach’s new jazz lounge https://la.eater.com/2024/11/25/24305531/breakers-long-beach-hotel-sky-room-restaurant-opening-jazz-lounge-long-beach-southern-california
GIFT GUIDE
Gift for the accomplished home cook
Sal’s pick: Vitamix 5200 Blender
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H4SLV6?tag=seriouseats-onsite-prod-20&ascsubtag=8648475%7Cnfb598f95b40b4663a3a1de10248b91ba01%7CB008H4SLV6%7C1732671051584%7C%7C&th=1
Luca’s pick: Corto olive oil https://www.amazon.com/TRULY%C2%AE-Extracted-Straight-Official-Producer/dp/B00YG1DWP4/ref=asc_df_B00YG1DWP4?mcid=664965199a223a9aa11521ed5c649c18&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693129827186&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2661308734640888339&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030967&hvtargid=pla-762159356592&psc=1
Gift for the beginner home cook
Sal’s pick: Foodist Kitchen.
https://foodistkitchen.com/
Luca’s pick: Botanica Magic Spice
https://www.botanicarestaurant.com/products/magic-spiceGift for the friend who only eats out:
Sal’s pick: Gym membership
Luca’s pick: Red Dining Book https://www.reddiningbook.com/products/los-angeles-2025
Gift for the insufferable LA foodie
Sal’s pick: How to Stop Being Toxic
Luca’s pick: Subscription to LA Taco
Gift for the insufferable fan of The Bear
Sal’s pick: Gift card to Ever https://www.toasttab.com/ever-restaurant-1340-w-fulton-st/giftcards
Luca’s pick: Carmy’s white shirt https://merzbschwanen.com/blog/press-8/the-viral-95-t-shirt-in-the-bear-came-from-a-san-francisco-store-125
Gift for the cookbook collector
Sal’s pick: Random Seattle bookshop https://booklarder.com/products/gift-card
Luca’s pick: Way more relevant Long Beach bookshop https://squareup.com/gift/MLR9NPYWBWS6J/order
Gift that says more about you than about the recipient (the virtue-signaling gift)
Sal’s pick: Anonymous gift to PETA
Luca’s pick: VISIONS wine clup at Psychic Wines https://www.psychicwinesla.com/wine-club
Food gift for your S/O
For Emily: Dining in the Dark
https://dininginthedarkexperience.com/los-angeles/
For my wife: Mercado Famous meats https://mercadofamous.com/products/papa-noel
Gift we’d get each other
Sal to Luca: Ooni he already has
Luca to Sal: Masienda tortilla kit https://masienda.com/products/tortilla-starter-kit?variant=42499201597589&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=21317473580&utm_content=_m_&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V-PRF7prmdx2jB-JKO3G4yXJLsrtgLVU118bVONv3ba71lum7BYJeEaAg8mEALw_wcB
Gift I wish people would get me
Sal needs nothing
Luca wants Cangshan Maya knives https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cangshan-maya-block-set-12-piece-set/?clickid=wGBUu4Rh7xyKWHp1PfwtbQybUkCQcbzXI1PZQ40&irgwc=1&cm_cat=249354&cm_ven=afshoppromo&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=24935
--
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
View all episodes
By Acquired Taste Media
5
2424 ratings
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Black Friday. Father Sal and I are coming through with a very LA Food Pod Gift Guide.
But first, there’s a piece in Taste making the case in favor of gatekeeping your favorite restaurants, a podcast with the brand new editor of The Best American Food & Travel Writing that elicited some red hot takes on the future of food media, and a snarky Substack article on whether 2024 was a year of lows for LA restaurants.
Helpful links:
Shaan Merchant for Taste on gatekeeping https://tastecooking.com/is-there-a-case-for-gatekeeping/
This is Taste interview with Jaya Saxena https://tastecooking.com/this-is-taste-499-best-american-food-writing-with-jaya-saxena/
Bangers and Jams article on LA’s highs and lows https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/the-highs-and-lows-of-las-quiet-restaurant
Eater’s Mona Holmes on Somerville and Long Beach’s new jazz lounge https://la.eater.com/2024/11/25/24305531/breakers-long-beach-hotel-sky-room-restaurant-opening-jazz-lounge-long-beach-southern-california
GIFT GUIDE
Gift for the accomplished home cook
Sal’s pick: Vitamix 5200 Blender
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008H4SLV6?tag=seriouseats-onsite-prod-20&ascsubtag=8648475%7Cnfb598f95b40b4663a3a1de10248b91ba01%7CB008H4SLV6%7C1732671051584%7C%7C&th=1
Luca’s pick: Corto olive oil https://www.amazon.com/TRULY%C2%AE-Extracted-Straight-Official-Producer/dp/B00YG1DWP4/ref=asc_df_B00YG1DWP4?mcid=664965199a223a9aa11521ed5c649c18&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693129827186&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2661308734640888339&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030967&hvtargid=pla-762159356592&psc=1
Gift for the beginner home cook
Sal’s pick: Foodist Kitchen.
https://foodistkitchen.com/
Luca’s pick: Botanica Magic Spice
https://www.botanicarestaurant.com/products/magic-spiceGift for the friend who only eats out:
Sal’s pick: Gym membership
Luca’s pick: Red Dining Book https://www.reddiningbook.com/products/los-angeles-2025
Gift for the insufferable LA foodie
Sal’s pick: How to Stop Being Toxic
Luca’s pick: Subscription to LA Taco
Gift for the insufferable fan of The Bear
Sal’s pick: Gift card to Ever https://www.toasttab.com/ever-restaurant-1340-w-fulton-st/giftcards
Luca’s pick: Carmy’s white shirt https://merzbschwanen.com/blog/press-8/the-viral-95-t-shirt-in-the-bear-came-from-a-san-francisco-store-125
Gift for the cookbook collector
Sal’s pick: Random Seattle bookshop https://booklarder.com/products/gift-card
Luca’s pick: Way more relevant Long Beach bookshop https://squareup.com/gift/MLR9NPYWBWS6J/order
Gift that says more about you than about the recipient (the virtue-signaling gift)
Sal’s pick: Anonymous gift to PETA
Luca’s pick: VISIONS wine clup at Psychic Wines https://www.psychicwinesla.com/wine-club
Food gift for your S/O
For Emily: Dining in the Dark
https://dininginthedarkexperience.com/los-angeles/
For my wife: Mercado Famous meats https://mercadofamous.com/products/papa-noel
Gift we’d get each other
Sal to Luca: Ooni he already has
Luca to Sal: Masienda tortilla kit https://masienda.com/products/tortilla-starter-kit?variant=42499201597589&country=US¤cy=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=21317473580&utm_content=_m_&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgJa6BhCOARIsAMiL7V-PRF7prmdx2jB-JKO3G4yXJLsrtgLVU118bVONv3ba71lum7BYJeEaAg8mEALw_wcB
Gift I wish people would get me
Sal needs nothing
Luca wants Cangshan Maya knives https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cangshan-maya-block-set-12-piece-set/?clickid=wGBUu4Rh7xyKWHp1PfwtbQybUkCQcbzXI1PZQ40&irgwc=1&cm_cat=249354&cm_ven=afshoppromo&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=24935
--
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
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