AIR JORDAN: A FOOD PODCAST

Jordan and Max are joined by Jackie Gebel (@noleftovers on social media) to answer questions on mayo confusion, a shocker top 5 Noma bite, all the best bites at SushiK, Mei Lin departure intel, influencers needing to learn how to eat, Jordan's drinking past, menu font sizing, Max's writing, Triple Dipper desires, ticketed food fests, Josh Skenes' pizza & cocktails spot, at home plating tips, an actual delicious beer, NYC pizza plans, and a live celebrity caviar brand tasting.

LA's hottest bar was visited by Jordan, who downed cocktails in an unprecedented move. Then, the Jewish Mad Food boys talk participating in Easter for the first time, and all the tasty delights that came with their resurrection celebrations. Plus, a Cadbury egg rundown, Max went to church, and ham needs to become a bigger thing. ⁠Visit Jumbo Time Wines, and use promo code: MADJUMBO for 20% all orders

Did Max think it was disgusting or worth the $1,500 price tag? Was a bag of $3 chips really served? Max talks his entire night at Noma LA including the corkage issue, protestors at the entrance, a taxidermy and car dealership greeting, the hilarious dish, the dish he loved, the dish he refused to finish, the unthinkable service blunder and amateur hour all over the 1923 Silverlake mansion, a final Noma LA rating using the very exact and respected Hector Scale, and what was René Redzepi doing during it all (besides unfollowing Max on Instagram)?Visit Jumbo Time Wines, and use promo code: MADJUMBO for 20% all orders.

Jordan and Max explore all the chewing fun available at ballparks, while debating popcorn vs. peanuts, fries vs. nachos, the best dessert combo, new items at Dodger Stadium, all the crazy fusion menu delights and which ones they wanna take for a spin, and if the 9-9-9 challenge is in Max's future, because he hasn't been to game in decades and can't even sing baseball's most popular song.

This week a Food & Wine contributing editor asked the question: What if we just got rid of fine dining? To which Jordan and Max answered, "uh, no thank you." Max breaks down the biggest fine dining misconceptions while Jordan offers popping off advice to all online creators. But first, Spring is flirting with us, and Shapiro details the best market finds.

Jordan and Max answer audience questions on their upcoming New York eating schedule that's giving Max anxiety, Jordo's Chicago and New York pizza thoughts and how LA compares, Peckerman's return, European eating styles, home cooking advice, dining at Bruce, The Grove ain't exactly Napa Valley, community tables, Max's old wardrobe, and to dine or to not dine at Noma.

Jordan and Max answer audience questions on San Sebastian bites, the most expensive meals, old bubbles, Jordo's ass clock igniters, Alta and the West Adams experiment, a tough pizza debate, Rene's friends have his back, sucking down that sweet fat loss juice, and Ceviche Project is a wonderfully strange place right now.

Jordan and Max are joined by talent manager to the stars, Michael Lasker, to talk filthy eating and the Oscars, including the In-N-Out awards visit and disrespecting Wolfgang Puck, fast forwarding through the boring parts, Babs Streisand, Tom Cruise news, the best Bret Easton Ellis adaptation, Jordo's Hansen's cake order, Sherman Oaks is no Rome, a McDonald's morning, Sonny's pizza, lots of Oreos, and did Timmy blow it?

The Dunsmoor chef and co-owner joins Jordan and Max to talk new Champagne interests, a secret weapon general, the pork chop vs. the ribeye, perfect taco construction, dice vs. pool, tattoo everything, marrow vs. lard, grabbing the sesame, mussels vs. anchovies, Brian's next project, Jordan's brunch dreams, and did Brian screw over Max or can Bubbles actually not cook?

Losing, gaining, and maintaining weight is all about calories, and the three meals a day tradition of eating, especially when visiting restaurants, makes counting calories downright frightening. Jordan was recently frightened after a day packed with too many meals, leading the boys into an exploration of health and restaurants, including bites at Max & Helen's, Ètra, Perse, Flour, and Bacio di Latte.

