Darling by Sean Brock, Alto, and Air Jordan Reviews

Lots to eat in Los Angeles lately, so Jordan and Max talk their options: from style dining in Beverly Hills, to making a West Adams kebab voyage, to celebratory meals all over, and Jordan gives a first taste tease of the Larchmont diner everyone is anticipating. Plus, Max went to Ceviche Project without a jealous Jordan, another trip to Alto, Budonoki is somehow getting better, Eduardo's is back from the dead, pizza is on the menu, and Hector is healing.

Jordan and Max talk Jordan’s recent adventures as a “chef,” serving up his ode to St. Elmo fried shrimp cocktail sandwich (or maybe it’s roll) to a few food celebrities and even a friend who the fellas call on air for his review and notes. Then Max reviews recent visits to West Hollywood’s Marvito, Michelin starred tasting menu Ki, and Bubbles talks cooking his own Mexican menu.  

Jordan and Max answer audience questions and it's all Christmas eve plans, the Jones Hollywood fritto hack, Max & Helen's, favorite dive bars, The Smoke House onion ring thing, death row chewing, Holbox menu highlights, lots of nog, shrimp cocktail obsession, salty cocktails, where in the world is Peckerman, best pizza chains, Mott 32 Hollywood's opening,  Dunsmoor vs. Republique, Echo Park beef tacos, storing parm, Eater LA's website, Only Fans models of the food world, criticism backlash, and a game of Still Open or Way Closed?

Welp, another ridiculous list has hit the food media landscape, so Jordan and Max break all the losing and winning down. But first, Genghis Cohen has finally re-opened in a new location and the fellas have the shrimp toast and orange chicken first look featuring a member of Jordan's family. And no restaurant in Los Angeles is currently more hyped than Baby Bistro, so the fellas talk it and their experience with the Echo Park farmer's market driven hospitality house.

Jordan and Max review two recent restaurant experiences with very different outcomes, and then explore a few negatives critques the podcast has received, and it's all fire grilled meats, Ventura Blvd. souffles, hidden shmears, a finalized Max (Hector) meter, the most egregious dish, the worst cooking method, coming burger correct, and an exclusive Studio City special order.

The LA Times and Bill Addsion finally published an actual critical food review, and Jordan and Max have thoughts, which leads the fellas into a Chinese restaurant episode, dissecting 88 Club, Firstborn, Henry's, Ji Rong, and Jordan's favorite New York style bites, all while teasing a recent disastrous meal by a celebrity chef.  

Jordan and Max are back to answer audience questions, and it's all new L.A. restaurants on the horizon, monk milk, Bub & Grandma's pizza, wines by the glass, Montecito dinners, Disfrutar vs. Somni, how to gain 100 pounds, LA Times vs. NY Times food coverage, the bottled & filtered water thing, a new rating system, all sorts of shrimp cocktail talk, the schelp meter, Max working for Michelin full-time, bagels, Jordan's new coffee dilemma, orange wine, Post Ranch Inn pricing, Paso Robles, Bavel no longer respects the neck, and rest in peace Dan Tana.

Jordan talks with co-hosts Brad Metzger and chef Neal Fraser of LA Chef Conference, which is taking place October 6 in Los Angeles, and features a who's who of chefs and food industry notables to not only talk the major issues of the day, but to eat like royalty. And one of those bites will be an exclusive menu item designed by Jordan with all the shrimpy help from the team at Santa Monica Seafood. Then, Jordan is joined by Gather For Good, a charity taking care of community with hospitality, who together with Guittard Chocolate and a collection of the most talented pastry chefs in town, will be serving up a wild collection of desserts at the conference. And you can enter the lottery ticketing system for LA Chef Conference by following this link.

The boys talk why San Fran classics Zuni Cafe and Swan Oyster Depot have remained instutitions for decades, while their beloved Stella West Hollywood could not follow a similar path. Plus, Jordan's exclusive menu item is coming to Los Angeles, Bill Addison needs new friends, the Benihana ass clock as been conquered, Max's Cobrasnake days, and 818 pizza disrespect.

Jordan recounts a recent trip to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market where it was all mangoes, peaches, pork, olives, and butter. But before that, an incredibly important croissant discussion goes down, sparked from a first time trip to Petitgrain Boulangerie. Then, Air Jordan's Japanese lover and Sushi Park hater Bubbles-san talks two new and different recent sushi experiences he respected in Los Angeles.