Good Food on the Road

Journalist Jervey Tervalon remembers his long friendship with late food critic Jonathan Gold in a poem.

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.

The Pyeongchang Olympics gave millions of viewers a glimpse into Korean culture and food. If you live in LA, enjoying both these things first hand isn’t hard.

Don’t expect April Bloomfield’s signature burgers at The Hearth & Hound in Hollywood. Instead, Jonathan Gold wants diners to try the cabbage.

Jonathan Gold heads to Rosemead for a dim sum feast of memorable pork buns at Longo Seafood… oh, and the namesake seafood dishes too.

At Killer Noodle, diners can’t order anything spicier than a level 3 on their first visit. Jonathan Gold finally graduated to spice level 6 on his third visit to the Tsujita-sister spot.

The reopening of Marché Moderne in Newport Beach bodes well with LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold. His recommendation? Do not skip the lovingly prepared coq au vin.

Jonathan Gold is looking into his crystal ball and enlightening us on the coming food trends of 2018. He says a lot of these trends stand to improve Los Angeles’ dining scene.

Jonathan Gold thinks chef Thomas Ortega’s Playa Amor in Long Beach and Amor y Tacos in Cerritos represent two distinct sides of his personality.

Jonathan Gold is hesitant to admit that the best spaghetti all’amatriciana in Los Angeles is served at a Santa Monica fast-casual eatery.

Jonathan Gold finds Journeymen in Atwater Village to be a pleasant display of chef David Wilcox’s rustic, seasonal cooking, tinged with a Julia Child-esque aesthetic.

Jonathan Gold dined at Verlaine in West Hollywood and found the soft-fried beans to be pure bliss.

Jonathan Gold followed mole master Rocio Camacho to her latest spot, Tacos y Mezcal. Any ideas on what he thoroughly enjoyed there?

Jonathan Gold heads to Michael Voltaggio’s Ink.well to find a slightly more accessible reboot of his shuttered restaurant Ink.

Jonathan Gold returns to Osawa in Pasadena where he’s both surprised and delighted to find first-rate izakaya fare, representing a remarkable improvement over previous visits.

Going to a restaurant five times in three days is a testament in itself. But for this little Filipino counter, Jonathan Gold can’t stop exploring the menu.

Every year, restaurateurs and diners await Los Angeles Times food critic Jonathan Gold’s ‘Best 101 Restaurants’ list. Well, it’s in!

Whether you opt for the Thunderbolt frog or the BBQ pig brains, the Sichuan and Chongqing-style cuisine being served here is creative and spicy.

A traditional Peruvian pisco sour, a plate of ceviche, servers who seem like they’re auditioning for a show on FXX. Jonathan says it’s hard to have a bad time here.

Find out which restaurant Jonathan calls “the most Hong Kong place in the San Gabriel Valley.”

If great restaurants have a sense of time and space, Vespertine is Jupiter.

Jonathan Gold reviews the Italian food made by Chef Evan Funke at Felix in Venice Beach.

Jonathan Gold weighs in on why this hot chicken joint is worth the wait.

Find out what Jonathan ordered then and and what's on his plate now at Dan Tana's.

This week, LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold dines at Bone Kettle in Pasadena. Find out which dishes Jonathan recommends and read his LA Times review.

Find out what kind of Sichuan seafood to order at Tiantian Qiu’s restaurant.

Find out which pie to order at Zach Pollack’s reinvented corner pizzeria.

Find out which Bolognese dishes to order at this new Italian restaurant.

This week, LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold revisits Michael’s in Santa Monica, a local favorite where al fresco dining is in season.

This week, Jonathan Gold braves the lines to try the neo-margherita pie at Pizzana in Brentwood.

In case you haven’t heard, Italian cuisine is back in the spotlight here in Los Angeles. This week, LA Times food writer Jonathan Gold sits down to one of the city’s most talked about plates of spaghetti at The Ponte.

LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold wanders the Westfield Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia this week in search of the classic Hainan chicken rice.