Acquired Taste Food Podcasts

By Acquired Taste MediaArts Food

Acquired Taste Food Podcasts episodes

March 08, 2024 PIE 2 PIE crossover with Hot Tongue Pizza's Alex Koons
Today, the first ever crossover pod in LA Food Podcast history. I (Luca) joined the PIE 2 PIE podcast, hosted by Hot Tongue Pizza's Alex Koons, to talk about pizza, influencers, and much, much more.
Alex is making one of Los Angeles' best pizzas at Hot Tongue in Silver Lake. I loved talking to him about his pizza journey, from delivering pies at Tomato Pie to opening up Hot Tongue Pizza. We talked about his exit from veganism, the power of influencers like Dave Portnoy, and when is the right time for a Little Cesar's Hot N' Ready.
Helpful links:
PIE 2 PIE https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pie-2-pie-a-pizza-makers-podcast/id1668271578
Hot Tongue Pizza https://www.hottonguepizza.com/
1 hr 26 min
March 01, 2024 Chang-a-Palooza: Dissecting David Chang's empire (but mostly just Chrissy & Dave Dine Out)
Joining us today on the podcast is our very own Prodigal Father-turned-television correspondent, Father Sal. If you have a Hulu subscription, a Netflix subscription or a keen eye for billboards, you’ve probably seen an ad for one of David Chang’s many shows recently. Sal and I are going to do a bit of a deep dive into the world of Chrissy & Dave Dine Out, his show on Hulu with Chrissy Teigen and Joel Kim Booster in which they dine at LA restaurants with celebrity friends. Yes, it’s a classic LA Food Pod slice and dice of whether a food show is worth watching or not, but it’s also a larger conversation on what makes for a good food show in general, what it means to do Los Angeles’ food scene justice, and David Chang’s status within pop culture-at-large.
But first, we’re going to carve up a couple of news stories that whet our appetite this week. There’s a fantastic New York Times interview with 30 chefs on topics like tipping and Gen Z employees, a GrubHub lawsuit that stands to threaten the very existence of food delivery apps in California, and a lukewarm albeit detailed debate about the merits of tuna sandwiches.
Helpful links:
Chrissy & Dave Dine Out https://www.freeform.com/shows/chrissy-and-dave-dine-out
NYT interview with 30 chefs https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/27/dining/chefs-state-of-the-restaurant-industry.html
GrubHub in trouble https://la.eater.com/2024/2/22/24080398/los-angeles-county-lawsuit-grubhub-deceptive-business-practices-customers-drivers-restaurants
Carla Cafe https://la.eater.com/2024/2/26/24079376/carla-cafe-los-angeles-sandwich-shop-west-third-beverly-grove-avi-ahdoot
Infatuation smashburger rankings https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/best-smashburgers-los-angeles
Southern Smoke Foundation mental health resources https://southernsmoke.org/mental-health/
1 hr 4 min
February 23, 2024 Sneak preview of the inaugural LA Wine and Food Festival. Plus, Sacramento's star turn, smashburger fatigue, and junk fee trouble ahead.
The inaugural LA Wine and Food Festival is coming to Santa Monica pier next week (March 1-3). Organizer Cecile Rebbot joins us to offer a sneak peak at what you can expect from this bona fide chef-a-palooza.

Plus, my thoughts on Eater's 2024 "Where to Eat" list, Mona Holmes' article on whether LA has achieved "peak smashburger," and what restaurants can do to weather the junk fee-related storm ahead.

Helpful links:
LA Wine and Food Festival https://www.lawineandfood.com/
LA Wine and Food Festival on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lawinefoodfest/
Eater Where to Eat 2024 https://www.eater.com/24009889/best-places-to-eat-restaurants-travel-2024-list
Mona Holmes on smashburgers https://la.eater.com/2024/2/15/24074061/smash-burgers-hamburger-takeout-pop-up-los-angeles-opinion-southern-california
Stephanie Breijo on junk fees https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-15/new-california-hidden-fees-law-service-fee-ban
Top Chef Season 21 trailer https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-21/videos/your-first-look-at-top-chef-season-21
Unlistables on Gold Spoon https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/reel/C3lOu9rvlDH/
Episode in which I give my take on why smashburgers are like making out https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-infatuations-brant-cox-on-eeeeeatscon-and-a/id1667175207?i=1000611882092

