Acquired Taste Food Podcasts

All hell has broken loose at LA TACO. Following the firing of longtime reporter Memo Torres, the departure of Izzy Ramirez, and a series of increasingly contentious public statements, one of Los Angeles' most beloved independent publications finds itself at the center of an extraordinary controversy.

Bill Esparza and Rob break down the entire saga, from the ethical questions surrounding Torres' relationship with a California state senator to LA TACO's handling of the fallout, its ownership structure, and allegations of newsroom dysfunction. Bill also opens up about his own complicated history with editor-in-chief Javier Cabral, including a little-known story about how he landed the book deal for L.A. Mexicano.

Then, in a stunning late-night twist, Torres publishes his side of the story while Bill and Rob are recording, prompting an emergency addendum and a whole new set of questions about LA TACO's future.

Plus, the guys recap the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants celebration, the growing influence of Latino chefs on LA's dining scene, and some of the list's biggest surprises.

It's an unusually explosive episode of Taqueando, and nobody is holding back.

It's Dessert Week in the Great British Bake Off tent, but somehow Elizabeth Holmes has found her way into the conversation.

Nancy and Bits are back to recap Season 17, Episode 5, where the bakers tackle self-saucing puddings, a tricky bread-and-butter pudding technical, and a gloriously retro dessert trolley showstopper. We're talking soggy bottoms, questionable textures, and who's emerging as a serious contender for the Bake Off crown.

Plus, the ladies take a major detour into You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder's bizarre new Elizabeth Holmes documentary. What happens when the mind behind Nathan for You and The Rehearsal turns his attention to the disgraced Theranos founder? Nancy and Bits have plenty to discuss.

From British puddings to Silicon Valley fraud, it's another delightfully unhinged episode of Compliments to the Chef!

The Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants of 2026 is here, and the two people behind the list are joining us to break it all down.

LA Times restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris return to The LA Food Podcast to explain how they chose LA's best restaurants, why newcomer Lielle earned the coveted No. 1 spot, and what this year's rankings reveal about the state of dining in Los Angeles.

We get into the biggest surprises, snubs, and shake-ups, including why three-Michelin-starred Somni didn't make the list, how Alta Adams rocketed into the top 10, why restaurants like Barbacoa Ramirez tumbled down the rankings, and what happened to Pizzeria Bianco.

Plus, Bill and Jenn discuss the restaurants making a comeback, the exciting new openings redefining LA dining, and why the word "best" might not be the best way to describe the 101 in the first place.

From Holbox and Kato to Broken Spanish Comedor, n/naka, and Osteria Mozza, we're going behind the scenes of LA's most anticipated restaurant list.

Read the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants of 2026: https://www.latimes.com/food

Subscribe to The LA Food Podcast for weekly conversations about Los Angeles restaurants, chefs, food news, and everything happening in LA's dining scene.

Who should run Los Angeles if your single biggest political concern is where you're having dinner?

This week, Luca does something no one asked him to do: turns The LA Food Podcast into a political endorsement machine. Karen Bass vs. Nithya Raman. Five rounds. Restaurant permitting, street vendors, housing, homelessness, Hollywood, and the most important question of all: which candidate would be more fun to grab a beer with? By the end, we're endorsing someone. Democracy has never tasted so good.

Plus, Luca visits the new Bar Fortuna, has a life-changing steak experience at Gwen, and declares Quarter Sheets one of his favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.

Then Luca's wife returns for Chef's Kiss / Big Miss to tackle the possible resurrection of Horses, the James Beard Awards finally recognizing food influencers, Cole's controversial comeback, LA's chicken Caesar wrap obsession, and whether restaurants are collecting a little too much information about their customers.

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Learn more at Slang.ai and check out our recent interview with Chloe Makhani of Casaléna to hear how her restaurant is putting it to work.

