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The LA Food Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Acquired Taste Media
The LA Food Podcast is where LA’s top chefs, boldest food stories, and biggest restaurant moments all collide. Hosted by Luca Servodio, the official hype man of Los Angeles restaurants, we dig deep into what’s happening across the most exciting food city on the planet — Los Angeles. We’ve chopped it up with legends like Wolfgang Puck, Brooke Williamson, Joe Sasto, and more. Expect chef interviews, restaurant news, behind-the-scenes drama, food culture trends, and no-BS conversations about LA’s dynamic dining scene. Powered by Acquired Taste Media. New episodes drop every Friday. Hit follow!
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- 4 days ago1h 46m
Q&A: LA Pizza, MAGA Food Influencers & Softball Interview Backlash. Plus, Mona Holmes on How 2020 Reshaped Food Media
This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca and Father Sal kick things off with a listener Q&A covering some of the most pressing issues in Los Angeles dining: where to find a trendy but affordable sit-down meal, whether LA has its own pizza style, how much power food influencers really have, what makes a restaurant creator trustworthy, and why Brazilian pizza at Sampa’s in Marina del Rey might be one of LA’s most underrated World Cup-adjacent food experiences. They also discuss Holy Basil, Cafe Telegram, Roshna Bilash, KurryPinch, Asadero Los Angeles, Naughty Pie Nature, Dudley Market discourse, chef behavior, and the eternal question of whether Reese’s peanut butter cups have always been this chalky.Then, James Beard Award-nominated journalist Mona Holmes of Eater LA joins the show for a deep conversation about how 2020 changed food media forever. Mona and Luca revisit the collision of COVID, the George Floyd protests, the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen reckoning, Adam Rapoport’s resignation, Alison Roman, Peter Meehan and the LA Times Food section, the James Beard Awards overhaul, and the shrinking of food newsrooms across the country. They also dig into what has been lost as food journalism has shifted toward video, engagement and influencer culture, why LA remains one of the strongest food media cities in America, and how outlets like Eater LA, LA Taco, LAist, the Los Angeles Times, independent newsletters and local creators are still telling the story of the city’s restaurants in a brutally difficult era.--Come to the Pizza Run Club in Mar Vista to Venice!Donate to my Soccer Without Borders fund
- 1 weeks ago1h 9m
Does the Math Math on North America’s 50 Best? Plus, Pizzeria Sei Goes National, Dudley Market Gets Fishy, and We Go to Dinner Spontaneously
This week on the LA Food Podcast, Luca and Father Sal dig into the new North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list and what it says about the state of dining in Los Angeles, New York, Canada, New Orleans and beyond. LA landed four restaurants on the 2026 list — Holbox, Providence, Somni and Kato — while major Bay Area names fell off, raising the question of whether Los Angeles has fully closed the gap as California’s most exciting fine dining city.Before that, Luca shares the launch of Pizza Run Club, his pizza-fueled marathon fundraiser for Soccer Without Borders, and the guys trade recent eats from Anna Pizzeria, Etra, La Burg, Bridgetown Roti, La Coupe and Pasjoli. Then, in Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, they debate Pizzeria Sei being named one of the best pizzerias in America, Dudley Market’s seafood controversy, Connie & Ted’s closing, Eric Greenspan’s deli comeback at Mish, restaurants becoming a political issue in LA, and whether even the Baklava Guy can make Sal feel anything positive about the Knicks.LINKS WE PROMISED TO SHARE:Pizza Run Club sign-upRobert Haleblian's article The last time we covered North America's 50 Best
- 2 weeks ago55 min
How Bub and Grandma’s Took Over LA’s Bread Game
Andy Kadin, founder of Bub and Grandma’s, joins The LA Food Podcast for a deep dive into one of the most beloved bakeries in Los Angeles. If you’ve eaten at restaurants across LA, from Michelin-starred dining rooms to neighborhood sandwich shops, there’s a good chance you’ve had Bub and Grandma’s bread on the table.In this episode, Andy tells the story of how a home bread operation grew into a wholesale bakery supplying hundreds of LA restaurants, what makes Bub and Grandma’s such a force in the city’s bread scene, and how obsession, craft, and consistency helped build one of LA’s most recognizable food brands. We also talk about opening the Bub and Grandma’s restaurant in Glassell Park, expanding into a second restaurant, and the very real dangers of getting into the pizza business.--Help Luca run the NYC marathon! Donate to Soccer Without Borders on Luca's page, here. $1, $5, $10 - anything helps!
- 3 weeks ago1h 3m
Jessica Koslow on How Dinner at Sqirl Is Actually Going
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.--Please consider donating to Soccer Without Borders to support Luca's quest to run the New York Marathon <3 Every cent counts! Make sure to use Luca's link!
- May 15, 20261h 37m
The Rise of Rick Lox. Plus, LA Gets an Erewhon Knock-Off, Vermin Hit LA Icons & the NYT 100 Causes a Stir
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.--Please consider supporting Luca's efforts to raise funds for Soccer Without Borders - LOVE YOU!
- May 8, 202646 min
Why Does LA Keep Dominating the James Beard Media Nominations? Plus, Enrique Olvera's New Venture, The Pop Up To End All Pop Ups, and Unhinged Steakhouse Behavior.
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! --Sponsored by mva.wine - discover wines that don't usually make it to the US, delivered straight to your doorstep.
- May 1, 202657 min
Our Worst Episode Ever | NYT's Updated Best LA List, Noma Should Cost More, Infatuation Under Attack & How Sushi Lost Its Soul
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 makeAlinea’s reinvention strategy and the future of immersive diningDaniel Hernandez's honest thoughts on the Noma LA experienceWhether modern sushi (especially omakase) has lost its soulRavenous leaning into gossipInfatuation under fireAnd Indian food disrespectIt’s raw, it’s unfiltered, and it’s probably our worst episode ever.Or… maybe our most honest.--Presented by mva.wine. Let's drink awesome wine.
- Apr 24, 20261h 33m
The 2026 Food Media Boom: Bubble or Breakthrough? Plus, Yang's Kitchen's Chris Yang's Next Big Bet.
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. --Presented by mva.wine - the uncharted side of wine.
About The LA Food Podcast
The LA Food Podcast is where LA’s top chefs, boldest food stories, and biggest restaurant moments all collide. Hosted by Luca Servodio, the official hype man of Los Angeles restaurants, we dig deep into what’s happening across the most exciting food city on the planet — Los Angeles. We’ve chopped it up with legends like Wolfgang Puck, Brooke Williamson, Joe Sasto, and more. Expect chef interviews, restaurant news, behind-the-scenes drama, food culture trends, and no-BS conversations about LA’s dynamic dining scene. Powered by Acquired Taste Media. New episodes drop every Friday. Hit follow!
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