The LA Food Podcast The LA Countdown

Gabe Kennedy is the all-star chef behind Highland Park’s Checker Hall. He joins us today to tell us his high-octane journey, which includes winning Anthony Bourdain’s competition show “The Taste,” co-founding one of the hottest plant-based supplement companies on the market, and uprooting his life in New York to relocate to LA and grace our city with one of the most fun dining experiences I’ve had in a long time in Highland Park’s Checker Hall. 



One conversation with Gabe and you’re immediately hooked. You can just really tell how much this guy cares, not just about making delicious food, but about doing things that have real meaning and thought behind them. Personally I’m stoked to have Checker Hall in my backyard, but they’ve got a chicken schnitzel that is 100% worth driving across town for. Not to mention the historic building, the fantastic cocktails, the music venue next door. It’s one of the most fun evenings you can have in our fair city, and I think you’ll be makin’ a rez right after you hear Gabe talk about it. 



But first, Father Sal and I break down the things that caught my eye this week. There’s the Infatuation’s lackluster review of Vespertine, an intriguing albeit quite cringey Taste article on The Best Restaurant in Town, and a discussion on whether shoppy shops are good, bad or somewhere in between for neighborhoods.



Helpful links:

Checker Hall https://www.checkerhall.com/

Gabe Kennedy https://www.instagram.com/gabe_kennedy/?hl=en

Plant People https://www.plantpeople.co/

Vespertine review from The Infatuation https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/reviews/vespertine?ifsb=yes

The Best Restaurant in Town by Priyanka Mattoo https://tastecooking.com/the-best-restaurant-in-town/

LA Grocery opens up on Melrose Hill https://la.eater.com/2024/6/3/24167496/la-grocery-and-cafe-melrose-hill-los-angeles-produce-market

Noise in restaurants https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/interactive/2024/loud-restaurant-noise-health-effects/

Kevin D'Andrea show https://austinfoodmagazine.com/austin-chef-kevin-dandrea-to-host-new-nbcuniversal-series-breaking-baguettes/

EEEEEATSCON https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles/lineup

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We’re joined on today’s episode by the Infatuation’s Brant Cox for the first-ever in person podcast in LA Food Pod history. Brant and I met up for lunch at Mae Malai in Thai Town for some wonderful boat noodles (and much more). We caught up about what it’s like to be BFFs with Chris Pine, where he’s been eating lately, and oh yeah, a little thing called EEEEATSCON.


That’s right - EEEEATSCON is back at The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica next weekend June 8 and 9. Brant’s here to spill all the delicious details, and let me tell you, this is one of those food festivals you absolutely cannot miss if you call yourself an LA food lover. 


But first, Father Sal is with us to round up the week’s news, including the trailer to Season 3 of The Bear, a Cathy Chaplin Eater story on mental health and burnout in the service industry, a new food media company coming to LA courtesy of The Hundreds, and widespread fatigue with Instagram-famous cookware.
 
Helpful links:
EEEEEATSCON 2024 https://www.eeeeeatscon.com/los-angeles?utm_source=google&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=conversion_la_ec_smart&utm_term=eeeeeatscon&utm_audience=la&utm_matchtype=p&utm_id=21258913198&utm_adgroup_id=165813394207&utm_ad_id=700539019081&gclid=CjwKCAjwx-CyBhAqEiwAeOcTdW3ubiuxq2xEpWI0ivw3wj1FTUOiZE_Q9doEL8vGKKiOXUkADzuR0hoCki0QAvD_BwE


Brant Cox on IG https://www.instagram.com/brantcox/


Season 3 Trailer of The Bear https://youtu.be/UHiwdDFPsZY


Eater’s Cathy Chaplin mental health interview with Michael Scribner https://la.eater.com/2024/5/29/24166535/sommelier-michael-scribner-los-angeles-hospitality-career-work-life-balance-mental-health


Family Style food publication https://la.eater.com/2024/5/30/24167704/family-style-festival-the-hundreds-food-publication-complex-new-ownership


NYT on Instagram cookware https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/dining/instagram-cookware.html


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Eddie Navarrette is the Executive Director of the Independent Hospitality Coalition in addition to being one of LA’s foremost consultants in helping restaurants navigate the debilitatingly confusing process of opening their doors. He’s been at the center of advocating for restaurants for several years now, helping shape much needed policies for boosting our restaurants during these unprecedented difficult times.

We walk through his circuitous career journey, which includes playing in punk rock bands and joining the circus. And we also discuss many of the issues plaguing restaurants today and what IHC is looking to do about them.

Plus, Something About Her sandwiches, World's 50 Best talk and the LA Times continues to cover struggling restaurants.

