The Curious Case of Eric Greenspan and Elon Musk’s Tesla Diner. Plus, 5 SoCal restaurants score James Beard noms, Taco Madness’ notable omission, and notes from the Pizza Expo field.

Controversy in Hollywood as news breaks that Elon Musk - yes, THAT Elon Musk - has tapped beloved LA chef Eric Greenspan to helm his upcoming Tesla-themed Diner on Santa Monica Blvd. Is Chef Greenspan’s choice to take the job in any way defensible, or is he just another DOGE bag? Father Sal and I dig into the news and the backlash to make sense of it all. Plus, the James Beard Awards announced their nominees including 5 So Cal establishments, LA Taco’s Taco Madness got underway with one notable absence, and in Chef’s Kiss Big Miss we tackle revolving restaurants, gullible pastry chefs, and a list of rules for modern dining.Helpful links:Breijo and Goldman on Greenspan and the Tesla Diner https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-28/la-chef-picked-to-run-tesla-diner-in-hollywoodSoCal James Beard nominees https://la.eater.com/2025/4/2/24399234/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-nominees-2025LA Taco Taco Madness https://lataco.com/taco-madness-2025Con Mum https://www.netflix.com/title/81708174Galuten on best burger / martini combo https://la.eater.com/2025/4/1/24398077/best-bar-burger-martini-los-angeles-noah-galutenFinancial Times’ rules for dining https://www.ft.com/content/dba8928b-0961-4174-bd00-5096a2e65beaRevolving restaurants https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/dining/revolving-restaurant.html–Go check out The Lonely Oyster in Echo Park! ⁠https://thelonelyoyster.com/⁠