Acquired Taste Food Podcasts

By Acquired Taste MediaArts Food

Acquired Taste Food Podcasts episodes

May 17, 2024 Molly Baz and lactation-gate, restaurant finances dissected, and Michelin goes to Mexico. Plus, Top Chef midseason check-in with the hosts of Compliments to the Chef.
A midseason check in on Season 21 of Top Chef. We’re about half way through the season, so LA Food Pod Top Chef correspondent Father Sal is on the pod to dissect the highs, lows and everything in between. We’re also joined by two of my new favorite people - Bits Nicholas and Nancy DaSilva, the hosts of Compliments to the Chef, the must-listen Top Chef companion podcast. They tell us about how they got their start, and they also join us in looking back at the season so far, and in making predictions for the episodes to come.

But first, a few things that caught my eye. Molly Baz found herself at the center of quite the media circus this week, the LA Times published a fascinating look at why restaurants are struggling right now, the Michelin Guide finally touched down in Mexico, and there’s a tournament of cheeseburgers afoot, courtesy of our friends at LAist. Plus, an LA Food Pod apology to one of LA’s great food journalists.

Helpful links:
Compliments to the Chef https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6
NYT on Molly Baz https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/10/style/lactation-cookies-billboard.html
LA Times' Stephanie Breijo on restaurant struggles https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-15/restaurant-industry-economic-crisis-los-angeles
Botanica's Heather Sperling on what happens to a dollar at their restaurant https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-14/one-dollar-at-botanica-restaurant-los-angeles-heather-sperling
Michelin Mexico https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-mexico-stars-green-stars-sustainability
LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers https://laist.com/news/food/tournament-of-cheeseburgers
KCRW Good Food episode on Lalo Garcia https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/migrant-chef-life-and-times-lalo-garcia-laura-tillman
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1 hr 20 min
May 10, 2024 Bill Esparza on his journey, "taco bros," David Chang and much, much more. Plus, World's 50 Best recognizes Kato, 5 So Cal restaurants added to the Michelin Guide, and Sweetgreen embraces beef.
We’re joined by none other than Bill Esparza, the legendary award-winning writer, author, TV fixer and saxophonist. Maybe you’ve read his reporting at Eater, maybe you’ve eaten at one of his many finds, or maybe you’ve seen him on shows like Somebody Feed Phil.

Regardless of where you know him from, Bill’s one of the most essential voices in LA food, and he’s with us today to talk about his journey in food, from starting a food blog in the aughts to winning a James Beard Award for his legendary taco guides. I also ask him about some of his more fiery opinions, including where his disdain for David Chang comes from, why he hates eating with “taco bros,” and what gets his goat about some of those influencers you see out there on social media, present company excluded of course.

But first, an LA restaurant gets the attention of the World’s 50 Best, 5 new So Cal restaurants are added to the Michelin Guide, Sweetgreen adds beef to the menu, and restaurants navigate uncertainty as California’s junk fee ban looms on the horizon.

Helpful Links:
Bill on IG https://www.instagram.com/streetgourmetla/?hl=en
Bill's Eater page https://www.eater.com/authors/bill-esparza
Kato wins World's 50 Best recognition
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-08/worlds-50-best-restaurants-kato-one-to-watch-resy
Michelin's new additions
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/michelin-guide-california-new-additions-restaurants?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=3377c48b0cd911ef80b602d50a1eba23&utm_source=cj&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&utm_content=100037205&utm_term=15671072
Sweetgreen adds beef
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/dining/sweetgreen-steak.html
Lauren Saria on junk fees
https://sf.eater.com/2024/5/3/24148146/california-junk-fee-ban-restaurants-bars?_gl=1*1geowr6*

1 hr 50 min
May 03, 2024 James Beard loves LA media, the future of reservations, and serious questions about LA's croissant game. Plus, Chef Jonathan Harris of Linden, LA's most underrated new fine dining concept.
We give flowers to the very deserving LA-based journalists and writers who did score James Beard nominations, including Gab Chabran, Daniel Hernandez and Noah Galuten. We also talk about what we learned from a New Yorker deep dive on the Wild West that is restaurant reservations, why Angelenos are flocking to two new bakeries that opened this week, and the four pizzas that stole the show at this weekend’s Pizza City Fest.

We’re joined by Chef Jonathan Harris of Linden, a relatively new concept that opened in Hollywood last summer. Chef Jonathan is about as New York as it gets, and he had one hell of an upbringing eating all kinds of foods and working in his father’s acclaimed Long Island restaurant, Cornbread and Caviar. He talks to us about his journey, and how his unique path influenced the frankly mind-bending menu you can find at Linden. We also talk about his time operating a 26-seat tasting menu concept out of his apartment, and broader topics like the role black chefs and foodways have played in shaping American cuisine writ large.

