“city of gold” movie review

From the minute the opening quote — MFK Fisher’s “First we eat, then we do everything else” — appeared onscreen, I knew City of Gold would be my kind of movie.

This droolworthy documentary about LA Times food writer Jonathan Gold is a delight for the senses, filled with the sights, sounds and, most importantly, the tastes of Los Angeles.

Gold, the first food critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, revolutionized the field by going where no food critic had gone before: mini malls. And food trucks. And mom and pop holes in the wall. He firmly believed, “Extraordinary food can be found in the most ordinary places,” not just at the hoity toity, Michelin-starred restaurants that had been the previous haunts of food critics. 

A man after my own heart — and stomach — Gold basically started his career when he set out to sample every eatery along Pico Boulevard, a 15 mile stretch that, gastronomically, takes you around the world. “Almost every ethnic group that exists in Los Angeles, you can find on Pico,” Gold explained. Although he never finished his mission, it got him interested in learning — and sharing — the stories behind recipes that had been passed down for generations.

Gold’s writing is beautiful, capturing the real flavor of not just the food but also of the people who lovingly make it. “His empathy level is higher than others,” says one restaurateur in the movie. Gold genuinely cares about the role that food plays in this culturally-diverse city, and he celebrates those who honor their culinary traditions so well.

My mouth was watering as director Laura Gabbert followed Gold to Little Ethiopia, Guerrilla Tacos and — his favorite Thai restaurant — Jitlada. I started taking notes of all the little gems he mentioned so I could eat my way through LA, but then I discovered this handy dandy little guide on Discover Los Angeles.

There are some personal moments in the film that I found fascinating, as well. At one point, while Gold is tasting some exotic specialty, his activist brother half-jokes, “Jonathan’s eating everything I’m trying to save.” We also see Gold’s penchant for procrastination, and his editors’ valiant efforts to get him to meet deadlines.

Gold is as authentic as the food he writes so eloquently about, never putting on airs for the camera and quietly enjoying street food on a sidewalk bench.

I gained a new appreciation for the city by watching this film, and learning about its different dishes and cultures. It’s whet my appetite to read more of Gold’s delicious writing. His rich, sometimes spicy storytelling proves, without a doubt, that Los Angeles — a smorgasbord of cultures in itself — is best represented by its food.