The LA Food Podcast

Melissa Lopez is the James Beard semifinalist chef behind Barra Santos, one of the buzziest restaurants in recent memory to grace Los Angeles. Barra Santos is a tiny, sardine-tin of a restaurant in Cypress Park serving up thoughtful, super high-quality Portuguese fare. But as small as the restaurant’s footprint is, the noise it’s made since opening has been nothing short of deafening. After visiting the restaurant myself, I knew I wanted to get to know the mastermind behind the operation, and Chef Melissa did not disappoint. Would I go so far as to say we’ve got one of the country’s brightest rising stars on our hands? Yes, yes, I would. But listen to the interview and visit Barra Santos to make up your own mind on the matter. But first, a nasally rendition of a couple of things that caught my eye this week. There’s a Jenn Harris piece on how the tariffs are endangering the diversity that makes LA’s food scene one of the best in the country, a Substack newsletter (Khushbu Shah’s Tap Is Fine) on whether or not we should view influencers as experts, and an exciting new survey (from Emily Wilson at The Angel) on what Angelenos want from restaurants that I highly encourage you to take. Helpful Links:Jenn Harris on tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-04-11/los-angeles-restaurants-tariffs-southeast-asian-foodLaurie Ochoa on chili crisp and tariffs https://www.latimes.com/food/newsletter/2025-04-12/its-too-late-to-tariff-the-globalization-out-of-american-cuisine-more-chili-crisp-please-tasting-notesKhushbu Shah on influencers, amateurs, and expertise https://khushbushah.substack.com/p/when-did-we-all-become-afraid-of?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2026436&post_id=161441896&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailEmily Wilson’s survey in The Angel https://www.theangel.la/p/what-angelenos-want-from-restaurants-survey?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1717567&post_id=161269590&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=31nins&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email&hide_intro_popup=trueGab Chabran and Suzanne Levy on grants for restaurants from the California Restaurant Foundation https://laist.com/news/food/10-000-grant-available-for-restaurants-affected-by-la-firesBarra Santos https://www.barrasantosla.com/–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠–Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods

The New York Times dropped a list of “The 25 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Right Now.” Coming on the heels of the paper’s 2023 Restaurant List a few weeks ago, critic at large Tejal Rao describes the new list as her “current favorites in one of the greatest food cities in the world.” Father Sal joins me to comb through the selected restaurants, opine on the quality of the list as a whole, and share a couple of Rao’s choices that left us scratching our respective heads. We also ask ourselves the questions who is this list really for, what’s the point of having so many similar lists floating around in the ether, and what would be an even better way to do this whole listicle journalism thing? But first, Father Sal and I round up the headlines to sift through what matters and what doesn’t. There’s a waste controversy at Erewhon, another round of harassment allegations at Nobu Malibu, and a sad landlord story affecting one of LA’s most beloved Japanese cafes. We also talk robot food delivery, coffee omakase, and my new favorite topic, dining in the nude. We finish the episode off with a brand new segment called “Bad Yelp Review,” where we each share a moment from the past week in which the people in our lives would have been justified in leaving us a shitty Yelp review as humans. Podcasting was gonna be fun, they said.

Gustavo Arellano is one of Southern California’s most influential voices in food and culture over the course of the last 25 years. Gustavo is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and he’s also currently the namesake of KCRW and Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament, which culminates this October 8 at Smorgasburg in Downtown LA. He’s a best-selling author, he was the long-time food critic of the storied OC Weekly, and his TV appearances include the likes of David Chang’s Ugly Delicious, Chelsea Handler’s Chelsea Lately and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. He joins the pod today to tell us about his storied career, from his days at the OC Weekly to his more recent endeavors with the Times and KCRW. His anecdotes are absolutely hilarious, and his takes are hotter than the chili peppers he apparently grows in his front yard. More than anything, I found Gustavo’s whole approach to food wholly refreshing. The joy, curiosity and excitement with which he approaches pretty much any topic is contagious, whether he’s talking about the current state of food journalism or what distinguishes a good tortilla from a crappy one. And by the way, we get into both on this podcast! Helpful links: Gustavo's website https://www.gustavoarellano.org/newsletters/ The tortilla tournament https://www.kcrw.com/events/tortilla-tournament Alta Baja Market https://www.altabajamarket.com/ Taco USA https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Taco-USA/Gustavo-Arellano/9781439148624 Gustavo's LA Times page https://www.latimes.com/people/gustavo-arellano Gustavo on X https://twitter.com/GustavoArellano Gustavo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gustavo_arellano/?hl=en