Helpful links:
Linden https://lindenlosangeles.com/
James Beard nominees https://www.eater.com/24118355/2024-james-beard-awards-restaurant-chef-finalists
How to LA on conchas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpu4LZ1V7o
Gab Chabran on The LA Food Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7q29bhboG2WSHktlyJzEGl
Daniel Hernandez on Mexico City https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-13/mexico-city-essay-daniel-hernandez
New Yorker on reservations https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/why-you-cant-get-a-restaurant-reservation
Petit Grain https://la.eater.com/2024/4/30/24141932/petit-grain-boulangerie-bakery-santa-monica-los-angeles-best-croissant
Fondry https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-26/eagle-rock-bakery-fondry-croissants-los-angeles
Sal and I on the Compliments to the Chef podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/6H4OqQQtpkAzfZFOnN7iJB
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1 hr 36 min
April 26, 2024 Chefs of Coachella, feat. Eric Greenspan, David Kuo and many more. Plus, Sage Vegan embraces meat, Matthew Kenney still sucks, and Eddie Navarrette doesn't.
Coachella is behind us, my friends, and your humble podcast host had the chance to descend on the desert to catch up with 8 amazing chefs who were out there serving their food to the masses. Today’s episode is a compilation of those conversations. I spoke with Eric Greenspan about his latest concepts, including a delivery-only duck pop-up you simply must get your hands on. I got a scoop from Fatty Mart chef David Kuo about a brand new project he’s opening in Downtown LA in the next 12-18 months. And I learned a little more than I bargained for about how Juan Garcia, the chef behind birria shop The Goat Mafia, likes to party when taking in the dulcet sounds of Sublime. That and much, much more.

But first, a few things that caught my eye, including Sage Bistro’s decision to no longer be vegan, Matthe Kenney’s decision to still be vegan but to also be a horrific person, and the inspiring tale of one man who’s making a real difference advocating for Los Angeles restaurants up in Sacramento.

Helpful links:
Article on Sage https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-24/sage-vegan-bistro-no-longer-vegan-backlash
NYT Matthew Kenney expose https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/22/dining/vegan-chef-matthew-kenney.html
Eddie Navarrette in Eater https://la.eater.com/2024/4/24/24138533/eddie-navarrette-small-business-support-act-assembly-bill-2550-policy-restaurant-california-law
Pizza City Fest https://www.lalive.com/pizza-city-fest-la
Support L.A. Taco https://lataco.com/members
Eric Greenspan https://www.chefericgreenspan.com/the-story
Fatty Mart https://www.fattymart.com/
Burger She Wrote https://burgershewrote.com/
Chris N Eddy's https://www.chrisneddys.com/
The Goat Mafia https://www.thegoatmafia.com/
Mano Po https://eatmanopo.com/about-us
Battambong BBQ https://la.eater.com/2022/8/2/23288894/battambong-bbq-cambodian-texas-barbecue-long-beach-los-angeles-restaurants
Slingers https://www.slingersla.com/
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Shop The LA Food Podcast Bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods
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Get 10% off on your first order at First Light Farms using the code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

1 hr 27 min
April 19, 2024 Yes We Cannabis: Wendy Zeng is the LA chef exploring cultural heritage (and much more) via food and cannabis
Wendy Zeng is an award-winning chef and owner known around town and beyond for hosting cannabis-infused pop-ups, supper clubs and events. Make no mistake - we’re not talking about stoner food here, no shade to stoner culture. Wendy’s all about leaning into market-driven ingredients in the name of building community and destigmatizing recreational cannabis use.
What I found really fascinating, dear listener, was to learn about Wendy’s upbringing in Chengdu and how that influenced her love for cooking and her eventual desire to reclaim cannabis as a form of eastern plant medicine that was actually being utilized thousands of years before Cheech ever met Chong. We talk about how she approaches utilizing cannabis in her cooking, why she feels so passionately about destigmatizing the plant, and even what negative side effects have been ailing the industry since legalization took place and capitalism entered the chat. Finally, did you know that there’s a cannabis-tinged spinoff of Chopped on Discovery Plus, and that Wendy actually won the first ever edition!? Well you do now, and trust me, you’re gonna wanna hear more.
Helpful links:
Drizzle https://www.drizzle.catering/
Mogu Magu https://mogumagu.co/
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Shop The LA Food Pod bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods
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Receive 10% off on your first order at First Light Farms with code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/
1 hr 12 min
April 12, 2024 Daniele Uditi and Los Angeles' pizza renaissance. Plus, David Chang's chili crunch controversy, the 5 most anticipated bites of Coachella, and L.A. Taco needs our help.
Daniele Uditi is the chef and partner behind Pizzana, one of Los Angeles’ best and most influential pizzerias. Daniele joins us for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from his upbringing living above his aunt’s bakery near Naples, Italy, to his spontaneous relocation to Los Angeles which ultimately led him to meeting Candace Nelson and launching a bona fide pizza empire. We talk about the nitty gritty of dough and sourcing excellent products, but Daniele also offers us a window into the evolution of Los Angeles’ pizza scene over the last decade, what it means to lead a business with integrity in this day and age, and what he thinks of all of those pizza lists you see doing the rounds on social media. We learn about what his favorite pizzas in Los Angeles are besides his own of course, and we also hear about how he ideated the Padrino, LA’s best Italian sandwich, which is now permanently available for lunch at Pizzana’s Marina del Rey location.

