Culinary Greatest Hits

We’ve had so many fascinating food experts on the podcast that we decided to assemble a greatest hits album of sorts—a collection of tip-filled snippets with some true insiders. The episode starts off with host Soterios Johnson’s conversation with Jeff Gordinier, Food and Drinks Editor for Esquire magazine. Gordinier tasted his way through some of the top restaurants in San Francisco and discovered that there was much to love at the high end of the culinary scene, including three-star spots like Saison, Atelier Crenn, and Benu.

After that, Johnson discusses the incredible bounty of California’s Central Coast with acclaimed chef and TV personality Curtis Stone; chats about hidden gems and Los Angeles food trucks with Eater LA Senior Editor Farley Elliott; and explores the local food scene with Sacramento Bee Food Critic Kate Washington. Pull up a chair and dig into this tasty treat of an episode. 

Guests

• Jeff Gordinier, Food and Drinks Editor of Esquire
• Curtis Stone, award-winning chef at Maude and Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant
• Farley Elliott, senior editor for Eater LA and author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History from Tamaleros to Taco Trucks
• Kate Washington, dining critic for The Sacramento Bee

Resources

Jeff Gordinier ordered the tasting menus at five of San Francisco’s most acclaimed restaurants.

• San Francisco restaurants
• Michelin restaurant guide—San Francisco
• Atelier Crenn
• Saison
• Coi
• Benu
• Californios
• Manresa

Curtis Stone shares highlights of his culinary tour of California’s Central Coast.

• Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant
• Maude
• California’s Central Coast
• Santa Barbara dining
• Stephanie Mutz, urchin diver
• Stepladder Creamery
• Eater: The Essential Guide to Eating California
• David Chang, chef of Majordomo
• Santa Monica Farmers Market
• Central Coast dining
• Central Coast wine country
• California ranch cuisine
• Splash Cafe in Pismo Beach
• Stephanie Mutz, sea urchin diver

Eater LA’s Farley Elliott highlights some culinary hidden gems and picks his five favorite L.A. street food outposts.

• Central Valley dining
• Mexican food on Highway 99
• Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco USA
• Fresno chile history
• Los Toritos Taco Truck in Selma 
• Basque dining in Bakersfield
• La Copine Kitchen in Flamingo Heights/Yucca Valley
• Copper Top BBQ in Lone Pine
• All Flavor No Grease
• Moo’s Craft Barbecue
• Marisco’s Jalisco
• Guatemalan Street Market
• Kogi BBQ 

Sacramento Bee dining critic Kate Washington discusses where to go and what to order in Sacramento.

• Mulvaney’s B&L
• Ella Dining Room & Bar
• Canon

About the Host

Soterios Johnson, formerly the local host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on radio station WNYC, moved from New York City to Davis, Calif., in 2016 and is just getting to know his surroundings. By combining his journalistic instincts with his personal curiosity, Johnson will use the California Now platform to develop a deeper understanding of his adopted home.