

The LA Food Podcast
Acquired Taste Media
The LA Food Podcast is where LA’s top chefs, boldest food stories, and biggest restaurant moments all collide. Hosted by Luca Servodio, the official hype man of Los Angeles restaurants, we dig deep into what’s happening across the most exciting food city on the planet — Los Angeles.
We’ve chopped it up with legends like Wolfgang Puck, Brooke Williamson, Joe Sasto, and more. Expect chef interviews, restaurant news, behind-the-scenes drama, food culture trends, and no-BS conversations about LA’s dynamic dining scene.
Powered by Acquired Taste Media. New episodes drop every Friday. Hit follow!
We’ve chopped it up with legends like Wolfgang Puck, Brooke Williamson, Joe Sasto, and more. Expect chef interviews, restaurant news, behind-the-scenes drama, food culture trends, and no-BS conversations about LA’s dynamic dining scene.
Powered by Acquired Taste Media. New episodes drop every Friday. Hit follow!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 6, 2023 • 60min
The Dough Daddy Story with Kyle Davidson
Kyle Davidson joins the pod to talk about Dough Daddy, his Detroit-style pizza concept that first popped up during the pandemic. We discuss why Dough Daddy got started, how it rose to such rapid success, and what the journey has been like for Kyle, both from a business and a mental health perspective.

Feb 27, 2023 • 1h 19min
Amiga Amore's Danielle Duran Zecca talks elote agnolotti, and Forking Around joins me to challenge ChatGPT to a duel
We're joined by the all-star chef of one of LA's hottest new restaurant concepts, Amiga Amore. Chef Danielle Duran Zecca is cooking up Italian-Mexican fusion, and she tells us about the concept's history, as well as its exciting future. I'm then joined by Daniel Wargo of the Forking Around social media channels for an epic duel with ChatGPT - who can provide the best list of Top 10 restaurants in LA? Us or the machines!? Listen to find out. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.
Helpful links:
Amiga Amore website
Amiga Amore Instagram
Forking Around Instagram
Forking Around TikTok
Restaurants mentioned: Ka'teen Ye Olde King's Head El Cholo Midori Sushi Petit Trois Jitlada Harold and Belle's Sunnin Cafe Cici's Cafe Pizzana Bavel Villa's Tacos Sushi Bar Sichuan Impression Asadero Chikali Park's BBQ Night + Market Holbox Providence Osteria Mozza n/naka Gjelina Republique Felix Trattoria Mother Wolf Animal Majordomo Langer's Delicatessen

Feb 18, 2023 • 1h 38min
LA's outdoor dining debate with Casa Vega's Christy Vega, and creating food competition show GOLD
As the City of Los Angeles proposes new hoops for restaurants to jump through in order to keep serving diners outdoors, Casa Vega's Christy Vega joins us to break down just what the new red tape would mean for LA's restaurateurs. She also tells us about what it was like to grow up in and take over one of LA's most legendary Mexican restaurants, and how the Ventura Blvd icon became a Kardashian mainstay.
To celebrate the imminent return of Bravo's Top Chef, Cousin Sal joins me to brainstorm what the BEST food competition show of all time would look like. We come up with a (frankly genius) concept on the fly, and are now accepting meeting invites (looking at you, HBO). Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.
Helpful links:
Casa Vega
Christy Vega's website
Christy Vega's Instagram
The LA Times' Jenn Harris on the new outdoor dining ordinance
LA Mayor's Office contact page
Top Chef Season 20 preview

Feb 11, 2023 • 1h 25min
Steve Dolinsky talks Pizza City Fest LA plus The 2023 Draft of Best Birthday Spots in LA
We're joined by James Beard Award-winning broadcaster, author and podcaster Steve Dolinsky to talk all things pizza, including the first-ever Pizza City Fest LA, coming to L.A. Live on April 29-30. Cousin Sal and I then celebrate my birthday by holding the 2023 Draft of the Top 10 restaurants and bars for LA-based birthday celebrations. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.
Helpful links from this episode:
Pizza City Fest LA
Steve Dolinsky's website
Steve Dolinsky's pizza book
Pizza City Tours
Pizza City Podcast
The World's 50 Best Restaurants
Restaurants mentioned (in Los Angeles unless otherwise specified):
Oriole (Chicago, IL)
My Pi Pizza (Chicago, IL)
Pudgy's Pizza (Chicago, IL)
Barnaby's Pizza (Chicago, IL)
Pizzeria Uno (Chicago, IL)
Apollonia's Pizzeria
Pizzana
Bettina (Santa Barbara, CA)
Tribute Pizza (San Diego, CA)
LaSorted's
Long Bridge Pizza Co. (San Francisco, CA)
Pi LA
Slice House (coming to Thousand Oaks, CA)
The Slice & Pint
Truly Pizza (Dana Point, CA)
Ronan
Bulgarini Gelato
Gra
Double Zero
Masa of Echo Park
Labriola (Chicago, IL)
Lou Malnati's (Chicago, IL)
People mentioned:
Emeril Lagasse
Kevin Brauch
Alton Brown
Michael Symon
Masaharu Morimoto
Dana Cowin
Alex Guarnaschelli
Karen Palmer
Chris Bianco
Brian McGinn
Nancy Silverton
Fred Eric
Matthew Kenney