But first, a couple of things that caught my eye... David Chang has chili crunched his way into quite the controversy, L.A. Taco is in dire need of our help, and Coachella is upon us, so I break down the 5 eats you absolutely must make time for, if you’re headed to the desert this weekend.

Helpful links:
Pizzana https://pizzana.com/
The Guardian on David Chang and chili crunch
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2024/apr/04/chili-crunch-trademark-momofuku-david-chang
Jenn Harris on David Chang and chili crunch
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-08/chili-crunch-chili-crisp-trademark-war-momofuku-fly-by-jing
Support L.A. Taco https://lataco.com/
Coachella food line-up https://coachella.com/featured-restaurants
Miya Miya https://www.instagram.com/miyamiyashawarma/
Mano Po https://www.instagram.com/eat.manopo/
Chipapas https://www.instagram.com/chipapasporvida
Grindz https://www.instagram.com/eatgrindz/
Battambong BBQ https://www.instagram.com/battambongbbq/
Pizza City Fest https://www.lalive.com/pizza-city-fest-la

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Shop The LA Food Podcast bundle on House of Macadamias https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods
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Shop First Light Farms, get 10% off on your first order by using the code LAFOOD10 https://www.firstlight.farm/

1 hr 28 min
April 05, 2024 James Beard snubs LA (kind of), Trader Joe's trader woes, and a Father Sal food crawl feat. Yangban, Felix, Poltergeist and a Chris Bianco cameo
Father Sal joins us. There's a quick Top Chef recap, including a Kristen Kish assessment. Father Sal also fills us in on The Bear clip that leaked.

News-wise we cover the announcement of the 2024 James Beard Award Finalists, a scathing Taste Magazine expose on the grocery store known as Trader Joe’s, and a long overdue minimum wage hike coming to California’s fast-food workers.

In Part 2, we recap a week-long food crawl Father Sal and I took while he was in town last week. We finally made it to modern Korean darlings Yangban in the Arts District, we revisited our old friend Diego Argoti at Poltergeist to see if that panang lamb neck was still hittin’, and, most surprisingly for me, we had a whirlwind at Evan Funke’s Felix in Venice, my first time visiting the restaurant since 2019. We also talk about Sal missing out on dinner at Pizzeria Bianco, where Chris Bianco himself made a surprise appearance...

Helpful links:
The Bear leak https://chicago.eater.com/2024/4/3/24120365/the-bear-season-3-trailer-clip-critics-fx-hulu
LA's 2024 James Beard nominees https://la.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048240/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-semifinalists-2024
Taste on Trader Joe's https://tastecooking.com/we-need-to-talk-about-trader-joes/
California minimum wage hike https://la.eater.com/2024/4/1/24118202/california-fast-food-worker-minimum-wage-explained
LA Times' Stephanie Breijo on World Central Kitchen https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-01/world-central-kitchen-workers-killed-gaza-jose-andres
Yangban https://yangbanla.com/
Felix https://felixla.com/
Pizzeria Bianco https://www.pizzeriabianco.com/los-angeles
Poltergeist https://www.buttonmashla.com/
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Use LAFOOD10 for a 10% discount on your first order of First Light Farms wagyu beef https://www.firstlight.farm/

1 hr 14 min
March 29, 2024 High Steaks: Matū's Scott Linder on the wonders of wagyu. Plus, the Walk of Fame gets a face lift, LA Health Dept in crisis and Brant Cox comes for Lisa Vanderpump.
We’re joined by Scott Linder, one of the Founders and Operating Partners behind Matū, which just might be my favorite steakhouse in all of Los Angeles. Matū is famous for its dedication to serving only the highest quality grass-fed wagyu beef. But that’s not all - as they were getting ready to launch the restaurant, Scott and his fellow founders spent a ridiculous amount of time nailing down all of the variables that go into preparing the product correctly, and serving it up in a way that leads to maximum flavor and satisfaction.