Carmen Dianne and Kara Still are the co-founders of Prosperity Market, a farmers market on wheels whose mission is to support local black farmers and food businesses throughout L.A. and create food access in communities where it’s currently lacking. They believe that by focusing on the local food system, they can feed their neighbors, and create a substantial economic impact. Carmen and Kara join the pod today for a fascinating conversation on how Prosperity Market was born, the systemic challenges facing black farmers and business owners in today’s society, and what we can do as consumers and concerned citizens to create an ecosystem where everyone can thrive. Father Sal also joins us to discuss a week of escape rooms and good eatin’ in our City of Angels. We break down the tasting menu at Holbox, debate the criteria for what makes a good taco crawl, and reminisce on a pretty epic night out at The old Airliner in Lincoln Heights on the heels of the news that it’s now being re-oponed as a fancy pan-Asian restaurant. Helpful links: Prosperity Market https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/ Together We're Greater fundraiser https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/its-bigger-than-us-initiative/ LA Times Prosperity Market article https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-08-18/prosperity-market-helps-black-owned-businesses-stay-open-los-angeles Food insecurity info https://www.prosperitymarketla.com/about/#why Poltergeist article https://la.eater.com/2023/8/30/23851438/poltergeist-restaurant-button-mash-echo-park-los-angeles-service-check Airliner re-opens https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-09-04/century-old-lincoln-heights-bar-the-airliner-reopens Tesar fired https://pagesix.com/2023/09/01/top-chefs-john-tesar-out-at-own-eatery-after-three-months-following-altercation/

UK cooking show Five Star Chef has finally made it to Netflix, and Father Sal joins me today to break down what can only be described as the best British export to grace these shores since Harry Styles began serving angelic sounds and androgynous fashion choices. Five Star Chef follows a cast of up-and-coming chefs as they compete to take over the iconic Palm Court restaurant at the five-star Langham Hotel in London. The show is a bona fide rollercoaster of emotion, and whether you’ve seen it or not, I think you’ll enjoy our discussion of what makes a cooking show actually good, as opposed to the gimmicky nonsense clogging up our Hulu home screens. But first, Sal and I get into the Los Angeles food news of the past couple weeks. We discuss an absolutely heinous list brought to us by the LA Times, why a vegan restaurant in Santa Monica has decided to add meat to their menu, and what the heck is driving all of the high profile restaurant closures we’re seeing in 2023. Tallulah, we hardly knew ya. Helpful links: Five Star Chef https://www.netflix.com/title/81507383 Margo starts serving meat https://la.eater.com/2023/8/21/23840379/margos-former-plant-based-adds-meat-to-menu-santa-monica-restaurant Restaurant closures https://la.eater.com/2023/8/22/23840539/biggest-restaurant-closures-los-angeles-summer-2023-news Etta-gate https://la.eater.com/2023/8/22/23842250/etta-culver-city-eviction-staff-layoffs-los-angeles-news Kristen Kish feature https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/22/dining/kristen-kish-top-chef.html LA Times NY list https://www.latimes.com/food/list/15-nostalgic-new-york-inspired-restaurants-for-a-slice-of-the-big-apple

