Remembering Jonathan Gold

KCRW’s “Good Food” mourns the death of our friend, the Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold. He died of pancreatic cancer on Saturday, July 21, one week before his 58th birthday. He leaves behind a spouse, Laurie Ochoa, and two children.

For more than 20 years, Jonathan’s voice could be regularly heard on “Good Food.” In his distinctive cadence, he helped Angelenos better understand the astonishing diversity of our city’s food and neighborhoods.

This page will be regularly updated with our favorite segments with Jonathan, as well as remembrances from friends of the show. Please join us in celebrating the life of this giant who helped us find our place in this sprawling city by eating our way through it.

Colleagues of Gold’s have flooded social media with remembrances of the “belly of Los Angeles”:

My @KCRWGoodFood family lost our brother a man like no other. Such kindness, generosity and erudition. https://t.co/IA0h5SA4GC

— Evan Kleiman (@evankleiman) July 22, 2018

My first month on the job, @thejgold suggested lunch after we did some recordings in the @latimes building. His treat. As we walked into Grand Central Market, heads turned. Admirers hovered nearby, deciding whether they should approach.

— Nick Liao (@nickliao) July 22, 2018

Never forget the value of being a great listener. Rest in feast, JG. We can’t thank you enough❤ pic.twitter.com/4s1vSAnUbg

— Rosalie Atkinson (@RoAtkinson) July 22, 2018

Here are some hits from Gold’s tenure on KCRW, which spanned 5 producers, 20 years, and hundreds of restaurants:

Gold tries Roy Choi’s Kogi tacos for the first time in 2009:

Gold praised chef Kris Yenbamroong’s subversive culinary style, in 2014:

Hear Gold’s 2012 “Essential 99 Restaurants” list for LA Weekly, rapped:

Gold shared his thoughts on Sang Yoon’s (then) newest gift to L.A.’s long list of great restaurants, in 2011.

Gold stopped by Guest DJ Project in 2009 to dish on his long history with classical music, as well as history with punk and rap: