The Q&A: Hillstone Problems, Tipping Rules, Dodger Stadium Bites, Taco Crawling & The Restaurants That Currently Define LA

Jordan and Max are back and dropped their first video podcast on Substack.  SUBSCRIBE TO MAD FOOD WORLD TO SEE & HEAR THE FULL EPISODE

It's a Q&A to wrap it all up with Jordo and Bubbles giving final thoughts on the recent LA Times 101 Best list, westside eats, the impossible biz of restaurants, finishing the year strong with recent openings, Max's top 3 cooking tips for 2026, and the new pod and project are revealed. THE SUBSTACK IS HERE with all sorts of new content and access.  Keep riding with us, show love, and stay connected as we continue this food thing. 

Eggnog - that's the name of the game, as nine of the best booze minds in Los Angeles compete, with Shapiro's favorite bartender Max Reis pouring all the creamy holiday cheer down Jordan's throat, for him to decide the best nog in the land. Original takes on the spiked Christmas treat from Providence, Vandell, Birdie G's, Death & Co, Rustic Canyon, Bar Benjamin, Idyllwild Tavern, Oxalis, and Mírate/Daisy Margarita are the participants in this blind, hyper-lactose competition. But Jordo doesn't go at it alone, Bubbles & Beautiful are along for the ride as a nog champion is crowned.

Jordan and Max break it all down, from a shocker in the top spot to the 3 Michelin star Spanish hatred. Plus, the paper's neopotism picks, strange disregard for a phenom, continued Budonok disrespect, the hall of fame inductee to appease Jordo, sushi snubs, and Bill Addison finally exposed himself (but not like Max). 

Plus lots of booze talk including holiday gifting, Max & Helen's wait times and other diner options, a short Little Fish review, decanting bubbles, a Chinese LA Christmas, the perfect restaurant reservation time, Jordan's top 3 Grateful Dead shows, food text threads, not cutting pizza, New Orleans and New York are on the horizon, and Thanksgiving reviews.

Addison by William Bradley is the OG of this local three Michelin star dining thing, and Jordan and Max have travelled to Del Mar once again to dine and sit with Will to talk the past, present, and future of California gastronomy in the Caramel Valley. And it's all chef collabs, an Addison makeover is coming soon, the one ingredient, the best season, calling everyone chef, temperatue changes, the story of eggs and rice, cheesy nicknames, Max the inspector, Jordan knows a thing or two, and William's ultimate goal.

When hosting this holiday season, you need to know what's chic. You need to know what's classic. Annie and Hallie Meyers-Shyer know a thing or two about all of that, so Jordan and Max sit down with the sisters of Hollywood royalty to talk everything Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even some Hanukkah. What follows is an appetizer debate, a baked brie beatdown, a worse sweet potato casserole assault, Nancy Meyers' gravy recipe text (which we share below), and the French mashed potatoes to pour it all over. Plus, canned vs. homemade cranberry sauce, acceptable leftovers, the day after Meyers-Shyer sandwich, latke love, nog hate, the best sourdough loaf in LA, and was Jordan right or wrong about Max's Christmas tree? And as a holiday gift, enjoy Nancy Meyers' turkey gravy recipe as heard on the episode:  Make the Broth     1.    Cook the liver for the dog, or discard it.     2.    Place the giblets, neck, carrots, celery, onion, and water in a pot.     3.    Cook on a low flame for about 2 hours, covered. This becomes the beef broth for the gravy.     4.    Turn off the heat and let it sit. It should not look too watery. Prepare the Pan Juices     1.    When the turkey is done, remove it from the pan and place it on a cutting board.     2.    Pour all the juices from the pan into a fat separator.     3.    Remove the fat, then pour the juices back into the pan. Make the Gravy (over a medium/low heat)     1.    Add 1 cup of the broth you cooked earlier into the pan with the juices.     2.    Shake in a little Wondra flour to thicken the mixture.     3.    Sprinkle in dry sage.     4.    Add a pinch or two from one beef cube.     5.    Season with dry sage, salt, and pepper.     6.    Stir until the gravy reaches the consistency you like.

A chef's recent email to Max has Jordan concerned, and then the fellas talk dining at new restaurants on the scene, and it's all Brentwood cougars, sweet butters, the Pasadena schlep, shrimp balls, a salt issue, the spoonable pasta, poor Bill Bush, booze enhancing food, and let's stop with the "American bistro" thing.

Restaurant workers of Los Angeles and beyond have written in with the biggest pet peeves they deal with when serving diners, and it's all splitting bills, booze behavior, showing up early and late, too much talky, not enough tippy, stacking dishes, eager early birds, knowing the owner, crying kids, filming the staff, and Jordan is ordering his steak like a monster apparently. 

Jordan and Max return to answer audience questions, and it's the one big restaurant gimmick, seed oil freaks, sauna and ice, and spas, pricey tasting menus, the problems with Hilstone, managing generally, Thanksgiving protiens, Diddy Riese ice cream sandwich construction, Max's height and bubble intake, and too much tippy.