A very LA Food Pod gift guide. Plus, the case for gatekeeping restaurants per TASTE, in defense of LA dining's "ebb" year, and solving the future of food media in one conversation.
Description
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Black Friday. Father Sal and I are coming through with a very LA Food Pod Gift Guide.
But first, there’s a piece in Taste making the case in favor of gatekeeping your favorite restaurants, a podcast with the brand new editor of The Best American Food & Travel Writing that elicited some red hot takes on the future of food media, and a snarky Substack article on whether 2024 was a year of lows for LA restaurants.
Helpful links:
Shaan Merchant for Taste on gatekeeping https://tastecooking.com/is-there-a-case-for-gatekeeping/
This is Taste interview with Jaya Saxena https://tastecooking.com/this-is-taste-499-best-american-food-writing-with-jaya-saxena/
Bangers and Jams article on LA’s highs and lows https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/the-highs-and-lows-of-las-quiet-restaurant
Eater’s Mona Holmes on Somerville and Long Beach’s new jazz lounge https://la.eater.com/2024/11/25/24305531/breakers-long-beach-hotel-sky-room-restaurant-opening-jazz-lounge-long-beach-southern-california
GIFT GUIDE
Gift for the accomplished home cook
Sal’s pick: Vitamix 5200 Blender
Gift for the beginner home cook
Sal’s pick: Foodist Kitchen.
Luca’s pick: Botanica Magic Spice
https://www.botanicarestaurant.com/products/magic-spiceGift for the friend who only eats out:
Sal’s pick: Gym membership
Luca’s pick: Red Dining Book https://www.reddiningbook.com/products/los-angeles-2025
Gift for the insufferable LA foodie
Sal’s pick: How to Stop Being Toxic
Luca’s pick: Subscription to LA Taco
Gift for the insufferable fan of The Bear
Sal’s pick: Gift card to Ever https://www.toasttab.com/ever-restaurant-1340-w-fulton-st/giftcards
Luca’s pick: Carmy’s white shirt https://merzbschwanen.com/blog/press-8/the-viral-95-t-shirt-in-the-bear-came-from-a-san-francisco-store-125
Gift for the cookbook collector
Sal’s pick: Random Seattle bookshop https://booklarder.com/products/gift-card
Luca’s pick: Way more relevant Long Beach bookshop https://squareup.com/gift/MLR9NPYWBWS6J/order
Gift that says more about you than about the recipient (the virtue-signaling gift)
Sal’s pick: Anonymous gift to PETA
Luca’s pick: VISIONS wine clup at Psychic Wines https://www.psychicwinesla.com/wine-club
Food gift for your S/O
For Emily: Dining in the Dark
https://dininginthedarkexperience.com/los-angeles/
For my wife: Mercado Famous meats https://mercadofamous.com/products/papa-noel
Gift we’d get each other
Sal to Luca: Ooni he already has
Gift I wish people would get me
Sal needs nothing
Luca wants Cangshan Maya knives https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cangshan-maya-block-set-12-piece-set/?clickid=wGBUu4Rh7xyKWHp1PfwtbQybUkCQcbzXI1PZQ40&irgwc=1&cm_cat=249354&cm_ven=afshoppromo&cm_ite=&cm_pla=ir&irpid=24935
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Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! https://thelonelyoyster.com/
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Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code "LAFOOD" https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods
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