Recent Episodes

 

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

 

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

 

 

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

 

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

More in this City

Chef Suzanne Goin has been recognized as a 2014 Outstanding Chef nominee for her work at Lucques.   Her long-time business partner, Caroline Styne has been nominated for the 2014 Outstanding Restaurateur Award.  Together, they own and operate several acclaimed restaurants in the Los Angeles area.  The James Beard Awards will be held in New York City, May 2-5.
 

Lucques

8474 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA
(323) 655-6277

http://www.lucques.com/
 

Chef Suzanne Goin was born in Los Angeles to food-obsessed Francophile parents. A graduate of Brown University, Suzanne’s background includes positions at some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the United States, including Ma Maison, L’Orangerie in Los Angeles, Al Forno in Providence, Olives in Boston, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and Alain Passard’s Arpège in Paris. Her work as Executive Chef at Campanile put her on the culinary map in Los Angeles and laid the groundwork for her first restaurant.
 
In 1998, Suzanne opened Lucques in West Hollywood with her business partner Caroline Styne. The restaurant met with instant success and Suzanne was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 1999. Lucques received praise from Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet, Bon Appétit and Saveur, including a prestigious 3 star review by the Los Angeles Times. A second restaurant, a.o.c., the groundbreaking concept of inspired wines by the glass with a small plates menu, opened in 2002 and was met with enthusiasm from the public and the press.
 
In 2005, Suzanne and her husband Chef David Lentz opened The Hungry Cat, an eclectic market-inspired seafood restaurant, which has since expanded to locations in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara.
 
Suzanne received two coveted awards from the prestigious James Beard Foundation in May 2006. Her first cookbook, Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table, published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2005 won Best Cookbook from a Professional Viewpoint. Moments later that evening, Suzanne’s culinary achievements were recognized when she was awarded Best Chef California.
 

Suzanne and Caroline ventured to the Westside of Los Angeles in 2009 when they opened their largest and most glamorous restaurant, Tavern, in Brentwood. Designed by Jeffrey Alan Marks, Tavern brings together a trio of concepts under one roof – a full service dining room, a marketplace and a bar with craft cocktails and artisanal wines. Tavern is a beautiful yet casual neighborhood meeting place, open all day for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as providing pastries, coffees and prepared food to go for the hungry locals.
 
Inspired by the success of their more casual Larder section of Tavern, Suzanne and Caroline opened The Larder at Maple Drive in the Fall of 2011 followed by The Larder at Burton Way in Spring 2013 at Rick Caruso’s luxurious 8500 Burton Way complex on the edge of Beverly Hills. The Larder at LAX opened in the sleek and newly renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles’s airport in December 2013.
 
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of a.o.c., Suzanne and Caroline moved their beloved restaurant a mile west on 3rd Street to the iconic restaurant space that formerly housed Joe Allen and Orso. With one of the most beautiful outdoor garden settings in Los Angeles, a cozy wine room upstairs, a new cocktail program and a wine list of sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines, the new space is an absolute hit and has been embraced by the public.
 

Suzanne’s second book,The A.O.C. Cookbook, also published by Alfred A. Knopf, debuted in October 2013 to glowing reviews in both the United States and Canada. The cookbook is a collection of seasonal recipes from the restaurant with wine notes by Caroline Styne and a complete section devoted to cheese, a major component to the a.o.c. menu. The book received top honors in the Chefs and Restaurants category by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 2014. In December 2013, Suzanne and Caroline launched The Larder Baking Company, a new wholesale operation for the breads and bakery goods developed with partner and master baker Nathan Dakdouk. The expanded production services all of their restaurants and retail operations in addition to supplying other restaurants and retail markets throughout greater Los Angeles and California.
 
