Jonathan Gold (1960-2018), Legendary Los Angeles Times Food Critic

[DonRocks]

Jonathan Gold was the best food critic in the United States.

"Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic Jonathan Gold Dies at 57" by Andrea Chang on latimes.com

[Kibbee Nayee]

Very sad. This man was a presence on the L.A. food scene, and I never dined out in L.A. without first consulting his spot-on reviews. He planted in my mind the concept that Los Angeles is the second-largest city in Mexico, from his comments in Lucky Peach some years ago. I have confirmed that comment on many yummy occasions, and I even use the point when certain Trump supporters argue in favor of The Wall -- I would point out to them that it would have to be built north of Los Angeles.

The disease that claimed him is frightening. He was diagnosed in early July, and passed away only a few weeks later.

[Deborah Lee]

Jonathan Gold did more than critique the Los Angeles food scene. He defined it. by Tim Carman on WP.

[Deborah Lee]

City of Gold and the Richness of the Melting Pot:  A portrait of the Los Angeles Times’s food writer, Jonathan Gold, explores how humans connect through food. by Sophie Gilbert on The Atlantic. March 17, 2016.

City of Gold, A documentary portrait.

[Marty L.]

This is the best obit I've read on him.  It points to these two reviews, in particular--about pho and the crusty rice at the bottom of the pot (cf. our recent tahdig discussion)--which are just about as great as food writing -- or most any nonfiction writing -- gets these days.  It's painful to read them because it's palpable just how irreplaceable he will be.

[DonRocks]

15 hours ago, Marty L. said:

This is the best obit I've read on him.  It points to these two reviews, in particular--about pho and the crusty rice at the bottom of the pot (cf. our recent tahdig discussion)--which are just about as great as food writing -- or most any nonfiction writing -- gets these days.  It's painful to read them because it's palpable just how irreplaceable he will be.

Jonathan Gold was a culinary Mark Twain. He may have lacked Twain's twinkle-eyed humor, but Gold's intelligence, education, and inclusive, roadside prose rang across all borders - when you were reading a Gold review, you didn't want it to end: It wasn't about him; it was about you.

Should I begin writing critiques again, Gold will be tormenting me from the grave: Since I began writing about restaurants in 2003, I'd never once considered myself influenced by another food or wine critic. My influences were authors of literature - the Saramagos, the Nabokovs, the Wallaces. But now that I've become acquainted with Gold's writing, how can I *not* be influenced by him going forward? And how can I ever live up to the standards which he set? Answer: I can't.

[reedm]

On 7/22/2018 at 4:07 PM, dslee said:

City of Gold and the Richness of the Melting Pot:  A portrait of the Los Angeles Times’s food writer, Jonathan Gold, explores how humans connect through food. by Sophie Gilbert on The Atlantic. March 17, 2016.

City of Gold, A documentary portrait.

I'll suggest this is a "must watch" for anyone who regularly follows and contributes to Don's website. Thanks for the recommendation!