<p>This week on <strong>The LA Food Podcast</strong>, Luca and Sal dive into the most chaotic, delicious, and debate-worthy stories shaping Los Angeles dining and the national food world.</p><p>We kick things off with <strong>recent eats</strong> at <a href="https://www.wildesla.com/"><u>Wilde’s</u></a> and <a href="https://www.camphor.la/"><u>Camphor</u></a> before launching into our first-ever <em>extended</em> <strong>Chef’s Kiss or Big Miss</strong> lightning round.</p><p>We break down <a href="https://www.eater.com/dining-out/924306/best-new-restaurants-america-2025"><strong>Eater National’s Best New Restaurants 2025</strong></a>, including L.A.’s powerhouse showing with <strong>Ki</strong>, <strong>Komal</strong>, and <strong>Betsy</strong> — and what it means for the “LA restaurant scene is dying” narrative. We also get into <a href="https://la.eater.com/maps/best-sandwiches-los-angeles-map-deli-pastrami-banh-mi"><strong>Eater LA’s Best Sandwiches list</strong></a>, debating Bay Cities’ shocking omission.</p><p>Next, we dig into <a href="https://lataco.com/ice-delay-taqueria-frontera"><u>LA Taco’s reporting on </u><strong>Taqueria Frontera’s ICE-delayed opening</strong></a>, the <a href="https://www.bonappetit.com/story/baristas-are-unionizing-coffee-shops-nationwidehttps://www.bonappetit.com/story/baristas-are-unionizing-coffee-shops-nationwide"><u>national wave of </u><strong>barista union wins</strong></a>, and <a href="https://www.readfeedme.com/p/helen-rosner-on-the-state-of-restaurant"><u>Helen Rosner’s hot take that </u><strong>“recipes are brain rot.”</strong></a> Plus, <a href="https://substack.com/@emilysundberg/note/c-177257520"><u>Emily Sundberg says the best bars have </u><em>terrible</em><u> Instagrams</u></a> — is she right?</p><p>We also look at <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/top-food-destinations-in-america-talker-research-2025-11850430"><u>America’s top </u><strong>foodcation destinations</strong></a>, and the revelation that <a href="https://www.interviewmagazine.com/television/josh-hutcherson-la-diaries"><strong>Josh Hutcherson</strong><u> is just a Silver Lake guy</u></a> who loves Dayglow, Salt &amp; Straw, and Night + Market Song like the rest of us. And in a wild twist, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2025-11-18/tesla-diner-chef-eric-greenspan-exits-project-staff-hints-at-new-format"><strong>Eric Greenspan</strong><u> is leaving the Tesla Diner</u></a> to open… a Jewish deli. Is ditching robot service for pastrami a chef’s kiss or a big miss?</p><p>Finally, the <strong>mailbag</strong> returns with two bangers: • <em>What inconvenient LA food is worth it?</em> • <em>What’s the best season of Top Chef?</em></p><p>If you love <strong>LA restaurants, food news, chef drama, labor stories, sandwiches, tacos, and wildly specific opinions</strong>, this episode is loaded.</p><p><strong>Powered by </strong><a href="https://www.acquiredtastemedia.com/"><strong>Acquired Taste Media</strong></a><strong>.</strong></p><p>–</p><p>Get 10% off at House of Macadamias using code &quot;LAFOOD&quot; <a href="https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods"><u>https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/pages/la-foods</u></a></p><p>–</p><p>Vote for <a href="https://vegnews.com/vegnews-restaurant-awards-2025"><u>Mis Tacones PDX</u></a></p><p><br></p>