38 min
February 16, 2024 For Sake's Sake: Tsubaki and Ototo's Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba on sake, success, and striving for more
Joining us today on the podcast are Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba, the duo behind Echo Park’s Tsubaki and Ototo, as well as the upcoming project Camelia, in the Arts District. Both Tsubaki and Ototo have been making serious noise for years, in Los Angeles and beyond. Their modern, California-centric approach to the classic izakaya experience has been widely lauded and recognized by the likes of the LA Times, the James Beard Awards, and many, many more.
Charles and Courtney walk us through the respective paths that led to their fateful meet-cute at EN Japanese Brasserie in New York City, and how they went from being colleagues in the New York restaurant scene to partners in life and business. We talk the ins and outs of sake, the inspirations behind Charles’ menu items, and the unlikely media hit that launched Tsubaki into a whole new stratosphere of success.
Helpful links:
Tsubaki http://tsubakila.com/
Ototo https://www.ototo.la/
Article on Camelia https://la.eater.com/2024/1/3/24008079/camelia-restaurant-french-japanese-opening-los-angeles-arts-district-courtney-kaplan-charles-namba
Original LA Times review of Tsubaki https://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-patricia-escarcega-tsubaki-review-20190328-story.html
55 min
February 13, 2024 BONUS: Valentine's Day for procrastinators, with Jada Montemarano
Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, dear listener, and, like a box of chocolates from your office building’s custodian, we’re here with a surprise gift of an episode - a Procrastinator’s Guide to the perfect Valentine’s Day. I’m joined by food reporter Jada Montemarano to talk about how, if you’re one of those people who’s left their plans to the last minute, you just might be able to still hit a Valentine’s Day buzzer beater.
We talk tips and tricks for staging the perfect Valentine’s Day at home, a few hacks if you’re one of those people who insists on taking their beloved out for one of the most cursed nights on the dining calendar, and what you might consider doing if you’re one of the single guys or gals prepping for a good ole Galentine’s bash.

There’s talk of sushi, Korean barbecue, the most romantic restaurant in Los Angeles, and why Father Sal was present at my first-ever Valentine’s Day date with my now wife.

Helpful links:
Jada on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jadamontemarano/?hl=en
Cheat Day on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDFSPggKc7pzA6rHYyrFAiA

32 min
February 09, 2024 The LA restaurant Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Superbowl spreads. Plus, Found Oyster in hot water, Jenn Harris slams All'Antico Vinaio, and LA street vendors win big.
I’m joined by my friend Daniel Wargo, who you might know on TikTok and Instagram as Forking Around, to devise the ideal Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-inspired Super Bowl spreads. We’re going category by category, and challenging ourselves to devise two different spreads sourced from Los Angeles area restaurants, that perfectly capture the essence of Taylor and Travis respectively. Forks is going to do the Travis spread, I’m doing the Taylor spread, and you’re going to get hungry thinking about these absolutely insane, imaginary Super Bowl parties that none of us would ever be invited to in a million years.

Also discussed on this episode... Service fee trouble at Found Oyster, Jenn Harris demolition of All’Antico Vinaio, and a big win for LA street vendors. Plus a new exciting series on The LA Countdown!

Helpful links:
Forking Around YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/ForkingAround
Forking Around TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@forkingaround_tv
Forking Around Instagram https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/?hl=en
Last Word Hospitality lawsuit
https://la.eater.com/2024/2/1/24058584/last-word-hospitality-los-angeles-restaurant-class-action-lawsuit-service-charges-found-oyster
Jenn Harris on All'Antico Vinaio
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-05/favorite-sandwiches-los-angeles
LA street vendors' win https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-02-06/council-lifts-ban-on-vending-near-hollywood-bowl-other-popular-l-a-locations
Manzke and Bicyclette closures
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-02-05/manzke-bicyclette-closing-michelin-starred-tasting-menu-los-angeles