David Chang’s Secret Chef is out on Hulu, and Father Sal joins me to break down the first season. We discuss the concept, the contestants, the challenges, and ask ourselves whether one of the most iconoclastic chefs in the game succeeded in breaking the mold of cooking competition shows. We also discuss a couple of chaotic news weeks in food. Taco Maria has closed, John Tesar tried to get canceled, a diabolical service fee spreadsheet has burst onto the scene, and our city has been confronted with a pork crisis that’s squeezing barbecue pitmasters and carniceros alike… We discuss all of that and more. Helpful links: Secret Chef https://press.hulu.com/shows/secret-chef/ Pork crisis https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2023-08-04/los-angeles-barbecue-restaurants-react-to-proposition-12-pork-prices Taco Maria closure https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-25/taco-maria-closes-saturday-carlos-salgado-future-relocation Service charge spreadsheet https://la.eater.com/2023/8/8/23823809/los-angeles-service-charge-reddit-am-intel Tesar loses it https://la.eater.com/2023/8/9/23823674/chef-john-tesar-video-strike-union-labor-workers-orange-county-yelling-knife-restaurant-news The Bear Season 3 predictions https://chicago.eater.com/2023/7/28/23809939/the-bear-season-3-fx-hulu-predictions Dave Portnoy pizza fest https://www.tmz.com/2023/08/01/barstool-sports-dave-portnoy-one-bite-pizza-festival/ Restaurant reservation fee https://ny.eater.com/2023/8/3/23817542/reservation-fees-deposits-resy-opentable-nyc?_gl=1*1bx0wxg*

Joining us on the pod today are Francesca Pistorio and Francesco Lucatorto, the husband-and-wife team behind Ceci’s Gastronomia in Silver Lake. Ceci’s is designed to recreate the authentic Nonna experience. If you’ve got a Nonna, an abuela, an Oma or any kind of grandmother, you know what I’m talking about. You stop by her house for a quick coffee, maybe a pastry, and before you can say “mamma mia”, you’re leaving with a to-go container of lasagna, gnocco alla romana, suppli and whatever the heck she felt like whipping up on that particular day. Well guess what, that’s also what happens every time I go to Ceci’s. And Not only is the food at Ceci’s spectacular, the experience is too. It’s cozy, familial, welcoming, and frankly, the closest approximation to a true Italian breakfast-and-lunch spot that you can find in Los Angeles. What about Francesco and Francesca, you ask? Well, they’re an absolute treat. Their story of falling in love with food and with each other will leave you hankering for a rewatch of your favorite Italy-based rom com. Under the Tuscan Sun would be my choice. What’s yours? We talk about surfing, suppli, the state of Italian food in LA, and so much more. Helpful links: Ceci's https://www.cecisoven.com/ Ceci's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cecis_gastronomia/?hl=en Taste of Italy https://www.iamla.org/taste-of-italy/

Kat Turner is chef and partner of Highly Likely, one of LA’s hottest all day restaurant concepts. They’ve been serving the West Adams neighborhood for several years now, and are on the verge of opening a second location in Highland Park. Chef Kat joins us to discuss Highly Likely’s food and new location, but also her own personal journey which has taken her from acting in a David Lynch movie to private cheffing for Billy Corrigan on tour. Also, did I mention she’s a Chopped champion? We talk about what that was like, and I even give her a virtual basket of mystery ingredients to see if she’s still got it. We’re also joined by world-renowned Top Chef scholar Father Sal to discuss the late breaking news that Season 10 champion Kristen Kish will be taking over as host now that the great Padma Lakshmi has stepped down. Will she be up to the challenge? Or is this a missed opportunity for the show to go in a totally new direction? We discuss all that and what we think of setting season 21 in Wisconsin. Helpful links: Highly Likely on IG https://www.instagram.com/itshighlylikely/ Kat Turner on IG https://www.instagram.com/katturnerwashere/?hl=en Highly Likely website https://www.itshighlylikely.com/ Chef Keith Corbin's book https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677186/california-soul-by-keith-corbin/

