Acquired Taste Food Podcasts

On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca sits down with Jessica Koslow, the chef and owner behind Sqirl, one of the most influential Los Angeles restaurants of the last 15 years. Koslow reflects on Sqirl’s unlikely evolution from a jam company into a defining all-day restaurant, the origins of dishes like the sorrel pesto rice bowl and ricotta toast, and why her background as a pastry cook and competitive figure skater still shapes the way she thinks about craft, repetition, and reinvention.

The conversation also dives into Sqirl’s new dinner service, which Koslow describes as a full restaurant within a restaurant, with a completely different menu, atmosphere, staffing model, and hospitality approach. She talks about the dishes leading the charge at night, including the chicken liver, roast chicken, smoked pork collar, French toast, and the personal story behind the Bacchanalia chocolate cake. Luca and Jessica also discuss LA dining culture, the economics of running an ambitious independent restaurant, the joy of hidden restaurant “Easter eggs,” and what it means for Sqirl to keep evolving after a complicated public chapter.

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This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca is joined by food writer Karen Palmer and LA food influencer Rick Lox for a two-part episode covering the state of Los Angeles restaurants, food media, and the city’s never-ending dining discourse. First, Karen breaks down the latest LA restaurant storylines, from the rise of luxury grocery stores like Laurel Supply to the possible comeback of the Helms Design District, plus recent eats at Jacaranda, Picala, Gjusta, and Pijja Palace. She and Luca also get into the new Helms District, Santee Alley after last year’s ICE raids, the Roll Em Up Taquitos controversy, vermin-related restaurant closures, the New York Times 100 Best Restaurants in NYC list, bromated flour, and Dine Latino Restaurant Week.

Then Luca sits down with Adam Alper, better known as Rick Lox, one of LA’s most recognizable food influencers, to talk about how he built his platform, the origin of the Rick Lox name, his rating system, dealing with haters, why Shibuya is his favorite restaurant of all time, why In-N-Out still matters, and the LA restaurants he thinks are truly elite, including Dunsmoor and République. Rick also opens up about what makes a restaurant review trustworthy, how social media has changed the LA dining scene, and why helping great restaurants find new customers is still the best part of the job.

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Luca and Father Sal break down the James Beard Awards media nominations, why LA continues to dominate, and how outlets like the Los Angeles Times keep scoring while The New York Times gets shut out. Plus: is the decline of Eater real, and are Substacks quietly replacing traditional food journalism?

In “Recent Eats,” we’re talking airport burgers at Skillet, a return to Lodge Bread, Roman pizza in Hollywood, and whether Catch LA is better than people admit.

Plus Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: Enrique Olvera’s new LA restaurant, a stacked all-star pop-up, an exciting new LA food Substack, and the most unhinged steakhouse behavior imaginable.

And oh yeah. Luca announces he’s officially running the New York City Marathon for Soccer Without Borders—and trying to raise $8,000. If you should feel so inclined to chip in - here's the link! Anything helps and is SO greatly appreciated!

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This might be the worst episode of The LA Food Podcast we’ve ever released.

Luca is sick, the brain fog is real, and for the first time ever… this episode is completely unedited. No cuts, no clean-up, no saving ourselves in post. What you’re about to hear is the raw, behind-the-scenes version of the show — for better or worse.

Despite the mess, there’s a lot to get into.

We kick things off with listener feedback, including a note from Caper Media clarifying their business model and what the future of food media might actually look like. Then it’s recent eats, featuring one of Luca’s all-time favorite meals with his parents (shout out Loreto)… and a truly brutal burrito experience that raises serious questions.

From there, we dive into an extended Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, covering:

• The New York Times’ updated “25 Best Restaurants in LA” list - and substitutions we would make
• Alinea’s reinvention strategy and the future of immersive dining
• Daniel Hernandez's honest thoughts on the Noma LA experience

• Whether modern sushi (especially omakase) has lost its soul
• Ravenous leaning into gossip
• Infatuation under fire
• And Indian food disrespect

It’s raw, it’s unfiltered, and it’s probably our worst episode ever.

Or… maybe our most honest.

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The LA food media landscape is exploding in 2026, and it’s getting harder to keep up. From the return of Gourmet to the rise of Caper Media, RAVENOUS, and LA Material, new outlets are reshaping how restaurants, culture, and criticism are covered.

In Part 1 of this episode, Luca and Father Sal break down the biggest food media launches of the year, debating which platforms actually have staying power, what business models might work, and why food media still struggles to scale beyond local audiences.

On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, they get into the dilution of Wagyu in America, the rise of African diaspora fast-casual concepts, a $300 steakhouse cocktail, and a fast food chain leaning hard into RFK Jr.–era food politics.

Then in Part 2, chef Christian Yang of Yang’s Kitchen joins the show to talk about building one of LA’s most distinctive restaurants and launching his new kombucha brand, Joimo, as he expands from hospitality into CPG.

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The LA Food Podcast is now on YouTube, and we’re celebrating with a brand new segment: VERSUS. This week, Luca and Father Sal go head-to-head debating two of LA’s most exciting modern Mexican restaurants—Echo Park favorite A Ti vs. the return of Ray Garcia at Broken Spanish Comedor—arguing which one is truly worth your next reservation.

Plus, Chef’s Kiss Big Miss is back with takes on the latest James Beard Awards controversy, a bizarre California Pizza Kitchen cease and desist, Food & Wine’s controversial best food cities rankings, and the rise of the “restaurant relationship gap.”

In Part 2, we sit down with Natalie Dial and Harry Posner of Tomat, the Westchester hotspot near LAX, to hear their incredible journey from meeting in The Gambia to leaving London behind to build one of LA’s most unique all-day restaurants. If you haven’t been yet, this conversation might change that.

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Today on Couch Potatoes, we’re breaking down the first six episodes of America’s Culinary Cup, the new CBS food competition series hosted by Padma Lakshmi—and her very public post-Top Chef return to the genre.

We get into what the show is trying to be, how it stacks up against Top Chef, and whether the high-level talent—from Michelin-starred chefs to James Beard nominees like Buddha Lo, Beverly Kim, and LA’s own Keith Corbin—is actually delivering. Then we unpack the competition structure, the early challenges (from meat to sustainability to dessert), and whether the twists and judging system are elevating the show or overcomplicating it.

Finally, we get into our hottest takes: who’s winning, whether the show has real staying power, and how America’s Culinary Cup compares to the current food TV landscape.

If you’re into Top Chef, food competition shows, or just strong opinions about who should be sent home, this one’s for you.

Today on The LA Food Podcast, we’re joined by Vanderpump Rules star and restaurateur Tom Schwartz for a candid, surprisingly thoughtful conversation about life in the hospitality industry.

Recorded at Mae Malai in Los Angeles, Tom opens up about his journey from aspiring actor to bar owner, what it really takes to open and operate restaurants like TomTom and Schwartz & Sandy’s, and why the industry is far more brutal than it looks. He reflects on the impact of reality TV fame, navigating one of the most explosive scandals in Bravo history, and how it all intersects with his love of food and dining across LA.

In Part 1, Karen Palmer joins to break down the latest in the LA food scene, including standout meals at Bar Di Bello, Osteria Mozza, Buena Bodega, Bianca Sicilian Trattoria, and Sqirl. We also dig into a major James Beard Awards storyline, the evolution of Ventura’s dining scene, and whether LA is finally getting the national recognition it deserves. And The Quiet Woman, of course.

On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we debate Noma’s latest move in LA, influencer culture’s impact on restaurants, and a controversial take that LA isn’t a “real food city.”

It’s Bravo, it’s restaurants, it’s LA dining—this one covers it all.

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Los Angeles shows out in a big way as the 2026 James Beard finalists are announced—and for once, it actually feels like the city is getting its due. We break down the biggest headlines, who got snubbed, and whether the Beards still mean what they used to for LA and fine dining at large.

Then, we dive into the growing backlash against fine dining, sparked by Khushbu Shah’s viral Substack and a New York Times piece on kitchen culture. Is the model broken, or just overdue for evolution?

In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, we react to Bill Esparza’s “bagels are just bread” take, a new South Asian hand roll concept in Lomita, and the case for “middle-aged restaurants”—the spots that have outlasted the hype and might actually be at their peak.

In Part 2, Chef Brian Bornemann of Crudo e Nudo joins to talk about building one of LA’s most compelling restaurants from a pandemic pop-up, why the traditional restaurant model doesn’t work, and how local seafood—and smaller fish like sardines and mackerel—fits into the future of dining.

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On this episode of The LA Food Podcast, Luca checks in from Las Vegas in full Uncut Gems mode while Father Sal returns for a chaotic, no-holds-barred Q&A episode.

You asked, we answered. We’re talking everything from which LA food influencers are completely full of shit, why certain “terrible” restaurants stay packed, and how to actually navigate tipping culture in 2026, to deeper cuts like underrated LA chefs, Mexican breakfast standouts, and whether LA food media ignores entire regions of the city. We also get into real-life dilemmas like bad restaurant recommendations, ordering disasters, and yes, Luca’s advice on finding a wife.

On Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, the biggest stories in LA food get the treatment. A San Gabriel Valley institution is forced to pull its iconic stinky tofu after neighborhood complaints, sparking a larger conversation about culture, identity, and who gets to “smell” in Los Angeles. The Horses saga returns as Will Aghajanian denies the now-infamous cat-killing allegations in a bizarre and headline-grabbing interview. Meanwhile, the Noma Los Angeles fallout continues to spiral, with conflicting accounts around a viral abuse story complicating an already explosive situation. Plus, we break down the wild new Dodger Stadium menu, including bone marrow tacos and loco moco, and highlight Night Out for No Kid Hungry, one of LA’s biggest food events of the year. (Use code LUCA20 for a discount!)

In Part 2, we’re joined by world-class pizza chef Daniele Uditi live from Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. We dive into his latest project, Lele Dinner Club, and get into a full-on pizza myth-busting session. Should pizza have no flop? Is Neapolitan pizza supposed to be soupy? And are people crazy for expecting a dollar slice to still cost a dollar?

If you care about LA food, pizza culture, or just want brutally honest takes on the restaurant world, this one’s for you.

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