Alex Canter, the fourth-generation owner of Fairfax’s iconic restaurant Canter’s Deli, is launching a podcast called Hot Pastrami on Thursday, May 2. He’ll co-host the show with Lily Rosenthal where they’ll talk about LA restaurants, culture, and food while dining with special guests at the deli.
The Hot Pastrami hosts secured interviews with actors Henry Winkler, Tiffany Haddish, and B.J. Novak, among others. Canter is currently at the helm of the 92-year-old Fairfax restaurant and was Nextbite’s CEO before selling the restaurant delivery company to SBE in 2023. Rosenthal, also the daughter of Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil host Phil Rosenthal, is an author and actor on Amazon Prime’s Goliath, FX’s Better Things, and American Born Chinese on Disney+.
Hot Pastrami will join LA’s restaurant podcast scene with the well-established Doughboys, the LA Food Podcast, Air Jordan: A Food Podcast, and Smart Mouth. New Hot Pastrami episodes will be available every Thursday.
KCRW cancels pie competition on UCLA campus
KCRW canceled its annual Good Food Pie Fest days before it was scheduled on April 28. Large-scale pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel protests are underway at campuses nationwide including UCLA and USC. In an Instagram post, the organizers stated that Pie Fest will possibly be rescheduled and “it’s in the best interest for all to cancel.” View the full post below.
Guisados headed to the LBC
Longbeachize reports that Guisados will open in the former Long Beach Fish Grill on Redondo Avenue. When it opens in the coming weeks, Guisados will join the LA-to-Long Beach restaurant opening pipeline of the Window, L’Antica Pizzeria, and eventually Telefèric Barcelona, Sonoratown, and actor Kevin Hart’s plant-based fast-food joint Hart House.
LA’s styrofoam ban
On April 23, the City of Los Angeles’s ban on styrofoam went into effect. The first 2022 ban impacted large food and beverage facilities with more than 26 employees. All facilities that previously used Styrofoam must comply with the new code or face fines from $250 to $1,000. Get the full story over at Los Angeles Magazine.
Could Astro’s become an LA historic landmark?
Astro Family Restaurant, Silver Lake’s longtime 24-hour diner, was nominated as a City Historic-Cultural Monument, reports the Eastsider. The Cultural Heritage Commission must approve it, and then the City Council will decide. Astro’s opened on Fletcher Drive and Glendale Boulevard 65 years ago.
A new Hulu series showcasing LA restaurants
Hulu launched a new show called Talking Sabor on April 24. The series is hosted by New Orleans chef Aarón Sánchez and dives into Latinx restaurant operators’ cultural and economic contributions. Throughout season one, the show will visit four LA restaurants including Qusqo Bistro and Gallery and LAX Tacos.