JANUARY 12, 2016
OK, for those of you living in Los Angeles who know who Jonathan Gold is, bear with me.
If you’re not familiar with Gold, this distinguished writer has had a varied career as a film critic (briefly), a music critic celebrating the L.A. punk scene, and finally, to his greatest acclaim, as a food critic. In fact, Gold is the only food critic to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, an achievement that has never been replicated, and he has become an L.A. treasure. Gold won his Pulitzer while writing about food at the alternative newspaper L.A. Weekly and was eventually poached by the influential Los Angeles Times, where he has a regular Saturday column. To Los Angelenos, his column a must-read.
Gold’s remarkable career is celebrated in the upcoming documentary “City of Gold,” a film written and directed by Laura Gabbert, which was shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), a film that is as much about Los Angeles as it is about food.
What distinguishes Gold is his open-minded view of his job. Unlike those food critics who may only be obligated to reviewing the latest expense-account-only French restaurants, Gold is far more interested in exploring food offered in lower to lower-middle-class restaurants in L.A., in areas to which his readers can relate. And in so doing, he champions restaurants off the beaten path, such as in strip malls, particularly those restaurants which are located way outside of Beverly Hills residents’ comfort zone.
In so doing, he has helped scores of immigrants who cook fantastic food in unfamiliar locations realize their American dream. Their testimony becomes probably the most moving part of the film, particularly from an Ethopian chef whose shaky restaurant her son funded was saved by a rave review from Gold. (The critic notes that if he hates a restaurant, he usually doesn’t write a review of it knowing that 50-60 people will soon be out of work because of his review.)
The big issue in “City of Gold” is the L.A. riots in 1992. I was there, and believe me, the city was shaken. What Gold did was to make the outlying areas of Los Angeles accessible to those of us who live in its center. He helped to make the city safe to travel in. Come to Alhambra, he encouraged, the food is really good here. If you want really great dim sum, drive the extra 15 minutes past downtown Chinatown to the Asian enclaves in the San Gabriel Valley, whose chefs really know their stuff. It was a real “we’re all in this together” kind of message that L.A. really needed back then.
Nothing but huge praise for Jonathan Gold, the man. “City of Gold,” however, is another matter. Gabbert, a seasoned documentarian, has said that she got the idea to film Gold because their kids went to school together. But, even at a 96-minute running time, the film feels padded. Do you remember in school when you had to fill a bluebook with an essay, and you didn’t have much more to say so you had to extend it? That’s what “City of Gold” at times feels like. Gold will visit a restaurant or say something pithy, and we’ll cut away for 30 seconds for shots of cars speeding on freeways or people carrying shopping bags on their way home on the pretext that this is what L.A. life is like. It isn’t. Give us more Jonathan Gold!
Admittedly, I’m a fan of Gold, but I was surprised to see that the two great neighborhoods of which he is most passionate — Koreatown and the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) — get short shrift here. The SGV section is just a “this place is good and that place is good” treatment that begs the question “Why are these places so good? Let’s see why.” No dice. Similarly in Koreatown, he has regularly raved about the Asian food there, but the only restaurant that Gabbert chooses to profile is Guelaguetza, an Oaxacan restaurant that is absolutely terrific but is not representative of the amazing Asian cuisine that Koreatown has to offer.
I’m convinced that there’s a great film waiting to be made about food critics who are willing to patronize food trucks (see photo above), but “City of Gold” isn’t it. When Jonathan Gold is onscreen, it’s wonderful. When he’s not, it’s empty.
“City of Gold” is to be released on March 11. If you’re a foodie or a Gold fan, go. If not, don’t bother.
GRADE: B-
