Tag Archives: Los Feliz

Show 675, April 18, 2026: Pizza City Fest L.A. Preview with Chef Jeffrey Vance, Old Gold Tomato Pies, Los Feliz

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Jeffrey Vance of Old Gold Tomato Pies

“The success of Pizza City Fest proves that Los Angeles is in fact a Pizza City. For its fourth consecutive year, the two-day pizza-focused celebration will be held atop the Event Deck at L.A. LIVE on April 25th to 26th and spotlight the best pizzerias in Los Angeles and beyond.

“Pizza City Fest highlights the area’s vast pizza landscape and the diverse talents of the region’s top pizza makers. Aficionados and casual pizza fans alike will have the exclusive opportunity to taste unlimited offerings from 20 premier artisans, plus a pair of dessert options, each day. The pizzerias will be serving up a variety of toppings, sauces and pizza styles including: Neapolitan, Chicago Tavern-style, New York-style, Artisan, Grandma Pie, Detroit-style, New Haven Apizza, L.A.-style and more. Founded in 2022 by three-time Emmy and 13-time James Beard Award-winning food reporter, Steve Dolinsky, Pizza City Fest continues to delight and unite pizza lovers with events in three major U.S. cities including Dolinsky’s native Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles.”

Old Gold Tomato Pies (Sicilian square pies) which started as a cult-favorite pop-up and now has a busy storefront in Los Feliz is one of the Saturday participants. We’ll meet pizzaiolo Chef Jeffrey Vance.

Old Gold Tomato Pies is Los Feliz’s Sicilian-style slice shop, your spot for a hot slice, a big pie, or catering when you need to feed a small army. Chef Jeffrey cooks with the same top-shelf ingredients the “serious” LA restaurants brag about. Fortunately they just don’t take themselves that seriously. Old Gold loves this city, they love good food, and are here to make people happy with bread, tomatoes, and cheese.

Show 406, January 2, 2021: Executive Chef Michael Patria and Assistant General Manager, Lana Nguyen, Cara Restaurant at Cara Los Feliz

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Michael Patria of Cara RestaurantOpening rather quietly without fanfare in September was the Cara Los Feliz (Hotel,) a boutique luxury property with 60 well-appointed rooms located on the western edge of Thai Town adjacent to the Los Feliz neighborhood. It’s the result of a tasteful and ambitious (and expensive) makeover of a former dowdy motel. There is obviously big money behind this project.

For foodies the major attraction is the Cara Restaurant which offers relaxed patio dining around a tranquil interior pool. The lush landscaping includes 100-year old olive trees and California Palms. It’s a touch of class with no pretentiousness whatsoever. The menu maker is Executive Chef Michael Patria, most recently with the Four Seasons Biltmore Resort in Santa Barbara. The cuisine is California-Mediterranean inspired based around ingredients sourced from local farmers using biodynamic and organic methods.

The Lemon Fettuccine with lemon and Parmesan, and Pappardelle with short rib and mushroom ragout are standout pastas.  Both are available on the Cara At Home menu.

Cara debuted with nightly dinner until the ban on patio/outside dining arriving just before Thanksgiving. In the interim Cara is providing their guests with Cara At Home with both a prix fixe menu (for 2) option and a la carte offerings. Room Service is also on the menu for Hotel Guests.

The current Cara at Home complete meal package is centered around Charcoal Smoked Chicken prepared in Chef Patria’s Big Green Egg grills. The starter is Burrata with seasonal cherry tomatoes and grilled sourdough. The accompanying veggies are roasted carrots, broccolini, winter squash and colcannon. Raspberry Galette with almond cream completes the ample meal for two.

We’ll meet Chef Patria as well as Restaurant Manager Lana Nguyen.