Acquired Taste Food Podcasts

Bill Esparza welcomes Mona Holmes, editor of Eater LA, to Taqueando for a candid, hilarious, and occasionally confrontational conversation about Los Angeles food, journalism, and the people shaping the city's restaurant scene.

First, Bill and Mona lay down the rules of food event etiquette, including how to escape a conversation that just won't end. Then they get into the increasingly precarious state of food journalism, the rise of influencers, and why great restaurant coverage requires more than a camera and a supposedly impeccable palate.

Things get especially interesting when Mona confronts Bill over his infamous...

It's Pastry Week in the Great British Bake Off tent, and Nancy and Bits are thrilled to be back to the show's roots: weird British meat pies, questionable fillings, and elaborate pastry sculptures that probably shouldn't exist.

This week, the bakers tackle savory handheld pies, Nigella Lawson's Polish karpatka technical, and a freeform pie showstopper that gives us everything from a stop-motion chicken to a deeply unsettling snake. The ladies discuss whether Paul Hollywood has ever encountered a bánh mì, the increasingly compelling case for Tom to win the whole thing, Nigella's refreshing refusal to be in...

Chef Keith Corbin is rewriting the rules of California cuisine, and he's doing it in a way that could only happen in Los Angeles.

This week on The LA Food Podcast: Interviews, Luca sits down with the acclaimed chef, author of California Soul, and owner of Alta Adams for a wide-ranging conversation about the restaurant's bold reinvention, the food cultures that shaped him, and why his cooking is more personal than ever.

Keith breaks down his new approach to cooking, which he calls "transposition" rather than fusion, and explains how dishes like duck confit with...

Today on The LA Food Podcast, Father Sal and I have once again committed the frankly psychotic act of treating the LA Times' annual 101 Best Restaurants list like it's the NBA Draft, dear listener. We've got spreadsheets, hot takes, and enough grievances to keep a restaurant publicist employed through Christmas.

The 2026 list is here, and we've got some questions. Is newcomer Lielle really the best restaurant in Los Angeles? Has Funke somehow become more essential than Bestia and Bavel? Does Alta Adams' meteoric rise to #10 prove that Keith Corbin is having the year of his life? And...

All hell has broken loose at LA TACO. Following the firing of longtime reporter Memo Torres, the departure of Izzy Ramirez, and a series of increasingly contentious public statements, one of Los Angeles' most beloved independent publications finds itself at the center of an extraordinary controversy.

Bill Esparza and Rob break down the entire saga, from the ethical questions surrounding Torres' relationship with a California state senator to LA TACO's handling of the fallout, its ownership structure, and allegations of newsroom dysfunction. Bill also opens up about his own complicated history with editor-in-chief Javier Cabral, including a...

It's Dessert Week in the Great British Bake Off tent, but somehow Elizabeth Holmes has found her way into the conversation.

Nancy and Bits are back to recap Season 17, Episode 5, where the bakers tackle self-saucing puddings, a tricky bread-and-butter pudding technical, and a gloriously retro dessert trolley showstopper. We're talking soggy bottoms, questionable textures, and who's emerging as a serious contender for the Bake Off crown.

Plus, the ladies take a major detour into You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder's bizarre new Elizabeth Holmes documentary. What happens when the mind behind Nathan for You and...

The Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants of 2026 is here, and the two people behind the list are joining us to break it all down.

LA Times restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris return to The LA Food Podcast to explain how they chose LA's best restaurants, why newcomer Lielle earned the coveted No. 1 spot, and what this year's rankings reveal about the state of dining in Los Angeles.

We get into the biggest surprises, snubs, and shake-ups, including why three-Michelin-starred Somni didn't make the list, how Alta Adams rocketed into the top 10, why restaurants...

Who should run Los Angeles if your single biggest political concern is where you're having dinner?

This week, Luca does something no one asked him to do: turns The LA Food Podcast into a political endorsement machine. Karen Bass vs. Nithya Raman. Five rounds. Restaurant permitting, street vendors, housing, homelessness, Hollywood, and the most important question of all: which candidate would be more fun to grab a beer with? By the end, we're endorsing someone. Democracy has never tasted so good.

Plus, Luca visits the new Bar Fortuna, has a life-changing steak experience at Gwen...