Feb 5, 2023 • 58min
Embezzling chicken wings and reviewing "The Menu"
The epic sequel to our blockbuster debut, Cousin Salman and I do a little round-up of the top food news stories this week, and then have a lively recap conversation of foodie satire "The Menu." Spoiler alert, there are spoilers. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.
Articles referenced:
LA Times - The best places to eat and drink in L.A. right now, according to our food writers - https://www.latimes.com/food/list/best-los-angeles-restaurants-to-visit-february-2023
Eater - Resy Is My Best Frenemy (and It Could Be Yours, Too) - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23512517/resy-restaurant-critic-privacy?_gl=1*1un0y5y*
Eater - How to Get Into the Restaurant You Can’t Get Into - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23580233/how-to-make-reservations-hot-restaurants-nyc-resy?_gl=1*1d0x2k3*
Eater - How Resy Won - https://ny.eater.com/2023/2/1/23475584/how-resy-won-reservation-wars-opentable
Eater - Suburban School Worker Accused of Stealing $1.5 Million in Chicken Wings https://chicago.eater.com/2023/2/1/23581736/chicago-harvey-school-district-154-chicken-wing-theft?_gl=1*1i0jdy0*-
Restaurants referenced (all in LA, unless otherwise stated):
El Prado
Mother Wolf
Felix
Em (Mexico City, Mexico)
Carmen (Cartegena, Colombia)
Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Alinea (Chicago, Illinois)
People referenced:
Aimee Rizzo
Seth Reiss and Will Tracy
Evan Funke
Paul Feinstein
Jonathan Gold

Jan 28, 2023 • 56min
ORIGIN STORY / Why should we care about the James Beard Awards?
On this epic POD DEBUT, I give you the 411 on what the heck the Countdown is, and why I'm embarking on a quest to eat 100 iconic LA sandwiches in 365 days. We're then joined by Friend of the Countdown Cousin Salman to talk about the James Beard Awards' semifinalists, and why we should even care about these kinds of awards in the first place. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.
Find The LA Countdown on TikTok and Instagram at @thelacountdown:
https://www.tiktok.com/@thelacountdown
https://www.instagram.com/thelacountdown/
News discussed during this episode:
- James Beard Awards Semifinalists - https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2023-james-beard-awards-semifinalist
Restaurants mentioned :
- Little Coyote - https://www.littlecoyotelbc.com/
- Da Michele - https://damicheleusa.com/
- Pizzana - https://pizzana.com/
- Langer's Deli - https://www.langersdeli.com/
- Bay Cities Deli - https://order.bcdeli.com/
- Philippe The Original - https://www.philippes.com/
- Kamp Social House - https://www.kampseattle.com/
- Moo's Craft BBQ - https://www.mooscraftbarbecue.com/
- Pijja Palace - https://www.pijjapalace.com/
- Jitlada - https://jitladala.com/
- Holbox - https://www.holboxla.com
Food personalities mentiond :
- Aimee Rizzo @ The Infatuation Seattle - https://www.theinfatuation.com/contributor/aimee-rizzo
- Kenji Lopez-Alt - http://www.kenjilopezalt.com/
- Evan Funke LOL - https://felixla.com/evan-funke
- forkingaround.tv - https://www.instagram.com/forkingaround.tv/
- Fat Phuck - https://www.instagram.com/fat_phuck/?hl=en
- Rick Lox - https://www.instagram.com/ricklox/?hl=en

Jan 22, 2023 • 58sec
TASTY TRAILER
Here's why you should subscribe The LA Countdown - The Podcast. Sponsored by TUMS. Not really.

Jan 22, 2023 • 58sec


