Food - Drink
Restaurant Critic Jonathan Gold's Devastating 2018 Death
By HANNAH MCQUEEN
Jonathan Gold was one of the most celebrated and deeply influential food and restaurant critics who was known for his efforts to elevate authentic Los Angeles flavors. Through his career he wrote for publications like Rolling Stone, Spin, and Vanity Fair; but the real Jonathan Gold amounted to much more than that.
After writing about the diversity of L.A. cuisine for nearly 40 years, Gold passed away on July 21, 2018, at age 57 of pancreatic cancer. His illness progressed rapidly, which led to his untimely death that left many fans and a bereaved culinary community in shock; the owner of The Times, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong called his death “an incalculable loss.”
Jonathan Gold revolutionized the way gourmands thought of the role of a food critic, reaching into the heart of his community, and bringing hole-in-the-wall restaurants that might otherwise have been overlooked into the limelight. Perhaps his greatest contribution to the culinary conversation was his humanist perspective on what "good" food really means.