Martinis and beef sandwiches are trending all over the country for all sorts of reasons, so Jordan and Max sit down to discuss both culinary movements, while dissecting what they love, hate and tolerate about both icons of the food & beverage game. Plus, the boys visited Baldi in Beverly Hills, leading them into a steakhouse rant, gout fears, and Jordan has voice issues.

Mayo, booze, jerky, ranch, and more genius new products are pitched by the fellas, using Expo West as the inspiration to create the next big consumer packaged goods concepts.

Do you believe in second chances? Jordan and Max think you should after visiting Sqirl for their newly launched dinner menu as Los Angeles continues its onslaught of new enticing dining options. Head over to Mad Food World The Substack for a more in-depth look at Sqirl After Dark

It's all about protein these days. But most people don't even know what protein is, how much of it we need to consume, what foods are the best source, or even why it's trending, so Jordan and Max (who were as clueless as most people), did the bare minimum research and break it all down.

Jordan and Max answer audience questions and it's all quality tells at restaurants, if Max is using ai, Jordan heard back from Joan's on Third, LA food media thoughts, Noma & Rene getting their backs blown out, ice buckets, NY hanging, celebratory dining, a Hollywood phone call, Mar Vista NIMBYs, are the fellas entitled or just impatient, and the best time in the history of LA restaurants.

Jordan and Max talk their Valentine's Day eating and it's all pizzas, bagels, steak, potatoes, eating like a child, the world's worst Valentine's dessert, and Jordan can't clean up the kitchen anymore. Plus, the Eater LA issue explained, a non-food romance tip, and some rare Hillstone slander.

Marcus Jernmark is a 3 Michelin star chef from Sweden who has planted a dining flag on Pico Blvd. as the good times and openings roll along in Los Angeles. Jordan and Max ate at Lielle, Marcus' $150 tasting menu destination, and sat down with the chef to talk his concepts, approach to cooking and restaurants, wine rules, and yes, even Swedish meatballs.

Jordo went chubby and Max blew the big game episode. Plus, the reason Shake Shack actually loses to In-N-Out, weight loss drug life, the porno home, kids ruin the guac, fancy cocktail bars are missing this one thing, and all the sandwiches, cheese, cakes, halftime shows, and ranch dressing drips.

Sophie Dalah joins Jordan and Max to go head to head in a big game recipe showdown against Bubbles, putting their chef minds to the test.

Jordo and Max are back answering audience questions, and it's all IQ issues, reservation bummers, a New York trip, sake recs or a lack thereof, no pizza for the big game, too much of a single restaurant, merch is coming, and the Substack is very live.

Jordan and Max are back and dropped their first video podcast on Substack.  SUBSCRIBE TO MAD FOOD WORLD TO SEE & HEAR THE FULL EPISODE

It's a Q&A to wrap it all up with Jordo and Bubbles giving final thoughts on the recent LA Times 101 Best list, westside eats, the impossible biz of restaurants, finishing the year strong with recent openings, Max's top 3 cooking tips for 2026, and the new pod and project are revealed. THE SUBSTACK IS HERE with all sorts of new content and access.  Keep riding with us, show love, and stay connected as we continue this food thing. 

Eggnog - that's the name of the game, as nine of the best booze minds in Los Angeles compete, with Shapiro's favorite bartender Max Reis pouring all the creamy holiday cheer down Jordan's throat, for him to decide the best nog in the land. Original takes on the spiked Christmas treat from Providence, Vandell, Birdie G's, Death & Co, Rustic Canyon, Bar Benjamin, Idyllwild Tavern, Oxalis, and Mírate/Daisy Margarita are the participants in this blind, hyper-lactose competition. But Jordo doesn't go at it alone, Bubbles & Beautiful are along for the ride as a nog champion is crowned.

