The LA Food Podcast

In 2019 Benson Tsai quit his job at SpaceX to start... a pizza company. Stellar Pizza isn't just any pizza company, though. Benson and his co-founders used their engineering backgrounds to launch a fully automated robot-powered pizza operation, which eventually attracted the financial support of Jay-Z and is now operating trucks that serve USC and UCLA. Benson joins us to talk about Stellar Pizza'...

Father Sal returns to the pod to discuss some hot-topics in LA and global food news, including the recent backlash incurred by a new Salt & Straw location in Silver Lake, the pros and cons of music festival food, and why L.A. Taco's Taco Madness competition is actually a great way to gauge the actual merits of a taqueria. We also give a quick updated on how our Fantasy Top Chef is progressing and...

Solo pod alert! We're a third of the way through the year, dear listener, and I want to tell you about four incredible dining experiences that I've had of late. From handmade cavatelli to wood-fired kanpachi, you're gonna want to have your DoorDash app open cuz impending hunger is guaranteed. Helpful links: Uncle Paulie's - https://site.unclepauliesdeli.com/ Mirate - https://www.mirate.la/ Isla -...

I'm joined by a true OG of the food influencing world today to discuss the ins and outs of this weird world. Jessie Evans has been producing food content under the moniker of @JessieEats for the better part of a decade, putting her storytelling to work so that foodies from all over can learn where to eat next. We discuss how she started, how she approaches reviewing spots that offer a less-than-po...

Big news! Your favorite podcast host tied the knot recently! Cousin Sal joins me to talk all things wedding food, including what makes for an unforgettable wedding menu and what he really thought of the food served at my wedding. We then go head to head as we each try to create the ideal wedding menu using our favorite dishes from Los Angeles restaurants. Who won? You decide! Helpful links: James...

Michael "Fat Phuck" Cannata joins us to talk about his journey as a long-time food influencer, what eats he's been enjoying recently, and what the heck makes for a good New Haven-style apizza (pronounced "a-BEETZ!"). We then debut a brand new LA Food Pod game, "The Perfect Rec," in which our guest is tasked with providing the pinpoint ideal restaurant rec for a ve...

What would LA be without its street vendors? From pupusas to tacos de canasta, some of my favorite places to eat in this fair city don't even have names. They're just there . But them being there shouldn't be taken for granted - in fact, making street vending legal has been a long and arduous fight in this city. Today, Rudy Espinoza stops by to talk about the fight for legal street vending in LA....

Top Chef Season 20 airs TONIGHT on Bravo at 8p ET/PT. It's a special season - they're headed to London for a World All-Stars in which winners and finalists from past editions across the globe will go head to head. Cousin Sal joins me to preview the season and to conduct a draft for our very own game of Fantasy Top Chef! Helpful links: Top Chef website - https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef Contestant...

Kyle Davidson joins the pod to talk about Dough Daddy , his Detroit-style pizza concept that first popped up during the pandemic. We discuss why Dough Daddy got started, how it rose to such rapid success, and what the journey has been like for Kyle, both from a business and a mental health perspective. 

We're joined by the all-star chef of one of LA's hottest new restaurant concepts, Amiga Amore. Chef Danielle Duran Zecca is cooking up Italian-Mexican fusion, and she tells us about the concept's history, as well as its exciting future. I'm then joined by Daniel Wargo of the Forking Around social media channels for an epic duel with ChatGPT - who can provide the best list of Top 10 restaurants in...

As the City of Los Angeles proposes new hoops for restaurants to jump through in order to keep serving diners outdoors, Casa Vega's Christy Vega joins us to break down just what the new red tape would mean for LA's restaurateurs. She also tells us about what it was like to grow up in and take over one of LA's most legendary Mexican restaurants, and how the Ventura Blvd icon became a Kardashian mai...

We're joined by James Beard Award-winning broadcaster, author and podcaster Steve Dolinsky to talk all things pizza, including the first-ever Pizza City Fest LA, coming to L.A. Live on April 29-30. Cousin Sal and I then celebrate my birthday by holding the 2023 Draft of the Top 10 restaurants and bars for LA-based birthday celebrations. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Helpful links from this...

The epic sequel to our blockbuster debut, Cousin Salman and I do a little round-up of the top food news stories this week, and then have a lively recap conversation of foodie satire "The Menu." Spoiler alert, there are spoilers. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Articles referenced: LA Times - The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers - https://www.latime...

On this epic POD DEBUT, I give you the 411 on what the heck the Countdown is, and why I'm embarking on a quest to eat 100 iconic LA sandwiches in 365 days. We're then joined by Friend of the Countdown Cousin Salman to talk about the James Beard Awards' semifinalists, and why we should even care about these kinds of awards in the first place. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.  Find The LA Countdo...

Here's why you should subscribe The LA Countdown - The Podcast. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.