Gab Chabran is the Associate Editor of Food and Culture at LAist. He’s a Whittier native and a Long Beach resident, and joins the pod to offer a diverse and far-reaching perspective on our region's amazing food. Gab tells us the story of how his dual passions for music and food molded his professional journey, landing him in the driver’s seat of one of LA’s most respected food newsrooms. Gab’s is a story of tenacity, perseverance and, of course, plenty of delicious food. We talk old school pizza parlors, new school burger pop-ups, and of course, what goes into making the perfect mixtape. Because what else would you want to learn on a food podcast? Helpful links: Gab's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gabchabran/?hl=en Gab on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@gabchabran Gab's bio https://laist.com/people/gab-chabran LAist's food section https://laist.com/news/food

Food writer, editor and founder of Pain Pizza Karen Palmer joins the pod for a wide-ranging conversation on making a career in food writing, the joys of pizza, and why everyone should aspire to become a regular at their favorite restaurants. I'm a big fan of Karen's and her perspective on food (read: carbs) and I think this conversation will remind you to do (and eat) what you love. Father Sal also joins me for a far less enjoyable conversation reliving Top Chef Season 20. We allow him to revel in his Fantasy Top Chef victory, and we award the superlatives of the season. Helpful links: Karen Palmer website http://www.karenlpalmer.com/ Karen Palmer on IG https://www.instagram.com/karenlpalmer/?hl=en Pain Pizza https://www.painpizza.com/about Pain Pizza on IG https://www.instagram.com/painpizza/

Happy Top Chef Finale Week to all those who celebrate. To preview the occasion, we’re joined by Top Chef Executive Producer and Showrunner Doneen Arquines. We talk why this season of Top Chef World All-Stars has been so damn special and why you should drop everything to tune into the finale on Thursday night. We also dive into Doneen’s incredible journey from being a Production Assistant in 2006 when the show started, to Executive Producing the show today. I ask her what her favorite challenges have been over the years, which city she most enjoyed filming in, and of course, what the show will look like without the great Padma Lakshmi, who announced last week she’ll be moving on from the show starting next season. Speaking of culinary legends, Father Sal joins me to discuss a weekend that saw Los Angeles dominate the medal count at the James Beard Awards. We give love to Anajak Thai, giggle at Eater’s petty behavior towards Bill Addison, and reflect on what these awards mean for LA’s continuing culinary ascendance. Helpful links: Full list of winners https://www.eater.com/23749724/james-beard-awards-2023-winners-restaurant-and-chef-awards Petty Eater article that minimizes Bill Addison's win https://la.eater.com/2023/6/6/23750210/los-angeles-restaurants-james-beard-awards-winners-ceremony-chefs Diep Tran's JB Award-winning essay https://www.foodandwine.com/the-day-my-cooking-ambitions-got-the-best-of-me-6950944 Fatima Ali's book, Savor https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/07/books/review/savor-fatima-ali.html The YouTube show that beat Top Chef https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rX1LVnB3U NYT piece on James Beard "interrogations" https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/31/dining/james-beard-restaurants-investigation.html

Poltergeist, Diego Argoti's bold and brash concept located inside of Echo Park arcade Button Mash, takes the cake for "best meal I've had in 2023." Whether you're munching on a Parker House Roll with fermented butter or spooning Panang lamb neck into a golden saffron bao, you'll find yourself alternating between thinking "this makes NO sense" and "this makes TOTAL sense." But as wild a journey as Poltergeist's menu takes you on, it's nothing compared to the journey that brought Argoti to where he is today. From losing his mentor in a freak helicopter crash, to being stood up at the altar after living a double life, to taking an acid-fueled walk to Bestia to demand an opportunity... Argoti's story is truly Slumdog Millionaire-esque in the ways that random and often tragic events have served as the building blocks of something beautiful. Perhaps my favorite LA Food Pod interview to date, Argoti's story is heartwarming, thought-provoking, and inspiring. It made me laugh, cry, gasp, and seriously ponder what it means to love food, love cooking, and love this crazy industry. Helpful links: Button Mash and Poltergeist website https://www.buttonmashla.com/#poltergeist Bestia https://bestiala.com/ Bavel https://baveldtla.com/ Saffy's https://www.saffysla.com/