Jordan and Max break it all down, from a shocker in the top spot to the 3 Michelin star Spanish hatred. Plus, the paper's neopotism picks, strange disregard for a phenom, continued Budonok disrespect, the hall of fame inductee to appease Jordo, sushi snubs, and Bill Addison finally exposed himself (but not like Max). 

Plus lots of booze talk including holiday gifting, Max & Helen's wait times and other diner options, a short Little Fish review, decanting bubbles, a Chinese LA Christmas, the perfect restaurant reservation time, Jordan's top 3 Grateful Dead shows, food text threads, not cutting pizza, New Orleans and New York are on the horizon, and Thanksgiving reviews.

Addison by William Bradley is the OG of this local three Michelin star dining thing, and Jordan and Max have travelled to Del Mar once again to dine and sit with Will to talk the past, present, and future of California gastronomy in the Caramel Valley. And it's all chef collabs, an Addison makeover is coming soon, the one ingredient, the best season, calling everyone chef, temperatue changes, the story of eggs and rice, cheesy nicknames, Max the inspector, Jordan knows a thing or two, and William's ultimate goal.

When hosting this holiday season, you need to know what's chic. You need to know what's classic. Annie and Hallie Meyers-Shyer know a thing or two about all of that, so Jordan and Max sit down with the sisters of Hollywood royalty to talk everything Thanksgiving, Christmas, and even some Hanukkah. What follows is an appetizer debate, a baked brie beatdown, a worse sweet potato casserole assault, Nancy Meyers' gravy recipe text (which we share below), and the French mashed potatoes to pour it all over. Plus, canned vs. homemade cranberry sauce, acceptable leftovers, the day after Meyers-Shyer sandwich, latke love, nog hate, the best sourdough loaf in LA, and was Jordan right or wrong about Max's Christmas tree? And as a holiday gift, enjoy Nancy Meyers' turkey gravy recipe as heard on the episode:  Make the Broth     1.    Cook the liver for the dog, or discard it.     2.    Place the giblets, neck, carrots, celery, onion, and water in a pot.     3.    Cook on a low flame for about 2 hours, covered. This becomes the beef broth for the gravy.     4.    Turn off the heat and let it sit. It should not look too watery. Prepare the Pan Juices     1.    When the turkey is done, remove it from the pan and place it on a cutting board.     2.    Pour all the juices from the pan into a fat separator.     3.    Remove the fat, then pour the juices back into the pan. Make the Gravy (over a medium/low heat)     1.    Add 1 cup of the broth you cooked earlier into the pan with the juices.     2.    Shake in a little Wondra flour to thicken the mixture.     3.    Sprinkle in dry sage.     4.    Add a pinch or two from one beef cube.     5.    Season with dry sage, salt, and pepper.     6.    Stir until the gravy reaches the consistency you like.

A chef's recent email to Max has Jordan concerned, and then the fellas talk dining at new restaurants on the scene, and it's all Brentwood cougars, sweet butters, the Pasadena schlep, shrimp balls, a salt issue, the spoonable pasta, poor Bill Bush, booze enhancing food, and let's stop with the "American bistro" thing.

Restaurant workers of Los Angeles and beyond have written in with the biggest pet peeves they deal with when serving diners, and it's all splitting bills, booze behavior, showing up early and late, too much talky, not enough tippy, stacking dishes, eager early birds, knowing the owner, crying kids, filming the staff, and Jordan is ordering his steak like a monster apparently. 

Jordan and Max return to answer audience questions, and it's the one big restaurant gimmick, seed oil freaks, sauna and ice, and spas, pricey tasting menus, the problems with Hilstone, managing generally, Thanksgiving protiens, Diddy Riese ice cream sandwich construction, Max's height and bubble intake, and too much tippy.

Jordo and Bubbles go all in on the worst restaurant behavior, and it's all complaints on memorizing the order, no more telephones, bad instincts, additional tip lines, chef bonafides foreplay, waiting for your entire party, molesting tables, overcooked meats, butter temperatures, clearing plates, bad corkage, water semantics, sticking to ya culture, and way too much talky. But first, the fellas are joined by the PHD, who reviews recent trips to Muse and Peter Luger.

