LA’s “Bar Chef,” storied Mexican restaurants, and saving citrus

Hosted by Evan Kleiman May. 04, 2019 Food & Drink

Tlayuda is among the Oaxacan classics on Madre's menu. Photo credit: Elizabeth Lippman/Los Angeles Times

Cinco de Mayo is around the corner, so we’re looking at the sometimes complicated history of Mexican food in LA. Also, Evan talks to “Bar Chef” Christiaan Rollich, and Elisa Callow explores LA’s Eastside for culinary inspiration. Plus: the race to save California citrus from disease.

From this Episode:

Gustavo Arellano on how the taco conquered America

Gustavo Arellano is the author of “ Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America . ” In 2012, he spoke with Evan about how Mexican food made inroads into the American...

5 min

Why were some of LA’s oldest Mexican restaurants called Spanish?

Los Angeles is a city of great Mexican food, but that doesn’t mean restaurant owners have always been able to call their cuisine by its proper name.

11 min

Bill Addison dines at Madre in Torrance

With a menu full of Oaxacan specialties and a deep bench of mezcals, Madre has been quietly winning over diners in the South Bay, not typically known as a destination...

5 min

LA mixologist Christiaan Röllich on mixing drinks like cooking dishes

If you’ve sat at the bar at Lucques, A.O.C. or Tavern, perhaps you’ve met Christiaan Röllich . The Dutchman has become one of LA’s most influential bartenders for his use...

13 min

The race to fight citrus greening

In 2005, most citrus trees in Florida were dying or infected with the insidious citrus disease known as Huanglongbing, HLB, or citrus greening. California was spared at the...

11 min