Read the 101 online or in print

The mega-project that Patricia Escárcega and I spend months on each year is here! Its official title is “101 Restaurants, Dishes, People and Ideas That Define How We Eat” — a mouthful of a name that barely expresses the devastation of 2020 and the resilience that the restaurant industry continuously puts forth to survive this crisis.

Beyond the 101 list (which includes some people and organizations for the first time), we also wrote short essays on the state of things, a collection of our favorite takeout and delivery pop-ups and some places we love for drinks, both alcoholic and caffeinated.

Some readers have emailed to ask if print copies can be purchased separately, and the answer is yes.

A kind soul from The Times’ offices in El Segundo just sent me the print edition that appears in subscribers’ papers this Sunday. During the five years I spent working for Eater, a purely digital publication, I didn’t really miss seeing my work appearing in print. But this gorgeous magazine reminds me of the singular pleasure of reading something beautifully designed that you hold in your hands. Thanks to Martina Ibáñez-Baldor, lead designer (who gives the weekly Food section its splendor), as well as Steve Banks, Jim Brooks and Judy Pryor.

Grand Central Market Takeout Menus

Grand Central Market is part of the 101 lineup, and Patricia and I were asked to come up with menus featuring some of our favorite GCM vendors; they’re available for takeout via Chow Now. If you’ve ever glanced at my Instagram, you already know that pie from Nicole Rucker’s Fat & Flour is on my list. But there’s plenty more goodness. Check them both out.

Our stories

— Ben Mims reached out to four local food-industry pros — food stylist Susan Vu and cookbook authors Jonathan Melendez, Adeena Sussman and Gaby Dalkin — for recipes that will help us all escape in our minds during this locked-down holiday season.

— What does it mean to be a neighborhood restaurant in a pandemic? Jenn Harris talks with Angela and JC Johnson, the owners of the Serving Spoon in Inglewood, and three other restaurant operators to discuss how they’re surviving.

— Garrett Snyder writes about tempers flaring as Southern California restaurants push back on outdoor dining ban.

— The Food team has a new video series, What We’re Into; Jenn goes first with a Cambodian pork sandwich she’s loving. (I dig it too, and the silky chicken sandwich from the same restaurant.)

Gaby Dalkins’ beef bulgogi with kimchi, a recipe that’s part of Ben Mims’ collection to help us mentally escape this holiday season.

(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)