Good Food on the Road

Zach Brooks talks about what it meant to read Jonathan Gold’s review of Vespertine, one of LA’s more controversial restaurant openings in recent memory.

Writer Tien Nguyen remembers when Jonathan Gold defended his love of the San Gabriel Valley noodle shops against critics.

This week, we revisit one of Jonathan Gold’s favorite LA establishments, Jitlada. Home to some of the spiciest Southern Thai cuisine around, the Hollywood restaurant is a must-visit institution.

L.A. Taco’s Daniel Hernandez recalls leading Jonathan Gold on a taco crawl through Guadalajara and how Gold’s photographic memory of street tacos in Mexico informed his review of El Parian in Los Angeles.

Before Jonathan Gold became the voice of LA’s culinary scene, he was a music writer. Eater’s Mona Holmes recalls Gold’s 1989 LA Weekly feature on N.W.A.

“From the stoop of my building, it seemed like a giant block party,” Gold wrote in 1992, just a week after the Los Angeles Riots. “City of Gold” filmmaker Laura Gabbert shares what this piece meant to her.

As we continue to mourn the loss of Jonathan Gold, former colleague Carolina Miranda from the LA Times stopped by to share her favorite Gold review.

Nancy Singleton Hachisu has called Travis Lett’s latest opening “the most Japanese restaurant in America.” LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold explains why.

Jonathan Gold finds thin, bouncy noodles covered in spicy Sichuan peppercorn sauce at Chongqing Special Noodles in San Gabriel.

In some of Jonathan Gold’s favorite culinary-centric films, food isn’t always as it seems.

Freedman’s enchants with aromas of fresh homemade bagels and moist brisket. Jonathan Gold talks about how the deli’s mouth-watering aromas and modern take on Jewish staples captivated him during a recent visit.

In between bowls of ramen and getting kicked out of a yakitori restaurant, Jonathan Gold found time to have some of the best meals of his life on a recent trip to Tokyo.

Jonathan Gold might not find the plates at El Coraloense Instagram-ready, but the quality of ingredients and vibrant flavors keep him wanting more.

The LA Times Food Bowl runs through the month of May. Jonathan Gold reports on how it’s been going so far..

Jonathan Gold praises the beautiful crusty rice at the bottom of Nature Pagoda’s sizzling clay pots.

Admitting a prior history with David Chang, Jonathan Gold gives a blow-by-blow account of his meals at Majordomo, the Momofuku founder’s first foray into Los Angeles.

Chef Mori Onodera is serving up remarkable omakase to his loyal following of sushi aficionados.

Noma was once lauded as the best restaurant in the world. Jonathan Gold says after its recent reopening, the magic is still alive.

According to Jonathan Gold, the amba aioli at Israeli-inspired The Exchange is the new Thousand Island dressing.