392291 Mon Apr 16 12:30:58 -0700 2007 39 33 Food Media and News 0 2485992 Very cool. http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2007/criticism/ Mon Apr 16 12:30:58 -0700 2007 17195 PlonkMan 1 2486018 You go Jonathon, A TRUE FOODIE ! Mon Apr 16 12:36:33 -0700 2007 2485992 11279 Burger Boy 1 2486054 That's really tremendous, he is a great writer - well-deserved recognition ! Mon Apr 16 12:47:28 -0700 2007 2485992 19558 mikester 1 2486068 Woo hoo! Well deserved. Mon Apr 16 12:52:02 -0700 2007 2485992 13564 Snackish 1 2486239 Well deserved! What I like about his work is that it has a sense of place and time. It's not frivolous food writing in vacuo. I've learned much from him over the years, not just about food, but about LA's continual evolution as a city and as a nexus of cultures and peoples. I always walk away knowing a little more about the place I live in, and with a greater curiosity for it. I don't always agree with his assessments, but the way he captures LA's identity and personality, along with its history and possibilities, is always spot on. Congratulations, Jonathan and LA Weekly! Mon Apr 16 13:37:18 -0700 2007 2485992 64006 kiwonyoon 2 2486521 Congratulations Jonathan Gold! Such good news makes me hungry! Mon Apr 16 14:54:14 -0700 2007 2486239 28938 Dyspepsia 1 2486539 Jonathan is not only a hell of a food critic, but I thought he was a terrific music reviewer for the L.A. Times back in the 80's and early-to-mid 90's. He was one of the very few critics I trusted. His tastes were off the beaten path. In an article for Los Angeles Magazine, I remember him talking about listening solely to classical music at first. Contrast that to his top 10 albums of the 80's: I remember Metallica's "Master of Puppets" being number one, and he also had albums by Public Enemy, Slayer, and Motorhead. He would also champion hardcore rap acts like NWA and grindcore bands (think thrash metal done as fast as humanly possible). In my younger rebellious years, he was a beacon of light as far as music recommendations. Before I move to Idaho in June, I want to e-mail the Weekly and tell him how much I've appreciated his criticism and insight. If I'm not able to, and he's reading this: Thanks for all of your work over the years, Jonathan! Mon Apr 16 14:58:32 -0700 2007 2485992 36389 nakni 2 2491720 Thanks to J. Gold for (inspiring you to take) a trip down music memory lane. Definitely some stuff I would have never listened to except that he made note of it. In your quest for ramen in Boise - http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Location.html?Location=65069 ....ya never know...;-) Wed Apr 18 08:08:05 -0700 2007 2486539 15170 Local 1 2486810 Ditto--well deserved recognition. And to top it all off, he's very friendly and accessible. I recently emailed him interview questions for a post on my very modest foodblog, and he wrote back a delightfully rich response, full of good LA recommendations: http://erinskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/04/la-favorites-2-jonathan-gold-of-la.html Mon Apr 16 16:34:12 -0700 2007 2485992 13494 eriny 1 2486902 Resonating everyone's responses thus far about his excellent food writing style - something I and every other food writer/blogger aspire to. And while I don't always agree with him, I trust his sensibilities the most compared to other reviewers in mainstream LA media (S. Irene Virbila of LA Times, Patric Kuh of LA Magazine, Elmer Dills from ABC News). I will be curious, however, at whether LA Times will mention anything at all about this. ~H.C. http://la-oc-foodie.blogspot.com Mon Apr 16 17:12:59 -0700 2007 2485992 11949 AquaW 2 2486954 Of course, it's local news, especially since the other two nominees in the criticism category were LA Times writers (as Gold used to be): http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-ex-pulitzer16apr16,0,4816696.story Mon Apr 16 17:35:57 -0700 2007 2486902 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2489468 Yep, saw it - but thought LA Times would be much faster in running that announcement. ~H.C. Tue Apr 17 13:34:54 -0700 2007 2486954 11949 AquaW 1 2487025 I've always said that in terms of LA food critics, there's Jonathan Gold and then there's everyone else. Mon Apr 16 18:04:22 -0700 2007 2485992 50350 SauceSupreme 1 2487155 It's about damn time! I do believe this year mark's the 20th anniversary of Counter Intelligence. FINALLY, those people on the East Coast will believe we have "cuisine" out West! Way to go JG, we are your peeps! Mon Apr 16 18:58:16 -0700 