Helpful links:
Independent Hospitality Coalition https://www.ihcla.org/
FE Design & Consulting https://fedesignandconsulting.com/
Something About Her https://www.instagram.com/somethingabouther/?hl=en
World's 50 Best 51-100 https://www.theworlds50best.com/stories/News/the-worlds-50-best-restaurants-2024-51-100-list.html
LA Times on life after restaurants https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-21/life-after-restaurants-former-restaurant-owners-chefs-why-they-left




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A midseason check in on Season 21 of Top Chef. We’re about half way through the season, so LA Food Pod Top Chef correspondent Father Sal is on the pod to dissect the highs, lows and everything in between. We’re also joined by two of my new favorite people - Bits Nicholas and Nancy DaSilva, the hosts of Compliments to the Chef, the must-listen Top Chef companion podcast. They tell us about how they got their start, and they also join us in looking back at the season so far, and in making predictions for the episodes to come. 



But first, a few things that caught my eye. Molly Baz found herself at the center of quite the media circus this week, the LA Times published a fascinating look at why restaurants are struggling right now, the Michelin Guide finally touched down in Mexico, and there’s a tournament of cheeseburgers afoot, courtesy of our friends at LAist. Plus, an LA Food Pod apology to one of LA’s great food journalists.



Helpful links:

Compliments to the Chef https://open.spotify.com/show/5ySvTZh0inCpq1SJP9baq6

NYT on Molly Baz https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/10/style/lactation-cookies-billboard.html

LA Times' Stephanie Breijo on restaurant struggles https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-15/restaurant-industry-economic-crisis-los-angeles

Botanica's Heather Sperling on what happens to a dollar at their restaurant https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-14/one-dollar-at-botanica-restaurant-los-angeles-heather-sperling

Michelin Mexico https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/michelin-guide-ceremony/michelin-guide-mexico-stars-green-stars-sustainability

LAist Tournament of Cheeseburgers https://laist.com/news/food/tournament-of-cheeseburgers

KCRW Good Food episode on Lalo Garcia https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/migrant-chef-life-and-times-lalo-garcia-laura-tillman

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We’re joined by none other than Bill Esparza, the legendary award-winning writer, author, TV fixer and saxophonist. Maybe you’ve read his reporting at Eater, maybe you’ve eaten at one of his many finds, or maybe you’ve seen him on shows like Somebody Feed Phil.



Regardless of where you know him from, Bill’s one of the most essential voices in LA food, and he’s with us today to talk about his journey in food, from starting a food blog in the aughts to winning a James Beard Award for his legendary taco guides. I also ask him about some of his more fiery opinions, including where his disdain for David Chang comes from, why he hates eating with “taco bros,” and what gets his goat about some of those influencers you see out there on social media, present company excluded of course. 



But first, an LA restaurant gets the attention of the World’s 50 Best, 5 new So Cal restaurants are added to the Michelin Guide, Sweetgreen adds beef to the menu, and restaurants navigate uncertainty as California’s junk fee ban looms on the horizon.



Helpful Links:

Bill on IG https://www.instagram.com/streetgourmetla/?hl=en

Bill's Eater page https://www.eater.com/authors/bill-esparza

Kato wins World's 50 Best recognition
https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-05-08/worlds-50-best-restaurants-kato-one-to-watch-resy

Michelin's new additions
https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/article/dining-out/michelin-guide-california-new-additions-restaurants?cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=3377c48b0cd911ef80b602d50a1eba23&utm_source=cj&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Skimlinks&utm_content=100037205&utm_term=15671072

Sweetgreen adds beef
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/07/dining/sweetgreen-steak.html

Lauren Saria on junk fees


https://sf.eater.com/2024/5/3/24148146/california-junk-fee-ban-restaurants-bars?_gl=1*1geowr6*
















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We give flowers to the very deserving LA-based journalists and writers who did score James Beard nominations, including Gab Chabran, Daniel Hernandez and Noah Galuten. We also talk about what we learned from a New Yorker deep dive on the Wild West that is restaurant reservations, why Angelenos are flocking to two new bakeries that opened this week, and the four pizzas that stole the show at this weekend’s Pizza City Fest. 



We’re joined by Chef Jonathan Harris of Linden, a relatively new concept that opened in Hollywood last summer. Chef Jonathan is about as New York as it gets, and he had one hell of an upbringing eating all kinds of foods and working in his father’s acclaimed Long Island restaurant, Cornbread and Caviar. He talks to us about his journey, and how his unique path influenced the frankly mind-bending menu you can find at Linden. We also talk about his time operating a 26-seat tasting menu concept out of his apartment, and broader topics like the role black chefs and foodways have played in shaping American cuisine writ large.



Helpful links:

Linden https://lindenlosangeles.com/

James Beard nominees https://www.eater.com/24118355/2024-james-beard-awards-restaurant-chef-finalists

How to LA on conchas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJpu4LZ1V7o

Gab Chabran on The LA Food Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7q29bhboG2WSHktlyJzEGl

Daniel Hernandez on Mexico City https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-07-13/mexico-city-essay-daniel-hernandez

New Yorker on reservations https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/why-you-cant-get-a-restaurant-reservation

Petit Grain https://la.eater.com/2024/4/30/24141932/petit-grain-boulangerie-bakery-santa-monica-los-angeles-best-croissant

Fondry https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2024-04-26/eagle-rock-bakery-fondry-croissants-los-angeles

Sal and I on the Compliments to the Chef podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/6H4OqQQtpkAzfZFOnN7iJB

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