Suzanne and Caroline are among the most respected restaurateurs in California, and continue to receive recognition for their food, beverage programs and service from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, L.A. Weekly, Daily News, Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appétit, Saveur, Los Angeles Magazine , Angeleno, Zagat and Gayot.com. They are co-founders, with David Lentz, Suzanne’s husband and owner of The Hungry Cat, of L.A. Loves Alex’s Lemonade, a fundraiser benefiting research for childhood cancer which has raised over $1.5 million since its inception in 2010.
 

Suzanne has received six nominations for Outstanding Chef of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. In 2011, she became a member of the International Culinary Panel of distinguished chefs for Singapore Airlines, developing her recipes for in-flight dining. Over the past few years, Suzanne and her business partner Caroline Styne have been honored to prepare several fundraising dinners for both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Passionate about healthy sustainable food for children, Suzanne is also a founding member of Lunch Matters, the organization working to create a partner school lunch program to Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard project. Since October 2013, Lunch Matters has been proudly serving its healthy, local and delicious school lunch menus at the Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles.
 
Suzanne Goin and her husband David live in Los Angeles with their three children, two cats, one dog and multiple fish.  Caroline Styne received her 3rd nomination for Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year.
 

 
Content Provided Courtesy of Jannis Swerman & Company

Sally Tiongco, owner of Six Taste Food Tours and a middle school educator, lives and works in Downtown Los Angeles while caring for her 2-year old daughter. She is a native of Southern California and looks forward to showing locals and tourists her beloved hometown through food, fun, and exploration. We wanted to learn about the Los Angeles food scene. Here is what she told us…
 
 

1. What foods is the Los Angeles area known for?

 

Los Angeles is so culturally diverse, guests can expect to savor multiple flavors including authentic Oaxacan cuisine, creative burgers, traditional Thai dishes, bakeries, and Asian and Latin fusion.
 
 

2. What are some of the different neighborhoods foodies should explore?

 

My top four:
 

1. Downtown Los Angeles: A historical gem that’s quickly developing into a cultural and culinary hot spot
2. Thai Town: the only one in the United States
3. Little Tokyo: a culturally rich neighborhood reflective of Japanese history, culture, and cuisine
4. Sawtelle/Westside: also known as Little Osaka and close to my alma mater, UCLA.

RELATED: What You Need to Know About Food Tours.

 
 

3. What can people expect on your food tours?

 

We specialize in walking food tours of 8 different locations within Los Angeles—Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Hollywood, Arts District, Little Tokyo, Thai Town, San Gabriel Valley, and Arcadia—that last about 4 hours.
 
A local tour guide will share intriguing history, fun stories, and traditions about the area and cuisine while guests enjoy generous samples of high-quality food.
 
Chefs and restaurant staff may also make special appearances.
 
 

4. You are proud new parents. Do you have any tips or recommendations for foodies traveling to Los Angeles with families?

 

I like to call in advance or find restaurant photos online to make sure that the venue has enough space for an active toddler. Parents know their children the best, so I recommend choosing restaurants that offer family-friendly menus.
 
Since my daughter loves Vietnamese and Asian food, I tend to explore charming eateries with traditional comfort food.
 

RELATED: What is Food Tourism?

 
 

5. You grew up on your parents’ Vietnamese cooking. Where do you go for great Vietnamese food in Los Angeles?

 
San Gabriel Valley, which is about a 15-20 minute drive from downtown. Here, you can find delicious and affordable Pho, banh mi, rice dishes, and other Vietnamese dishes.
 
Guests who visit Disneyland are in luck. That’s where Little Saigon is located, so you can get tons of authentic options there!

Diane Scalia is a self-proclaimed Chefpreneur, World Football Passionista, and Gourmet Storyteller, with credits that include Founding Partner of Melting Pot Tours, the first and premiere walking-tasting food tours company in Los Angeles. She also works as a Mediterranean Tapas Chef in an open kitchen, at BarComida in Redondo Beach, California, where she is known to serve menu items inspired by her soccer passion.
 