2007 2485992 58104 Reeter1 1 2487174 Restores my faith in mankind that he was recognized! I am "old school" LA Times Counter Intelligence fan and then happy to find LA Weekly reviews. I told a kid the other day when I handed him a J Gold review on a restuarant we had been to for a class project (Japanese okonomiyaki) that it was by a famous guy- little did I know! I was also kind of pleased that the kids knew what a Pulitzer was! Mon Apr 16 19:06:35 -0700 2007 2485992 17682 torty 2 2487310 I just want to add my congratulations to the list. Jonathan Gold has done a lot to open my palate to new worlds in LA, hitting dead on in both his picks and his writing. My thanks and congratulations. Andrew BTW- Motorhead, Slayer, and PE!?! I have a physical need to buy JG a (many) drinks now. Mon Apr 16 19:49:52 -0700 2007 2487174 23790 AndrewS 3 2487348 I've been introduced to JG thorugh the KCRW Good Food podcast and I could not be happier for him. It's wonderful to see someone with so much passion for what they do get such an award. Mon Apr 16 20:02:20 -0700 2007 2487310 76268 newbatgirl 1 2487343 Congratulations, Mr. Gold. :) I appreciate the variety of places he covers. His mini-reviews are also a great resource. Mon Apr 16 20:01:41 -0700 2007 2485992 57689 katkoupai 1 2487608 Amazing!!! He opens me up to so many places AND makes me both laugh out loud and marvel at his similes. A hearty congrats! Mon Apr 16 22:21:16 -0700 2007 2485992 11732 Ciao Bob 1 2487650 J Gold cool. He reviews all types of restaurants and doesn't just kiss the asses of upscale joints. Plus he says nice things about Pink's. Mon Apr 16 22:46:34 -0700 2007 2485992 20664 therealbigtasty 1 2487763 The Pulitzer board got this one right. Congratulations, Jonathan. To Hounds who have only been here a few years, Jonathan was a regular presence here at one time, and his advice was invaluable. Tue Apr 17 00:41:28 -0700 2007 2485992 10031 Dave Feldman 1 2488609 Great about the prize, but unless he's about to retire, it seems odd that the LA Weekly celebrated by publishing his picture: http://www.laweekly.com/eat+drink/dining/jonathan-gold-wins-pulitzer-prize/16130/ Tue Apr 17 09:58:03 -0700 2007 2485992 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 2489856 I was wondering about that too. How is he supposed to do a review fairly now that people know how he looks like? Thought food critic tries to go incognito (la Garlic and Sapphires?). His writing is very entertaining, and it's interesting that they picked a food critic for this award. Tue Apr 17 15:17:41 -0700 2007 2488609 46671 notmartha 3 2489945 Valid qustion, though, you can't see him that well in the picture, and I doubt the next Taco truck across the street from a carwash in South Gate he reviews is going to slip some foie gras in his taco de cabeza if they happen to recognize him, but you never know. Tue Apr 17 15:42:32 -0700 2007 2489856 10132 sku 4 2490122 You can see him quite well in the fourth picture, and he reviews all kinds of restaurants, including the kind that are likely to print out that picture and post it on the employee bulletin board. Tue Apr 17 16:32:56 -0700 2007 2489945 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 2490860 Perhaps he goes out in disguise … Jim Leff takes Gold up on the suggestion to wear Groucho glasses and nose to a book signing in this long ago topic on reviewer anonymity. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/286050#1533257 Gold isn’t in my area but I’ve enjoyed the column from time to time. His comments about Chez Panisse from years ago are still applicable today http://www.chowhound.com/topics/16075#43205 And, I might just pull up this SF post of his from time to time where he wrote … “Acme, next door, is the best bread bakery in theU.S., though the Cheese Board has better baguettes” http://www.chowhound.com/topics/16055#43135 Tue Apr 17 21:13:37 -0700 2007 2490122 10264 rworange 3 2656719 When I went out with him a couple times during his Gourmet days, he paid with a credit card with his real name on it (and seemed to enjoy the fuss-making), so identity hasn't been secret for a long time. Excellent writer and tons of knowledge, though. Wed Jun 13 12:22:11 -0700 2007 2489856 10089 Jim Leff 2 2490178 He was also visible on the nightly news for LA last night (KCAL-9). They showed him at work, at home, and celebrating the award with a gigantic glass of wine. Tue Apr 17 16:47:46 -0700 2007 2488609 57689 katkoupai 2 2548564 Looks like you're right, even though J Gold is somewhat non-descript