Mad Food

The boys are back with more answers to audience questions covering everything from best international appetizers to serve while watching the upcoming Olympics to Summer desserts, best LA salads, how much Bubbles spends a month on restaurants, at home burger recipes, guessing the fellas top 3 bites, and hardest reservations in Los Angeles. Plus, does Jordan really ruin everything with caviar, an ortolan update, what to order at Dunsmoor and Quarter Sheets, Japanese ice, Joan's vs. Sqirl, more sauna and ice, and The Bear season 3 thoughts.

Jordan and Max talk top five L.A. pizzas, Summer vegetables, pre-Sphere eats in Vegas, stone fruit rankings, Boris vs. Oscar, Jodro vs. Bubbles, capresefication, more Stella, and all the best bites from Jordan's recent trip to New York. All this, plus first dates, broken hearts, and the worst part of being human in part one of the dead of Summer Q&A.

Chef Ben Osher sits down with Jordan to talk his Valley Village pizza, wings, and beyond shop, and all the pitfalls one must dodge when running a small business. And it's all cheesy garlic bread, ranch over blue cheese, salad and fries on a pizza, why those wings are so good, the fingers you need, a Nobu origin story, and a very special July 4th offering. 

Ben Hundreds and Kate Burr join Jordan and Max to discuss opening their first restaurant, where the cocktail and burger game is already the talk of the town. Plus, Jordan wants to recreate Rodney Dangerfield's appetizer sandwich with The Benjamin's menu, Max gets angry, Kate and Ben talk the steps it took to open, those chips, that whipped cream, Ben's soundtrack, lessons learned, fried capers, and the dream team that came together on Melrose and Formosa.

A tasting menu of 14 courses straight out of the Oxalis Palace and the mind of Bubbles Shapiro are experienced by a jury of his peers to decide for the final time if Max can actually cook. Ben Hundreds joins Jordan to review the night that started with an aged welcome drink, leading the fellas into buttery broth talk, the perfect potato dish, olive and prawn appreciation, a journey of seafood, the nods to Gjelina, Saison, and Kato, lots of butter, a ballsy chicken dish, absolutely no bread, a nine-year-old sauce, some insane ice cream moves, lots of Saint James Iced Tea love, and an epilogue you may want to miss. Plus, the episode opens with Father's Day chubby tales of a Persian buffet, the movie theater surpise bite, and two Din Tai Fung discoveries.

Jordan returned to Pizzeria Mozza for the first time in forever to figure out why it's not as popular as it once was, and it was all hot hunks of olive oil dripping bread, Max having thoughts on Nancy's chopped, those meatballs, a truffle cheese vs. truffle oil discussion, the welcomed proteins, Jordan attempts to learn Italian, the only miss of the night, and no notes for Nance on the new dessert. Plus, Chace Crawford could have really done Max a solid, the VH1 days and possible future, Father's Day plans, and a first look inside The Benjamin, where the fellas talk the pains of opening a restaurant by highlighting a killer dish coming to you soon.

Jordan and Max answer audience submitted questions ranging from crushed vs. rock ice, all sorts of prime rib all over the country, how much Bubbles is really drinking, a curation of old Air Jordan episodes, The World's 50 Best Restaurants, deep dish pizza, and a recent Kato review. Plus, the worst pasta shape, Summer sushi fish, worst bites at Max's favorite restaurants, more taco crawl talk, Mario Carbone's restaurant dress code opinion, and the fellas are going to figure out how to eat some contraband.

Food writer Bill Esparza joins Jordan and Max to review their recent voyage across Los Angeles and beyond, exploring (possibly too) many great tacos across the city. There was lots of lamb, plenty of goat, enough prawns to keep Jordan happy, the pig everyone needed, a king in the beef world, all sorts of tortillas, stewed meats, and a surprise guest Jordan did not want to see. Plus, Bill's bite strategy saved Max, apparently mezcal is for sipping, the taco that put Jordan over the edge, and an out of body experience in Hancock Park.   The Stops: Barbacoa Estilo Hidalgo Gish Bac Mariscos Los Corchos Birrieria Nochistlan Zac Asadero Chikali Tacos La Carreta Los Sabrosos Al Horno Del Mar Ostioneria 

Jordan reviews a recent trip to Las Vegas, where he found the hotel, spa, and peking duck of his desert dreams at the Fontainebleau. Plus, Max sampled a $500k bottle of wine while Jordan doesn't understand a $400 bottle of wine, new dishes at Dunsmoor, the return of Oxalis meal planning is spiraling out of control, and Angler is kinda back with Leopardo, where the fellas give a first look of the pizza, meats, cocktails, and all the Angler feels that are most definitely not at the Beverly Center.

Jordan and Max discuss a massive change occuring in the LA restaurant scene and how it will manifest in future California meals, including the fate of automatic gratuity and that horrific additional tip line, and a possible silver lining for diners. Then, Max reviews two restaurants he recently visited for the first time, Jordan talks some very special deep fried bites, and menu creation for "Can Shapiro Actually Cook 2" incorporating Saint James has commenced. Plus, young Jordan eating horror stories, charging for lettuce wraps, fries vs. loaded fries, Roy Choi tacos, and an upcoming Mexico City episode spoiler alert.