LINKS & FURTHER READING

The mayoral showdown

• Karen Bass: https://www.karenbass.com/

• Nithya Raman: https://www.nithyaforthecity.com/

Chef's Kiss / Big Miss

• Horses is plotting a comeback (Hoodline): https://hoodline.com/2026/09/hollywood-s-horses-plots-sunset-strip-comeback-after-cat-killing-scandal-530k-in-debt/

• James Beard Awards introduce new short-form creator categories: https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/media-awards/broadcast-media-awards

• Cole's is reopening with new ownership (LA Times): https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-10-20/french-dip-icon-coles-will-return-new-menu-new-ownership-same-bukowski-sign

• How the Chicken Caesar Wrap Ate Los Angeles (Eater): https://la.eater.com/now-trending-los-angeles/307804/chicken-caesar-wrap-los-angeles-restaurants-trend

• Hospitality Shouldn't Require So Much Data (Ravenous): https://www.weareravenous.com/hospitality-shouldnt-require-so-much-data/

Subscribe, leave us a review, and tell us who YOU think deserves the keys to City Hall.

Los Angeles, we have a wet trompo problem. And Bill Esparza has had enough.

This week on Taqueando, Bill and Robert Haleblian get to the bottom of why so much of LA's beloved al pastor is drowning in adobo. From Angel's Tijuana Tacos to the legendary trompos of Mexico City, they break down what separates a truly great taco from a soggy imitation, why the traditional taco brigade matters, and where to find the best al pastor and adobada in Los Angeles.

But first, Bill has some words for Danny Trejo. Following news of the actor's involvement in a controversial film depicting an ICE agent, Bill reflects on his own history with the Hollywood icon, the disappointing tacos he once gave a pass, and why he's now calling for a boycott of Trejo's restaurants.

Plus, an unforgettable seafood takeover at Sāntō, a Holbox collaboration at Paseo, and plenty more from Bill's latest adventures across LA's dining scene.

On this episode:

• Why LA has a wet trompo problem

• Angel's Tijuana Tacos and the economics of street tacos

• The secrets of Mexico City's greatest al pastor

• Bill's favorite al pastor and adobada spots in LA

• Danny Trejo, ICE, and a Hollywood icon's controversial career decision

• Seafood, chef collaborations, and the latest Antojitos Rundown

This is Taqueando, where Mexican food, culture, and the people behind it always come first.

Part of the Acquired Taste Media network.

Producd by Robert Haleblian.

Was this the worst Bread Week in Great British Bake Off history? Nancy and Bits return to the tent for Season 17, Episode 4, where the garlic bread desperately needs more garlic, the dough desperately needs more time, and Paul Hollywood’s grape-and-blue-cheese flatbread technical needs to answer for its crimes.

We’re getting into Mo’s three-TikTok preparation strategy, a technical challenge that nobody could pull off, and the eternal question: can you ask for cake-like bread and then complain that it tastes like cake? Plus, festive bread showstoppers, Tom’s growing frontrunner status, a plea for restaurants to put food on actual plates, and Nancy’s potentially explosive allegation that saffron is a scam.

Come for the Bake Off recap. Leave craving garlic knots.

Compliments to the Chef is part of the Acquired Taste podcast network. Subscribe for weekly recaps of The Great British Baking Show, Top Chef, and more.

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Why do restaurants have lines before anyone’s tasted the food? When did restaurant merch become streetwear? And why does getting dinner sometimes feel like homework?

This week, Luca sits down with Kelly Dobkin, the food writer behind Of All Places and a former editor at Eater, Zagat, and Thrillist, to unpack the forces shaping LA restaurant culture. We get into Eater’s wild early days, the awkward relationship between food writers and chefs, and why Kelly is betting on Substack after years in traditional media.

Then, we talk restaurants becoming brands before they even open, the power of a really good sign, and the dining inconveniences Kelly would happily leave behind. Plus: millennial restaurant nostalgia, au poivre everything, toast-flavored ice cream, and the LA restaurants she’s loving right now.