looking: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/fashion/06NightOut.html “On this visit to Opus, which [Jonathan Gold] planned to review, he was pretty sure he hadn’t been recognized — or “made,” in the parlance of restaurant reviewers. What he didn’t know was that Josef Centeno, the chef, was on his way out the door before Mr. Gold and his party finished eating, spotted him, and dashed back to the kitchen. Damn that Pulitzer!" Wigs & sunglasses in order for the future, perhaps? ;) ~H.C. http://la-oc-foodie.blogspot.com Mon May 07 11:18:23 -0700 2007 2488609 11949 AquaW 1 2488745 I believe it's the first time ever a food critic has won a Pulitzer. Interesting, as the restaurant review is often one of the few columns I look forward to in each of the papers I read. Tue Apr 17 10:33:15 -0700 2007 2485992 15036 tastyjon 1 2488876 This is such wonderful news! Jonathan Gold is truely unsurpassed as the uberChowhound of LA (even if he no longer posts on the boards). When I first moved here, ten years ago, in the pre-Chowhound era, it was Gold's columns and later his book that opened the doors for me on what to eat in LA. His articles have a wonderful mixture of humor and description, he appreciates the off the wall and ironic and I haven't found anyone better at writing in a way that lets you taste food. Of course, one of his greatest strengths is that he will go off (often far off) the beaten path of the food establishment, to Bell or the Covinas or Norwalk or wherever he needs to go to find the best taco de lengua or hard-to-find Burmese dish that he's been craving, and all to often, I find myself taking a long drive on a Saturday morning to seek out his latest find. I think my favorite column ever, and I believe I've read every one that's appeared in the weekly for the last 10 years, was one in which he describes the emotional peril of eating a live shrimp at an Asian seafood restuarant (I can't recall the place at all). It was absolutely hilarious. It's a great day for Chowhounds everywhere! Tue Apr 17 11:10:29 -0700 2007 2485992 10132 sku 2 2490110 I'm just another big fan of Gold's. I've been reading his reviews since his L.A. Times days....quoting his reviews to friends......checking out some of the same restaurants. Since his book was mentioned, I'll mention my favorite review from it. It's the one of the Nice Time Deli in San Gabriel. Priceless! Tue Apr 17 16:28:26 -0700 2007 2488876 63248 jerrystrull 3 2494957 The bitter melon description from Nice Time is a true classic: "As bitter as envy, as bitter as hot tears -- not just tea bitter, or even chocolate bitter, but cancer-medicine bitter." I *still* use that review as an introduction for novitiates to the world of Jonathan Gold. Thu Apr 19 00:03:28 -0700 2007 2490110 72925 ttriche 2 2518779 I believe he does post on the boards, at least the LA Board. Look for an appropriate pseudonym... Thu Apr 26 15:44:00 -0700 2007 2488876 11478 Will Owen 1 2490936 I remember the first time I read a review of his I think in the LAT, for a KTown soup restaurant--it was called "A Bowl of White". It made an impression that's always stayed with me. Nobody but nobody writes as well AND is into their subject as JG. Good call, Pulitzer. Tue Apr 17 21:55:23 -0700 2007 2485992 37800 tarabell 1 2496846 Ever since Gold reviewed Oki Dog and called their pastrami burrito a "foil wrapped grease bomb" I was hooked. God love ya JG. Thu Apr 19 13:36:50 -0700 2007 2485992 76226 Oh Robin 1 2498461 woohoo! you know it's skill when the white guy's leading a non-Chinese reading but native Chinese speaking taiwanese girls like me about how to eat around the SGV! Thu Apr 19 23:27:55 -0700 2007 2485992 40659 ctowngal 1 2510682 Nice article about Jonathan in the WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/20/AR2007042002216.html?hpid=featuresNaN&hp Tue Apr 24 11:27:17 -0700 2007 2485992 10031 Dave Feldman 1 2523042 My favorite memory of Jonathan Gold is when he wrote that he had once tried to eat at every restaurant on Pico Boulevard (or was it Olympic?), starting from downtown LA and heading west. He discovered that it wasn't possible, because as he progressed down the street the ones behind of him changed, so he would have to go back and cover ground he had already finished. This was such a good depiction of the ever-changing, always intriguing food, always beckoning food scene in Los Angeles. Sarah C Sat Apr 28 07:08:04 -0700 2007 2485992 10380 kittyfood 2 2526962 It was a great article -- Pico. Mon Apr 30 06:51:37 -0700 2007 2523042 10031 Dave Feldman