California’s Can’t-Miss Restaurants

On this episode of the California Now Podcast, host Soterios Johnson digs into the Golden State’s dynamic and diverse restaurants with three experts who know the local food scene inside and out.

First, Johnson chats with Elina Shatkin, food journalist and producer of KCRW’s Good Food in Los Angeles. Shatkin shares some of her favorite restaurants and foodie neighborhoods across the City of Angels. Shatkin runs the full gamut of good eats, from L.A. institutions to standout sandwich shops and high-end spots. “I just want to give people a good time and help them discover something delicious,” she says. She also takes listeners east, highlighting her favorite newcomers and old-school dining establishments in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley.

Next, Johnson welcomes Mackenzie Chung Fegan and Cesar Hernandez, food critics at the San Francisco Chronicle and the duo behind the paper’s much-anticipated Top 100 Restaurants list. They reflect on their process of curating the list and their goal to highlight culinary excellence across price points, cuisines, and regions—from Oakland to San Jose to Healdsburg. “We wanted to make sure that there were plenty of affordable restaurants on this list,” says Fegan, “that it wasn’t just a list of places to eat out for special occasions.”

Hernandez echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the value of lifting up both legacy and new restaurants. “We also wanted to represent places that have been around for at least 10 or 15 years instead of just the ones that are new.” Together, the critics highlight standout picks, ranging from local taco shops to classic Bay Area mainstays and Michelin-starred meals.

GUESTS

Elina Shatkin, food journalist and producer of KCRW’s Good Food
Mackenzie Chung Fegan, food critic at the San Francisco Chronicle
Cesar Hernandez, associate food critic at the San Francisco Chronicle

RESOURCES

Elina Shatkin is a food journalist and the producer of KCRW’s Good Food, with a long history of covering Los Angeles’ vibrant and ever-evolving culinary landscape.

Los Angeles
The Musso & Frank Grill 
Smoke House
El Cholo
Jitlada
Otafuku
Pink’s Hot Dogs
In-N-Out
Komal
Mercado La Paloma
Holbox
Chichén Itza
Oaxacalifornia Kitchen
Tomat
Loreto
Salazar
RVR
Venice Beach
Azizam
Silver Lake
Beverly Hills
Lorenzo California
Ggiata Delicatessen
Bub and Grandma’s
Jeff’s Table
Wax Paper
Open Market
Koreatown
Maison Matho
Bread, Espresso &
Redondo Beach
Bay Cities Italian Deli
Santa Monica
Canter’s Deli
Roma Market
Pasadena
Sorrento Italian Market
Larchmont Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Kato
n/naka
Somni
Evil Cooks
Villa’s Tacos
Zira Uzbek Kitchen
West Hollywood
Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen
Somerville
Palm Springs
Coachella Valley
Birba
Bar Cecil
Norma’s
Parker Palm Springs
Rooster and the Pig
Tac/Quila
Bootlegger Tiki
Alice B.
Palm Desert
Keedy’s Restaurants
Melvyn’s Restaurant
Yucca Valley
The Copper Room

MacKenzie Chung Fegan is the lead restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, previously serving as senior editor at Bon Appétit. Cesar Hernandez is the associate restaurant critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, known for his work with L.A. Taco.

San Francisco Chronicle 100 Top Restaurants in the Bay Area 2025
San Francisco Bay Area
Tacos Mamá Cuca
San Francisco
Oakland
Breadbelly
Richmond District
Fikscue
Zuni Café
Mingala
Mandalay Restaurant
Single Thread
Californios
Sandy’s
La Taqueria
Ming’s Tasty
Tacos Oscar
The Rotunda
Union Square
San Jose
Bún Bò Huế An Nam
Jubba Restaurant
Valley
Sonoma
Psychic Pie
Sebastopol
Burdell
Penny Roma
True Laurel
Ok’s Deli
Chinatown
Mister Jiu’s
Four Kings

ABOUT THE HOST

Soterios Johnson, formerly the local host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on New York radio station WNYC, has been the host of the California Now Podcast since its inception in 2018.

OUR TEAM

Host, Soterios Johnson
Editorial Director, Jené Shaw
Producer, Kate Eplboim
Technical Producer, Jessica Marshall
Theme music, Aaron Taos