Scott joins us to talk all things beef, but also how he got into the position of being the culinary mind behind all that Matū has to offer. He tells us about his love for Iron Chef, his time spent traveling the world as the private chef to an A-list celebrity famous for doing their own stunts, and how one fateful afternoon with Jerry Greenberg led him to moving to Los Angeles and betting it all on beef. Of course, I couldn’t let him leave without asking him about Matū's legendary Philly Cheesesteak. How did they come up with it, and what makes it so damn irresistible?

But first, a few things that caught my eye. There’s change coming to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a crisis at the Health Department, and several excellent restaurant reviews I want you to go check out!

Helpful links:
Matu https://www.matusteak.com/aboutustext/
First Light Farms Steak Club https://steakclub.firstlight.farm/
Walk of Fame https://www.dailynews.com/2024/03/22/access-to-hollywood-plan-will-dramatically-redesign-hollywood-boulevard/
LA Times on Health Dept woes https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-03-15/restaurant-inspection-workplace-complaints
Jenn Harris reviews Sophy's https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-21/review-sophys-cambodia-town-food-music-beef-jerky
LA Times Koreatown guide https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-28/best-restaurants-bars-in-koreatown-los-angeles
Brant Cox of the Infatuation on SUR https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/sur-restaurant-and-lounge

1 hr 18 min
March 22, 2024 Ladyhawk's Charbel Hayek on winning Top Chef and a new era of Lebanese food in LA. Plus, The War on Pizza, Vespertine 2.0 and the return of Cafe Tropical.
We're joined by Charbel Hayek, a Top Chef champion and World-All Stars contestant who’s recently opened up one of Los Angeles’ buzziest new restaurants.

Charbel is the mastermind behind Ladyhawk, which opened last year inside of the La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood. Ladyhawk has been earning rave reviews for its forward-thinking Eastern Mediterranean menu, with LA Times critic Bill Addison calling it “Los Angeles’ most compelling Lebanese restaurant.”

Charbel joins us to talk about the journey that led him to Ladyhawk, from growing up in Beirut as the son of a chef, to becoming the youngest ever Top Chef winner in global franchise history.

Of course, I couldn’t let him leave without asking him all of the dirty deets on his Top Chef experience, especially with respect to last year’s World All-Stars in London. He breaks down just how grueling the filming schedule is, what it was like to win the Gaggan Anand challenge that allowed him to showcase his love for his country, and how he conceptualized the iconic onion dish that he’s become synonymous with in Top Chef-loving circles.

Also… There’s a War on Pizza playing out in New York City, a fascinating inside look at Vespertine 2.0, and the return of Cafe Tropical in Silver Lake.

Helpful links:
Ladyhawk https://ladyhawkrestaurant.com/
Bill Addison on Ladyhawk https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-01-25/ladyhawk-west-hollywood-lebanese-bill-addison-review
War on Pizza https://abc7ny.com/new-york-city-department-of-environmental-protection-pizzeria-emissions/13429285/
Vespertine 2.0 by Paul Feinstein https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/vespertine-jordan-kahn-interview
Cafe Tropical returns https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-03-15/cafe-tropical-reopen-return-sober-silver-lake

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1 hr 3 min
March 15, 2024 The 2024 Fantasy Top Chef Draft. Plus, 9 LA restaurants added to the Michelin Guide, Roy Choi's new taco concept, and how to party correctly in Valle de Guadalupe.
Top Chef is back! Season 21 kicks off next week March 20 in Wisconsin, and there are plenty of changes afoot. We discuss the changes, and hold our 2024 Fantasy Top Chef Draft.

We’re expanding the competition this year and joining us are none other than Jessie Evans, also known as Jessie Eats, and Daniel Wargo, also known as Forking Around. Will one of them have what it takes to take down the champ, Father Sal?

But first, a few things that caught my eye, including 9 new LA restaurants added to the Michelin guide, a new Roy Choi venture, the return of the not-so-Sweet Lady Jane, and an awesome Bill Esparza feature on how to do Valle de Guadalupe right!

Helpful links:
Top Chef Season 21 Trailer https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-21-trailer-location-cast-premiere-date
9 LA restaurants named to Michelin Guide https://la.eater.com/2024/3/12/24098634/california-michelin-guide-new-discoveries-restaurants-los-angeles-march-2024
Roy Choi's new concept https://la.eater.com/2024/3/12/24098695/roy-choi-tacos-por-vida-stand-los-angeles-overland-avenue
Sweet Lady Jane reopens https://lamag.com/food/sweet-lady-jane-reopens-santa-monica-beverly-hills-new-owners#:~:text=After%20weeks%20of%20the%20bakery,under%20new%20ownership%20on%20Tuesday.
Bill Esparza on Valle de Guadalupe for Alta Journal https://www.altaonline.com/culture/food-drink/a45977150/mexico-wine-country-valle-de-guadalupe-bill-esparza/
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Brought to you by House of Macadamias. Discover the LA Food Podcast bundle https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

1 hr 21 min