Read and follow Kelly:
• Of All Places LA
• Of All Places NYC
• Kelly on Instagram

Stories discussed:
• Meet the Designer Behind Some of LA’s Coolest Cafe Branding, A-Frames, and Interiors
• LA’s Coolest New Ice Cream Brand Is Turning Toast, Burnt Rice, and Tomatoes Into Dessert

Last week, we called out an Instagram account dedicated to leaving $0 tips at restaurants. The comments section promptly lost its collective mind. So this week, Luca and Father Sal are going all in on America's most emotionally charged restaurant debate: Is tipping culture completely broken?

Why do we tip servers but not other minimum-wage workers? Has the iPad tipping screen gotten out of control? Would restaurants actually survive if everyone stopped tipping? And why is it so hard to get rid of a system that seemingly nobody likes?

Plus, Bill Esparza and Matt Kang take a beloved LA taco stand to task, Sal discovers an incredible Thai burger, Luca finds some seriously underrated neighborhood gems, and the guys debate whether AI-generated food photos are an abomination or a lifeline for struggling restaurants.

On Chef's Kiss / Big Miss: The heartbreaking closure of Sora Craft Kitchen, Souplantation's triumphant return, and whether any croissant on Earth is worth a 45-minute wait.

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY SLANG AI

Missed calls mean missed business. Slang AI helps restaurants answer every call, handle guest questions, and take reservations with AI-powered phone technology. Learn more:

https://www.slang.ai/restaurants?utm_source=la_food_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=superhost_launch_oct_26&utm_content=ad_read

STORIES MENTIONED

• Sora Craft Kitchen is closing: https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-10-14/sora-craft-kitchen-permanent-closure-downtown-los-angeles

• Why AI-generated restaurant menus are freaking everyone out: https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2026-10-14/uncanny-valley-ai-generated-food-menu

• Souplantation is returning to Orange County: https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-10-08/souplantation-returns-orange-county-2027

• Santa Monica's Matilda's Bakery is drawing 45-minute lines: https://la.eater.com/restaurant-openings/307595/matildas-bakery-opening-santa-monica

FOLLOW ACQUIRED TASTE MEDIA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acquiredtastemedia/

LA Countdown: https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@acquiredtastemedia

More from the network: https://acquiredtastemedia.com

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Are Mexico City’s most viral tacos actually worth the hype? Bill Esparza and producer Robert Haleblian unpack what the Michelin Guide, TikTok influencers and tourists get wrong about Mexican taco culture, from El Califa de León’s Michelin star to the crowds at La Once Mil.

Bill explains why premium beef and heirloom corn don’t automatically make a better taco, what gets lost when street food becomes a luxury experience, and why generations of taquero expertise deserve more attention. Planning a Mexico City food trip? He also shares favorite stops for tacos al pastor, chorizo verde and tacos de canasta, including El Huequito, El Vilsito and Ricos Tacos Toluca.

Plus: a dispatch from LA’s Chef’s Conference, a lively discussion about the future of food media, and a reminder that Los Angeles dining still has plenty of life.

Taqueando with Bill Esparza is part of Acquired Taste, alongside The LA Food Podcast and Compliments to the Chef.

Produced by Robert Haleblian.

It's Audience Choice Week on The Great British Bake Off, and the viewers have officially lost their minds. This week on Compliments to the Chef, Nancy and Bits recap Season 17, Episode 3, aka “The Cheesecake Factory,” where family members invade the tent, bakers are forced to improvise with a mystery box, and the showstopper challenge turns into a full-blown edible fashion show. We're talking cheesecake chaos, the season's first Hollywood Handshake, Nigella and Paul's judging, and whether letting the audience run the show was actually a good idea.

Compliments to the Chef is part of the Acquired Taste podcast network. Subscribe for weekly recaps of The Great British Baking Show and all your favorite food TV.