Los Angeles, we have a wet trompo problem. And Bill Esparza has had enough.

This week on Taqueando, Bill and Robert Haleblian get to the bottom of why so much of LA's beloved al pastor is drowning in adobo. From Angel's Tijuana Tacos to the legendary trompos of Mexico City, they break down what separates a truly great taco from a soggy imitation, why the traditional taco brigade matters, and where to find the best al pastor and adobada in Los Angeles.

But first, Bill has some words for Danny Trejo. Following news of the...

Was this the worst Bread Week in Great British Bake Off history? Nancy and Bits return to the tent for Season 17, Episode 4, where the garlic bread desperately needs more garlic, the dough desperately needs more time, and Paul Hollywood’s grape-and-blue-cheese flatbread technical needs to answer for its crimes.

We’re getting into Mo’s three-TikTok preparation strategy, a technical challenge that nobody could pull off, and the eternal question: can you ask for cake-like bread and then complain that it tastes like cake? Plus, festive bread showstoppers, Tom’s growing frontrunner status, a plea for restaurants to put f...

Why do restaurants have lines before anyone’s tasted the food? When did restaurant merch become streetwear? And why does getting dinner sometimes feel like homework?

This week, Luca sits down with Kelly Dobkin, the food writer behind Of All Places and a former editor at Eater, Zagat, and Thrillist, to unpack the forces shaping LA restaurant culture. We get into Eater’s wild early days, the awkward relationship between food writers and chefs, and why Kelly is betting on Substack after years in traditional media.

Then, we talk restaurants becoming brands before they even open...

Last week, we called out an Instagram account dedicated to leaving $0 tips at restaurants. The comments section promptly lost its collective mind. So this week, Luca and Father Sal are going all in on America's most emotionally charged restaurant debate: Is tipping culture completely broken?

Why do we tip servers but not other minimum-wage workers? Has the iPad tipping screen gotten out of control? Would restaurants actually survive if everyone stopped tipping? And why is it so hard to get rid of a system that seemingly nobody likes?

Plus, Bill Esparza and Matt Kang take...

Are Mexico City’s most viral tacos actually worth the hype? Bill Esparza and producer Robert Haleblian unpack what the Michelin Guide, TikTok influencers and tourists get wrong about Mexican taco culture, from El Califa de León’s Michelin star to the crowds at La Once Mil.

Bill explains why premium beef and heirloom corn don’t automatically make a better taco, what gets lost when street food becomes a luxury experience, and why generations of taquero expertise deserve more attention. Planning a Mexico City food trip? He also shares favorite stops for tacos al pastor, chorizo...

It's Audience Choice Week on The Great British Bake Off, and the viewers have officially lost their minds. This week on Compliments to the Chef, Nancy and Bits recap Season 17, Episode 3, aka “The Cheesecake Factory,” where family members invade the tent, bakers are forced to improvise with a mystery box, and the showstopper challenge turns into a full-blown edible fashion show. We're talking cheesecake chaos, the season's first Hollywood Handshake, Nigella and Paul's judging, and whether letting the audience run the show was actually a good idea.

Compliments to the Chef is part of the Acquired Taste podc...

Are the Dodgers ruining baseball? LaSorted's Pizza founder Tommy Brockert has some thoughts. And as the man behind one of LA's most beloved Dodgers hangouts, he's got a pretty good seat for the drama.

In this episode of The LA Food Podcast Interviews, Luca Servodio sits down with Tommy Brockert at LaSorted's Chinatown to talk Dodgers dominance, why he calls his restaurant "Dodger Disneyland," and how a former photographer who lost his livelihood during COVID wound up becoming one of Los Angeles' most recognizable pizza makers.

Tommy takes us through his unlikely journey from making...

What happens when a successful photographer loses his livelihood during COVID, starts making pizza on his porch, and winds up opening one of LA's most beloved Dodgers hangouts? Meet Tommy Brockert, founder of LaSorted's Pizza, whose unlikely journey from pandemic pop-ups to Chinatown's unofficial Dodger Disneyland is a love letter to Los Angeles.

Recorded at LaSorted's ahead of the Dodgers postseason, we get into Tommy's obsession with baseball (and Real Housewives), why he insists his pizza is distinctly LA-style, the art of building a restaurant that actually means something to its community, and how he helped rally...

