Uh, what’s going on with LA restaurants?

There aren’t enough good rom-coms

My friend Jonah Feingold [https://open.substack.com/users/13946961-jonah-feingold?utm_source=mentions] has a new romantic comedy 31 Candles [https://romantical.kit.com/31candles] out that I’m stoked about. Here’s the trailer, and you can grab tickets here [https://quadcinema.com/film/31-candles/]. There aren’t nearly enough good rom-coms [https://secretballot.substack.com/p/trick-or-treat] out in the world — a genre I’ve always adored [https://substack.com/@tedescau/note/c-171939568]. Jonah is my favorite person to talk to about what works and what doesn’t in a modern love story. He lives and breathes this stuff. So we took some time to get into all of that. Check it out. Get full access to Bangers & Jams at www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe [https://www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Horses, Hillstone and hot takes

I bullied Blair into going live. Get full access to Bangers & Jams at www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe [https://www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Uh, what’s going on with LA restaurants?

What are Angelenos actually looking for when they dine out? My friend Emily Wilson [https://substack.com/profile/255684-emily-wilson] has a great survey running over at The Angel [https://open.substack.com/pub/theangel] for the next week diving into that question. Emily and I discussed LA’s quiet 2024 for restaurants back in November [https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/the-highs-and-lows-of-las-quiet-restaurant]. The LA dining scene has only gotten more confounding to me since then, so I wanted to have her on to chat about what’s actually happening, ambition and creativity in restaurants, good food vs. good vibes, TikTok food influencers and what comes next. Get full access to Bangers & Jams at www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe [https://www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Debating the NYC spots with staying power

Thanks to Gabrielle Scelzo [https://substack.com/profile/33310438-gabrielle-scelzo] for this fun chat about my new NYC dining institutions list [https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/new-yorks-new-dining-institutions]. We got into what should have made the cut, Penny [https://www.penny-nyc.com/] vs. Claud [https://www.claudnyc.com/] and why you should avoid Greenpoint at all costs. Check it out and go subscribe to her wonderful newsletter Perfect City [https://open.substack.com/pub/perfectcity]. Get full access to Bangers & Jams at www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe [https://www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Chatting with New York’s best pastry chef

I started working at Cool World because of Amanda Perdomo [https://substack.com/profile/290666541-amanda-perdomo]’s desserts. On the hunt for a line cook job [https://www.bangersandjams.com/p/how-to-get-your-ass-kicked], I swung by this new (horribly named) spot in Greenpoint late on a Friday for fries and dessert. The fries were perfectly seasoned and the Floating Island [https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f063187ead18a2e98ba7f9b/1666129342941-G6WQ3PN6R3ZIKXWPVU6L/PastryChef_CoolWorld-4.jpg?format=1000w] — with peaches, torched meringue and tarragon — knocked me out. Something special was happening here. Over the next year, I learned a ton from Amanda, who has worked at Wildair [https://www.wildair.nyc/], Del Posto [https://ny.eater.com/2021/4/12/22379661/del-posto-permanent-closure-nyc], Roman’s [https://www.romansnyc.com/], Kellogg’s [https://www.kelloggsdinernyc.com/] and is now relaunching JR & Son [https://ny.eater.com/2025/3/11/24382557/junior-and-son-jr-and-son-patricia-vega-kelloggs-opening-relaunch-williamsburg-italian-restaurant]. She showed me pure technique. But more than anything she demonstrated how a kitchen should operate. We chatted about that, her stellar vegan jello, her year as a savory cook and the best dessert program in New York City. Get full access to Bangers & Jams at www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe [https://www.bangersandjams.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]