Lots to eat in Los Angeles lately, so Jordan and Max talk their options: from style dining in Beverly Hills, to making a West Adams kebab voyage, to celebratory meals all over, and Jordan gives a first taste tease of the Larchmont diner everyone is anticipating. Plus, Max went to Ceviche Project without a jealous Jordan, another trip to Alto, Budonoki is somehow getting better, Eduardo's is back from the dead, pizza is on the menu, and Hector is healing.

Jordan and Max talk Jordan's recent adventures as a “chef,” serving up his ode to St. Elmo fried shrimp cocktail sandwich (or maybe it's roll) to a few food celebrities and even a friend who the fellas call on air for his review and notes. Then Max reviews recent visits to West Hollywood's Marvito, Michelin starred tasting menu Ki, and Bubbles talks cooking his own Mexican menu.  

Jordan and Max answer audience questions and it's all Christmas eve plans, the Jones Hollywood fritto hack, Max & Helen's, favorite dive bars, The Smoke House onion ring thing, death row chewing, Holbox menu highlights, lots of nog, shrimp cocktail obsession, salty cocktails, where in the world is Peckerman, best pizza chains, Mott 32 Hollywood's opening,  Dunsmoor vs. Republique, Echo Park beef tacos, storing parm, Eater LA's website, Only Fans models of the food world, criticism backlash, and a game of Still Open or Way Closed?

Welp, another ridiculous list has hit the food media landscape, so Jordan and Max break all the losing and winning down. But first, Genghis Cohen has finally re-opened in a new location and the fellas have the shrimp toast and orange chicken first look featuring a member of Jordan's family. And no restaurant in Los Angeles is currently more hyped than Baby Bistro, so the fellas talk it and their experience with the Echo Park farmer's market driven hospitality house.

Jordan and Max review two recent restaurant experiences with very different outcomes, and then explore a few negatives critques the podcast has received, and it's all fire grilled meats, Ventura Blvd. souffles, hidden shmears, a finalized Max (Hector) meter, the most egregious dish, the worst cooking method, coming burger correct, and an exclusive Studio City special order.

The LA Times and Bill Addsion finally published an actual critical food review, and Jordan and Max have thoughts, which leads the fellas into a Chinese restaurant episode, dissecting 88 Club, Firstborn, Henry's, Ji Rong, and Jordan's favorite New York style bites, all while teasing a recent disastrous meal by a celebrity chef.  

Jordan and Max are back to answer audience questions, and it's all new L.A. restaurants on the horizon, monk milk, Bub & Grandma's pizza, wines by the glass, Montecito dinners, Disfrutar vs. Somni, how to gain 100 pounds, LA Times vs. NY Times food coverage, the bottled & filtered water thing, a new rating system, all sorts of shrimp cocktail talk, the schelp meter, Max working for Michelin full-time, bagels, Jordan's new coffee dilemma, orange wine, Post Ranch Inn pricing, Paso Robles, Bavel no longer respects the neck, and rest in peace Dan Tana.

Jordan talks with co-hosts Brad Metzger and chef Neal Fraser of LA Chef Conference, which is taking place October 6 in Los Angeles, and features a who's who of chefs and food industry notables to not only talk the major issues of the day, but to eat like royalty. And one of those bites will be an exclusive menu item designed by Jordan with all the shrimpy help from the team at Santa Monica Seafood. Then, Jordan is joined by Gather For Good, a charity taking care of community with hospitality, who together with Guittard Chocolate and a collection of the most talented pastry chefs in town, will be serving up a wild collection of desserts at the conference. And you can enter the lottery ticketing system for LA Chef Conference by following this link.