Two hundred episodes in, Father Sal returns to help Luca celebrate the only way they know how: eating well and talking shit. They dig into Alta Adams, Cuernavaca’s Grill and the best bites from LA ChefCon, where conversations about restaurant economics and the future of food media raise a bigger question: who’s paying for any of this?

Then it’s Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: an anonymous LA influencer turns refusing to tip into content, Superiority Burger’s Brooks Headley plots a mysterious Los Angeles restaurant, and breakfast burritos get the astrology treatment. Plus, Luca’s roller-coa...

Heritage Barbecue chef Danny Castillo joins Bill Esparza to explore the forgotten Mexican and Indigenous roots of California barbecue, the legacy of pioneering pitmaster Joe Romero, and how Latino chefs are reshaping American BBQ. Danny also reveals what's next for Heritage Barbecue in San Juan Capistrano, from a historic barn restoration to a new dinner service, and names his three favorite Texas barbecue joints.

Plus, Bill recaps some of LA's biggest food events, including Eater Off Menu and Manhattan Beach Food & Wine, and weighs in on Asadero Los Ángeles' decision to regroup following criticism on last week's e...

It’s Biscuit Week!!! Bits and Nancy are back to discuss American-style cookies, a deeply nostalgic technical, and some truly unhinged biscuit mosaics.

Plus, Nigella continues to settle into the tent, the bakers start separating themselves from the pack, and we finally have to say goodbye to someone.

Join us for our coverage of Great British Bake Off series 17!!!!!!!!!

Danny Meyer changed American dining with Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack. But what happens when the hospitality guy gets it wrong? The legendary restaurateur joins Luca Servodio to discuss why his no-tipping experiment couldn’t make the math work, how listening to critics led Shake Shack astray, and why keeping Tabla open too long hurt the employees he thought he was protecting.

Plus, why Los Angeles is one of the world’s most exciting food cities, the LA restaurants he loves, and whether a 27-year-old Danny Meyer could open Union Square Cafe today. Drawing from...

Can you tell which LA restaurants have outside investors just by the vibes? Karen Palmer joins Luca Servodio for “Does It Taste Like Private Equity?”, a guessing game exposing the money behind favorites like RVR, Prime Pizza, HomeState, Kismet and more. With Gen Z calling out “PE slop,” we debate whether outside investment actually makes restaurants worse, and why some independent-looking spots have institutional backing while seemingly corporate chains don’t. (For this game, “private equity” is shorthand for a broader mix of private equity, venture capital and other outside investment.)

Plus, Karen discovers standout omakase inside the Bicycle Ca...

It’s another Taqueando Q&A, and Bill Esparza is answering everything. Bill and Rob get into the backlash over their LA mariscos guide, what separates great ceviche and aguachile from the rest, how to tell whether an oyster is worth eating, whether King Taco invented the taco truck, the best pozole and chile en nogada in Los Angeles, where to eat in Coyoacán, and Bill’s perfect day of eating in LA.

Plus, the Antojitos Rundown hits Loreto’s Wednesday omakase, Broken Spanish Comedor, Holbox, Disciples of the Corn and Mariscos El Tambo.

Taquean...

Nancy DaSilva and Bits Nicholas are back in the Great British Bake Off tent and we are so excited to have them here!!!

Lots to discuss on this first episode, most notably the departure of our dear Prue, the entrance of Nigella Lawson, and not one but TWO cakes on the floor.

Join us for our coverage of GBBO series 17!!!!!!!!!

Big news for the feed: Compliments to the Chef is joining Acquired Taste Media. Hosts Bits Nicholas and Nancy DeSilva join Luca to talk about their friendship, their Top Chef obsession, what they know about the next season, and the Great British Bake Off coverage coming to this feed next week.

First, they compare restaurant notes: Bits and Nancy return to Brooklyn’s reopened Ugly Baby, Luca falls hard for Little Mountain in Montecito, and somehow the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pizza place in Santa Monica earns a recommendation. Then it’s Chef’s Kiss, Big Miss on res...