1 hr 2 min
February 02, 2024 Immaculate Vibes: The ins and outs of restaurant design with Preen Inc's Alexis Readinger
We’re joined today by Alexis Readinger, the founder of Preen Inc., an international award-winning hospitality architecture and design firm based right here in our City of Angels. Alexis walks us through her fascinating career designing some of Los Angeles’ most iconic dining rooms, from Michelin star establishments to beloved hot chicken powerhouse Howlin’ Ray’s.
More than that, though, Alexis discusses all that goes into the design process. And, sure, there’s talk of logistics and timelines, but there’s also reflections on getting to the heart of what a restaurant is trying to convey and how you bring a feeling or a vibe to life in a physical space. We talk about design trends over the years, which design trends Los Angeles is recognized for around the world, and what the heck an architect does when a client won’t stop asking for a punny neon sign.
1 hr 2 min
January 26, 2024 Whiplash as 19 LA restaurants named James Beard semifinalists, but 94 LA Times reporters lose their jobs. Plus, the art of fast casual, with My Lai Kitchen's Traci and Shad Davis.
19 LA area restaurants are named James Beard Semifinalists while 94 journalists at The Los Angeles Times, including some food journalists, lose their jobs - needless to say, it’s been a week of high highs and low lows. Father Sal joins us to dissect it all. We have some fun, congratulatory chat about the amazing restaurants like Amiga Amore and Kuya Lord getting the James Beard nods. And we have a thornier conversation on the importance of local media and what can be done to ensure a more sustainable media ecosystem moving forward.
On an entirely positive note, we’re also joined today by Traci and Shad Davis, the power couple behind Vietnamese fast casual concept My Lai Kitchen. Traci and Shad walk us through the inspiration for their rapidly expanding spring roll empire. We talk through the nuances of opening a fast casual concept, why some fast casual concepts succeed better than others, and the discoveries they’ve made as they translate the beauty of Vietnamese cooking into the fast casual format. Traci also talks to us about her inspiration for opening My Lai in the first place, and Shad tells a hilarious anecdote about how he chooses to spend his birthday each year. Traci and Shad are an absolute delight, and their food is delightful too, so make sure to stick around for that.
Helpful links:
My Lai Kitchen https://www.mylaikitchen.com/
My Lai Kitchen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/themylaikitchen/
James Beard semifinalists https://la.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048240/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-semifinalists-2024
LA Times layoff news https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/los-angeles-times-lay-off-94-workers-union-president-2024-01-23/#:~:text=Jan%2023%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20The,media%20industry%20in%20recent%20weeks.
Eater story on Melrose Hill https://la.eater.com/2024/1/23/24042254/melrose-hill-los-angeles-neighborhood-new-restaurants-bars-zach-lasry-developer-gentrification
Danielle Duran Zecca on the LA Food Pod https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MdotJ7CPm5Ni0VhLPbZNQ?si=HkF7D6WTRVCR8nzTvcInDA
1 hr 36 min
January 19, 2024 Who are the Justice 8? With L.A. Taco's Janette Villafana. Plus, The Bear wins big, certain restaurants behave badly, and Luca does Seacrest
We’re joined today by L.A. Taco’s Janette Villafana to discuss the ins and outs of the Justice 8. If you’ve been scrolling Los Angeles food news on social media or the web over the past few weeks, you may have seen the name “Justice 8” being tossed around. Who are the Justice 8 and what do they have to do with food? In a nutshell, the Justice 8 are a group of street vendor activists who are being held in jail for reasons that many are calling unjust. Janette’s been covering the issue in depth, and is here to break down the situation, what it means for Los Angeles street vendors, and what’s happening next.

But first, a couple of things caught my eye that I wanted to quickly talk to you about, dear listener. From Plant Food + Wine to Cookbook to Sweet Lady Jane, accusations of bad restaurant behavior are running rampant and I want to unpack it all just a little bit. I also want to quickly give the Emmy-winning food shows their flowers, and take a quick second to plug some pretty cool things that I have cooking outside of the podcast.

53 min
January 12, 2024 The Dreamer: Danny Castillo's journey to opening Heritage Barbecue and becoming one of So Cal's premier pitmasters
We’re joined by Danny Castillo, the pitmaster behind San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue, one of Southern California’s premiere barbecue destinations. In recent years Heritage has earned the attention of the LA Times 101 Best Restaurants List, they’ve been named Restaurant of the Year by the OC Register, and they’ve even gained Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition.
While Danny’s “Cali Craft Barbecue,” as he calls it, is now legendary, the story that got him there is full of pit stops and perseverance. Danny shares with us how he went from fixing up old cars, to working at Whole Foods, to finally breaking out on his own to dedicate himself fully to his one true passion - smoking meats. Beyond Danny’s story, I loved this conversation because Danny shows his true, barbecue nerd side. We speak in depth about the different types of barbecue, why certain woods yield different results, how the heck those big ole offset grills you see at barbecue joints even work, and more. There’s a touch of barbecue history in there, and a ton of recognition for the pitmasters who paved the way for Heritage and others to thrive today.
Helpful links:
Heritage BBQ https://www.heritagecraftbbq.com/
Heritage on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heritagebarbecue/?hl=en
1 hr 11 min