The boys talk why San Fran classics Zuni Cafe and Swan Oyster Depot have remained instutitions for decades, while their beloved Stella West Hollywood could not follow a similar path. Plus, Jordan's exclusive menu item is coming to Los Angeles, Bill Addison needs new friends, the Benihana ass clock as been conquered, Max's Cobrasnake days, and 818 pizza disrespect.

Jordan recounts a recent trip to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market where it was all mangoes, peaches, pork, olives, and butter. But before that, an incredibly important croissant discussion goes down, sparked from a first time trip to Petitgrain Boulangerie. Then, Air Jordan's Japanese lover and Sushi Park hater Bubbles-san talks two new and different recent sushi experiences he respected in Los Angeles.

Jordan and Max are back, answering audience questions, and it's Tesla diner talk, Michelin idiots dissing Bavel, Dunsmoor dining room rules, cooking burgers, LA's lack of Indian food and our pizza era, Summertime assclocks, seasonal cocktails, 3 star desserts, tuna salad sandwiches vs. melts, Paris for normies, and do the fellas care about Cole's French Dip's impending closure?

More wagyu cheesesteaks are coming to Los Angeles from Jerry Greenberg, so the fellas sit down with the Air Jordan all-star to discuss the who, what, where, why, and how in the world does this not help Jordan when it comes to the new delivery radiuses, but the good breaking news is well receieved nonetheless. Plus, to ketchup or not to ketchup, no cheese vs. extra cheese, the perfect Matū dessert may also be coming, and Jordan's new sandwich idea for Jerry is actually in the works.

Jordan and Max review their travels and eating over the past month, answering questions from the audience while breaking it down; and it's all Spain, Chicago, New York, the new Max reveal, Jordan's wedding debacle, a Sadelle's text apology, and Los Angeles Michelin talk.

It's been one year since Steven Arroyo's passing, but his mark on Los Angeles and our food scene continue to be felt with the institutions he created, Escuela and Cobra & Matadors, still feeding Angelenos in beautiful ways. From 2021, Jordan and Steven talk the greatness and origins of the food and the man behind it all.

On this blast from the past episode, Jordan and Max travelled down to Del Mar to visit and dine with Air Jordan all-star chef William Bradley, who was fresh off being awarded his first 3 Michelin stars.

Forget that Summer bod and get large with Jordan and Max while supporting Los Angeles restaurants with everyone's favorite eating adventure, the Bang Bang. Ten of the fellas favorite bangs consisting of twenty restaurants across town are highlighted, giving you the chubby knowledge you need.

In this all-star episode, Jordan eats at LA's recently three Michelin star awarded Providence for the first time, while joined by a very single, lonely and Instagram unverified Shapiro and blast from the Air Jordan past, Mushroom Max.

In this all-star episode, it was the height of Covid, so Jordan jumped on a video call with Andrew and Michelle Muñoz of Moo's Craft Barecue to discuss their origin story and upcoming tranistion from pop-up concept to brick and mortar - a destination that is now, fours year later, widely considered the best Texas barbecue restaurant in Los Angeles.

Jordan and Max answer audience questions covering the new LA Times 101 list, Diet Coke food pairings, favorite ice creams, under $100 sake and whiskey, Max has many thoughts on an Addison review, Jordan has thoughts on a Matū Kai review, Birdie G's new menu items, Sushi Park dying, Los Angeles Michelins are coming, Peckerman vs. Chacey Boy, a Father's Day Tale of The Chubby, and when discussing his weight loss regimen, Max finally comes clean.

The podcast was written about this week and the fellas have thoughts, Jordan went on another podcast and was forced into an awkward situation with a group of LA food media types, a past beef is re-visited and most likely re-invigorated, and podcast gold is discussed. Plus Sean Brock is coming, Salt Bae is outta here, Angler's sundae is kinda back, Bay Cities definitely isn't, a real Saint James Iced Tea moment, the New York Times and Jordo have the same plan, a prelude to the new 101 talk, and Max oddly receives a Father's Day gift.