The New York Times named its 50 favorite restaurants in America, and somehow Komal is the first LA Mexican restaurant to make the list in six years. Luca and Sal break down LA selections Komal, Jacaranda and Yerord Mas Bakery & Deli, debate whether the list actually represents how America eats, and name the two Los Angeles restaurants they would have chosen instead. Plus: shrinking portions at Dune, Pawn Shop and Daisy Margarita Bar, the backlash against food influencers, “unreasonable hospitality,” and whether Crumbl even qualifies as a cookie.

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Father Sal returns for a full Q3 listener Q&A, and things get weird quickly. We debate whether having a controversial guest on a podcast counts as “platforming,” try to decode an anonymous tip about Sqirl’s alleged lack of presence at the farmers market, ask whether West Hollywood is cursed for restaurants, and determine which LA spots best capture peak-millennial dining culture.

Plus: which restaurants are worth suffering LA traffic for, where to send someone for their one meal in Los Angeles, whether LA is actually a sports-bar town, and plenty of recent eats, including Holy Basil...

We’re reaching into the Taqueando with Bill Esparza archives for one of the only episodes Luca has ever joined Bill on, a deep dive into the glorious, deceptively complicated world of the real Ensenada-style fish taco. Bill breaks down what makes the Baja classic legit, why so many versions miss the mark, and everything Luca didn’t know about one of Southern California’s most iconic foods.

There’s also a reason we’re bringing Taqueando to The LA Food Podcast feed today: big changes are coming to the Acquired Taste podcast universe. Plus, Pizza Run Club retur...

Food writer Karen Palmer returns to defend Hillstone, revisit the Hard Rock Cafe and examine whether Go Greek can become the Shake Shack of frozen yogurt. Luca shares recent meals at Doto, Sora Craft Kitchen and LA’s newest spots before they debate $40 sandwiches, protein maxxing, restaurant branding, Michelin’s Texas snub and the return of chicken as a marquee menu item. Plus, the best sandwiches in Los Angeles, the problem with restaurants that have nowhere to put your purse and an Aperol Spritz controversy nobody saw coming.

Does Tony capture the real Anthony Bourdain, or does it take one creative liberty too many? Luca is joined by Nancy DaSilva (Compliments to the Chef) and Father Sal for a spirited, spoiler-filled review of Matt Johnson’s Bourdain biopic, from Dominic Sessa’s occasionally uncanny performance to standout turns from Antonio Banderas and Leo Woodall. They debate whether the film needed Bourdain at all, why its romanticized portrait of a formative Provincetown summer works, and whether the backlash from Bourdain purists is justified.

Hot Tongue Pizza owner Alex Koons joins Luca as guest co-host for a pizza-heavy tour of the LA food scene, from Queens, Cacao Mexicatessen and FurnSaj to Bar 109’s Michelin-starred burger, fried pizza at Pizzeria Sei and the prospect of paying $4,000 for pasta for life. Be sure to check out his show, Fast Casual, by the way!

Then restaurateur Lawrence Longo tells the incredible story of going from elite hockey player and Hollywood assistant to building an empire that includes Prince Street Pizza, Irv’s Burgers, Bar Next Door, Henry’s Secret Ice Cream, Tenderfest and Burgers Never...

Matt Rodbard, founder of TASTE and host of This Is TASTE, returns to The LA Food Podcast for an unfiltered conversation at Crudo e Nudo about Los Angeles vs. New York dining, Santa Barbara’s rising restaurant scene (shouout Drift Hotel), twenty-dollar burritos, René Redzepi’s return to Noma, RFK Jr.’s cooking show and the growing influence of credit card companies on restaurants and pop-ups. Then Kevin Noparvar, better known as How Kev Eats, joins Luca at Café Telegrama to rate the restaurant’s pancakes, burger and tuna melt live, reveal his favorite LA pizza, tacos and burgers, and explai...

Restaurateur Rose Previte, the owner of Maydan and Maydan Market, joins The LA Food Podcast to discuss her globe-spanning journey into hospitality, the travel and research behind Maydan’s live-fire Middle Eastern cooking, and the ambitious restaurant ecosystem she is building in West Adams. Luca makes the case that Maydan belongs among the five best restaurants in Los Angeles, while Rose explains why Maydan Market could offer a new blueprint for independent restaurants.

Plus, Dine LA’s comeback, Condé Nast’s battle with the revived Gourmet magazine, Bill Addison’s glowing A Tí review and the return of Pizza R...