1. What is Melting Pot Tours? What tours do you offer?

 
Melting Pot Food Tours, the original company of its kind in Los Angeles, offers walking-tasting tours in select neighborhoods. We offer locals and tourists alike, the unique opportunity to explore our great city through its fantastically diverse and incredibly delicious food.

• Our first tour, running for 6 years now, is the Original Farmers Market Food and History Tour, where we dine around one of LA’s most revered and historic landmarks of the last 80 years.
• Our Old Pasadena Tasting Tour enjoys fabulous cuisine in the original business district of LA’s first suburb, which is also home to the world-renowned Rose Bowl and Tournament of Roses Parade.
• Our East LA Latin Flavors Tour uses our Metro Gold Line trains to travel between tasting stops, where we feature the most celebrated Mexican and Central American foods in our own Latin quarter.
• We also have a fantastic tour of Thai Town, hosted by celebrity Chef Jet Tila, whose father founded the neighborhood. Los Angeles is officially honored by Thailand as their “77th province”.

 

2. How did Melting Pot Tours come to be?

 
My sister Lisa birthed the idea in spring 2007, while I was enjoying an extended holiday in Europe. The first day I was home she told me all about it and invited me to sign up as her partner. Although I’d had very little sleep at that hour, I said yes, and the rest is history!
 
Lisa is brilliant and I always say Melting Pot Tours is so successful because “We have Lisa.” She is the true brains behind the operation, and I am the heart, out in front. Our skills are very complimentary, and we genuinely like and love each other, and working together.
 

3. What cuisines is Los Angeles known for?

 
We are blessed that so many immigrants came here, just as our own ancestors did from Italy, and brought their food with them! It is entirely possible in some parts of LA, to walk less than one mile, and find 20 or so different ethnic eateries spanning that distance.
 
So we’re quite famous for our multi-ethnic cuisine – and authentic cuisine, I hasten to add – that not only landed here from six continents (I haven’t found any Antarctic cuisine, yet), it is prepared and served by the multi-generations of master cooks who proudly brought it from their homelands, to share with Los Angeles.
 
We also have a strong, exciting culture of farm-to-table cuisine, made popular by all-star chefs like Nancy Silverton, Suzanne Goin, Ludo Lefebvre, and Ari Taymor. Some of our highest-profile restaurants have opened “little sister” and outpost-style restaurants in the last few years, making “5-star”-style dining affordable for everyone.
 

4. What would surprise people most about the food scene in Los Angeles?

 
Probably how well-priced its amazing food is! And how spectacular the grocery shopping is! These are hallmarks that we are so proud to share on our tours, and we’ve been privileged to be consulted as “experts” by international publications for this type of information.
 
Part of our mission is to play a positive role in LA earning its rightful place on the map, as a world-class culinary destination. We take that role very seriously, and joyfully, on each and every tour.
 

RELATED: What is a food tour?

 

5. You are also a chef. How does leading food tours compare to working in the kitchen?

 

At the restaurant, called BarComida at Chez Melange, I only do the main prep of my Mediterranean tapas and small plates in the back kitchen. For the entire evening, four nights a week, I cook at the Bar in a very small “open” kitchen. Understandably, my experience as a chef out in front, is actually very similar to hosting a tour because I have to be “on” at all times!
 
This feels like the blessing I’m cursed with on occasion, like those under-slept times I mentioned earlier. But in truth, I really do love getting to know who I’m cooking for, the same way I get to know my tour guests. I’m able to share how passionate I am about my recipes, menus, ingredients, and express a huge part of who I am through my cooking. I adore when my tour guests are able to come to the restaurant, and when my restaurant customers are able to enjoy one or more of our tours.
 
Both “jobs” make me feel like I’m doing something(s) very important in life. It is my deepest desire to have my work be all about bringing people to the table, because I believe that peace begins there. Earning a living while perhaps making such a delicious contribution toward peace in our world, makes me love where I’m at in life, that there’s no one else I’d rather be. I love walking in my own shoes.