Welcome to How to Eat L.A.

This is a guide to the eating places of Los Angeles, California. How to Eat L.A. will cover the food, of course, but also the how and why of it all: why this restaurant is here now, what's the history behind the cuisine, how does it fit into L.A.'s culture.

Anyone who wants to be an expert on restaurants, food, Los Angeles, and the West Coast should subscribe.

How to Eat L.A. is written by Katherine Spiers (that's me), host of the food history podcast Smart Mouth and former food editor at LA Weekly and KCET. I've lived in Los Angeles for 18 years and have made it my business to know everything about the food culture here.

A huge number of Angelenos post on social about their favorite restaurants, but the entire city only has one full-time restaurant critic. That's absurd for such a large, food-obsessed place. So, given my credentials, I've decided I'm now L.A.'s second restaurant critic.

In most ways I'm doing this old-school. I will visit each restaurant I review at least three times. I will not announce my arrival to restaurants and I will pay for everything I order. But I'm not going to pretend to be anonymous - that ship has obviously sailed. (And the reviewers of yore were never actually anonymous. Restaurant workers have always shared sketches and blurry photos of the critics and figured out what aliases they're making reservations under.)  

Another difference: I'm only doing positive reviews. I'm going to focus on smaller restaurants, the "mom-and-pop" types, if you will. They don't need the hassle of a negative write-up. If it's reviewed here, there's something to love about it. These are the restaurants that don't get much media coverage even though the food is great - maybe they're small or in an unlikely location or have no social media. They're unheralded, but for no good reason.

A subscription to How to Eat L.A. means falling ever more in love with Los Angeles - or, if you're brand new, understanding what makes this sprawling mess so wonderful. The written reviews are the main event, but there's more at every tier. Click that purple button on the bottom right of your screen to subscribe at any level. I can't wait to uncover the city with you.