This week, LA food creator Ronit Halmos joins Luca for a rapid-fire, Subway akes-style round of “Worth the Hype,” debating Courage Bagels, Hillstone, The Benjamin’s $35 martini, In-N-Out fries, drinks at SUR and the ultimate coastal food fight: Is Los Angeles food actually better than New York’s?

Ronit also talks about developing her instantly recognizable restaurant-review format, why she refuses to trash small businesses for views, the increasingly copy-and-paste nature of LA restaurant menus and the meals currently exciting her most. Then she sticks around for Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss, weighing in on Westside bagel beef, cele...

The Bear is officially over, and we're looking back at one of television's most influential food dramas. On this episode of Couch Potatoes, Luca and Father Sal unpack the final season, debate whether the finale redeemed the show's uneven final stretch, rank every season, hand out series superlatives, and answer the biggest question of all: what is The Bear's legacy? Did it earn a place alongside TV's all-time greats, or did it overstay its welcome? Spoilers throughout.

This week on The LA Food Podcast, we finally tackle one of the biggest destinations in Los Angeles dining: Vespertine & Providence.

After revisiting Jordan Kahn's boundary-pushing tasting menu and making our long-awaited first trip to Michael Cimarusti's three-Michelin-star seafood temple, we compare every course, every experience, and ask whether Michelin got the rankings right. We also rank the Southern California Michelin restaurants we've visited so far and debate which are truly worth the pilgrimage.

Then it's Chef's Kiss / Big Miss, where we unpack the New York Times' controversial Chez Panisse review, whether restaurants have become...

Is Maddie's Secret actually a movie about food influencers... or is food just the backdrop?

On this special edition of Couch Potatoes, Luca is joined by Bits Nicholas and Nancy DaSilva of Compliments to the Chef to unpack one of the year's most talked-about food films. Together they break down John Early's directorial debut, debate whether its satire of millennial food creators lands, explore its surprising turn into a story about eating disorders and recovery, and ask why critics have been almost universally glowing despite the film's many unresolved questions.

Along the way, they dive...

A TikTok review of a $38 Armenian basturma brisket sandwich has exploded into one of the biggest food controversies Los Angeles has seen all year. This week, Luca is joined by Taqueando producer Robert Haleblian, who's been following Glendale favorite Yerord Mas since its pop-up days, to unpack how one viral video ignited a debate about restaurant pricing, tradition, influencer culture, and why some cuisines are still expected to stay cheap. If you've seen the Richie Gaines, Yerord Mas, or Los Angeles Times discourse online, this is the conversation behind the headlines.

Then it's time for Chef's Kiss...

Come to the West Hollywood Pizza Run Club this Sunday July 12!--

Has Eater fully lost its place as the most influential name in food media? This week on The LA Food Podcast, Luca Servodio and SF Gate food writer Karen Palmer unpack Dana Brown's explosive deep dive into Eater's rise, evolution, layoffs, SEO strategy, and uncertain future under Penske Media. They debate whether the publication lost sight of what made it essential, what today's media landscape means for food journalism, and whether there's still a path back.

Plus, Karen takes us behind the scenes...

Father Sal calls in from his Los Angeles staycation ready to quiet quit the Michelin Guide, even as he heads to two-star Kato and makes the case for restaurants like Lielle, Anajak and Jacaranda. Luca and Sal recap memorable meals at Quarter Sheets, Oaxacalifornia, Asadero, Cafe Telegrama, Expendio de Maíz, Voraz and Anajak before asking whether The Bear Season 5 has somehow rediscovered what made the show great.

They also break down the Top Chef Carolinas finale and explain why America’s Culinary Cup, featuring Padma Lakshmi, Michael Cimarusti, Wylie Dufresne, Chris Morgan and Alta Adams chef Kei...

James Beard Award-winning Los Angeles Times journalist Stephanie Breijo joins The LA Food Podcast to unpack her historic Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award win, becoming the first Los Angeles-based reporter to receive the honor. Stephanie reveals how she selected the three stories in her submission, what happened when her name was called and why the award represents a victory for local food journalism and the resilience of Los Angeles.

Plus, we break down the 2026 Michelin Guide California results, including Kato’s second star, first-time stars for Seline, Lielle, Corridor 109, Kojima and Miura, and the surprising restaurants that lo...