The highlight of last week was an invitation to a pre-opening peek at Jacaranda, the new Hollywood restaurant from chef Daniel Patterson and his wife, Sarah Lewitinn. It was extraordinary. Easily one of my favorite meals in recent memory. I am not a fine dining person. I am not a tasting menu person. I am easily intimidated and can get quickly overwhelmed and antsy. But their restaurant is a dream. The room is just feminine enough and small with only 30 seats, so immediately intimate. The vibe was like a very special secret neighborhood restaurant, but with world-class food. To see the menu, photos, and more, check out the Good Food Substack this week.

I love every single conversation on Good Food this week, but special love to Roxana Jullapat and our conversation about her new cookbook, Morning Baker.

And in honor of Mother's Day, you will love Gus Constantellis. When I saw the title of his book, I knew he would be on the show: My Greek Mom's Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook.

While you're reading this, I'm probably fighting jet lag with multiple espressos at a bar in Palermo. I'll keep you posted.

— Evan

THE GOOD FOOD TEAM'S DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Evan: The fourth course of 10 at Chef Daniel Patterson and Sarah Lewitinn's new fine dining restaurant, Jacaranda, nearly made me weep. I love artichokes, and this multi-layered expression of the vegetable was nuanced, delicate, and absolutely memorable.

Gillian: When Zuckerman Farms quit coming to the Santa Monica Farmers Market, I quit eating asparagus. Nothing compares to the fat, tender spears grown by Roscoe Zuckerman in the Sacramento Delta. Fortunately, I have a fancy friend who still gets her yearly allocation from Roscoe, and every spring she gifts me a bunch. It is the ultimate luxury. This time, I roasted it in the oven and topped it with breadcrumbs, 50/50 Parmesan/Pecorino cheese, and some jammy eggs. Heaven!

Laryl: On the market report this week, Gillian talks to Oliver Woolley of Peads & Barnetts, in anticipation of his new shop, Good Things. Oliver is supplying ham to Petitgrain Boulangerie in Santa Monica. Clémence de Lutz just started the bakery's bread program and channels the jambon beurre of her Parisian youth. Naturally leavened with a nuttiness from the whole grain flours, the baguette hugs the sweet, melt-in-your-mouth ham lathered in a salted, cultured butter. After running into Gillian and Clemence at the farmers market, I headed straight to the bakery to grab my first of many of these transportive sandwiches.

Elina: Shooting this video about the quesabirria tacos at Tacos Y Birria La Unica was the most delicious part of my week. The handmade tortillas, the stewed meat, the melted cheese, the consommé... It's a chef's kiss of flavor. My only problem? I can't decide whether I prefer chivo (goat) or res (beef). I guess I'll have to go back.

This week on Good Food:

• Ham El-Waylly, who began his career at Michelin-starred restaurants, rethinks home-cooked meals with all their comfort and nostalgia.
• When his mother died suddenly in 2023, comedian Gus Constantellis revisited her recipes while grieving her loss.
• Long before the sun is up, Roxana Jullapat flips on the lights at Friends & Family, where the baked goods glow with the colors and textures of whole grains.
• Farmers market favorite Peads & Barnetts opens a store in West LA.

Connect with Good Food host Evan Kleiman on Substack.

WHAT I'M CONSUMING

WEEKLY RECIPE: I just arrived in Sicily earlier today, and even though I'm extremely jet-lagged, as soon as I put down my bags, I went in search of sustenance and found a bowl of Busiate alla Trapanese. The sauce is Trapani Pesto, made with tomatoes, almonds, basil, garlic, grated pecorino, and olive oil. Because of the addition of tomatoes to the green pesto, it turns a bit brown. Don't let that put you off. It's delicious and often a welcome change from the intensity of a basil-pine nut pesto. Busiate is a twinned shape of pasta that catches the sauce in all its nooks and crannies, but you can use any shape. GET THE RECIPE

TASTY THINGS TO DO 

• The Hollywood Farmers Market continues its 30th birthday celebration. On Sunday, May 10, check out a trash-sorting competition hosted by The Dirt Girls and a food-eating competition. Both have prizes for the winners.

• Echo Park sake bar OTOTO hosts Sake Week, May 11th–17th, with a series of walk-in-only tastings, pairings, and guest appearances — the brewers of Saiya Shuzo pouring selections, exploring shochu highballs, and celebrating a book launch.
  

• Dine Latino Restaurant Week, May 12th–24th, highlights 200+ restaurants including Maléna (Afro-Mexican cuisine in the Guerrerense tradition), Amara Café (Venezuelan café in Pasadena), and Fuegos LA (Argentine empanadas in Exposition Park).

• On Tuesday, May 12th, Alana Kysar visits Now Serving in Chinatown for a conversation about her book Aloha Veggies. $10-36.

TASTY THINGS TO READ 

• With Big Protein demanding everyone start proteinmaxxing, what do you do when you get invited to a Protein Slop Potluck? Show up at a gym with a rotisserie chicken and "Do it for the bit, see what comes out."

• The first trailer for the Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony, is out. Directed by Matt Johnson and starring Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), the film depicts a transformative summer in 1975 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. It'll be released this summer.

• People can't use SNAP to buy hot, ready-to-eat foods. But a week ago, the House passed a bill that lets people use SNAP to buy one specific hot, ready-to-eat food: rotisserie chicken. It's part of a broader bill that now heads to the Senate.

AWWW

Young fennec foxes learn to navigate a harsh desert environment.

To see more of what I'm consuming, including recipes, events, and other stories, check out my Substack!

—Evan