What happens when a Pacoima kid turned MIT-trained engineer brings a wonk’s brain — and a line cook’s work ethic — into the halls of power?

Alex Padilla is California’s senior U.S. Senator, a national voice on immigration and voting rights — and, as you may have seen recently, someone unafraid to challenge authority, even if it means getting handcuffed at a press conference. (This conversation was recorded before that moment, but you’ll hear crystal clear why these issues matter so deeply to him.)

In this episode: we’ll hear what it was like to serve as acting mayor of Los Angeles at just 28 years old in the wake of 9/11, how he helped change the way Californians do everything from vote to dine out at a restaurant, and how his family’s story shapes the quiet determination that continues to fuel his drive his public service.

Also: we’ll learn about the iconic L.A. restaurant where his father worked the line … for more than 35 years.