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Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles
Jonathan Gold has eaten it all. Counter Intelligence collects over 200 of Gold's best restaurant discoveries--from inexpensive lunch counters you won't find on your own to the perfect undiscovered dish at a beaten-path establishment. He reveals the hidden kitchens where Los Angeles' ethnic communities feed their own, including the best of cuisine from Argentina, Armenia, Brazil, Burma, Canton, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Middle East, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Vietnam and more. Not to mention the perfectly prepared hamburger and Los Angeles' quintessential hot dog.Counter Intelligence is the richest and most complete guide to eating in Los Angeles. The listings include where to find it and how much you'll pay (in many cases, not very much) with appendices that cover food types and feeding by neighborhood.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2000
122 people are currently reading
1183 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
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October 7, 2018The best of books transcend their relevance to your life. I will never murder someone in 19th century Russia and be driven mad by my guilt, but that doesn't stop me from loving CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.
Only been to LA once when I read this book – had no particular desire to return. Really had no compelling interest in food trucks, street food, or second generation Ethiopian restaurants in strip malls.
After reading this deliciously prosed work, I love and want them all. And I've been to LA again, and partook and loved Jonathan for it.
If you are a writer, you will in all likelihood hide your head in shame comparing yourself to the lithe and supple wit and wisdom of his prose. And you will love every minute of it. If you aren't a writer, you're lucky. You will just love every minute of it.
Only been to LA once when I read this book – had no particular desire to return. Really had no compelling interest in food trucks, street food, or second generation Ethiopian restaurants in strip malls.
After reading this deliciously prosed work, I love and want them all. And I've been to LA again, and partook and loved Jonathan for it.
If you are a writer, you will in all likelihood hide your head in shame comparing yourself to the lithe and supple wit and wisdom of his prose. And you will love every minute of it. If you aren't a writer, you're lucky. You will just love every minute of it.
September 20, 2007
If you live in Los Angeles, this book is a must. If have a friend who is moving to Los Angeles, this book is a gift that they will continually thank you for. If you just like food writing, you cant beat Mr Gold.
After all, they did give him, a guy who reviews hot dog stands, a Pulitzer.
In LA, if youre not careful, you'll end up going to the same places every night. Your car is your temple and with the AC on and your music turned up, its easy to get lost in your own little world. LA is not going to grab you like NYC or London. LA must be found. One must choose to interact with it.
Let Counter Intelligence be your guide. Travel down to the fish market in San Pedro. Go out to the San Gabriel Valley for perfect soup dumplings. Or actually stop at that hot dog stand you usually just drive by.
Hopefully later editions, will include a map though.
After all, they did give him, a guy who reviews hot dog stands, a Pulitzer.
In LA, if youre not careful, you'll end up going to the same places every night. Your car is your temple and with the AC on and your music turned up, its easy to get lost in your own little world. LA is not going to grab you like NYC or London. LA must be found. One must choose to interact with it.
Let Counter Intelligence be your guide. Travel down to the fish market in San Pedro. Go out to the San Gabriel Valley for perfect soup dumplings. Or actually stop at that hot dog stand you usually just drive by.
Hopefully later editions, will include a map though.
May 5, 2012
Best food book ever.
May 1, 2016
I was never a fan of LA. in the late 90's my job took me there a dozen times, not including many layovers at LAX.
I heard about him in TIME's review of a biographical movie. the reviewer himself was incredulous about a move of a food critic. But this food critic happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winner.
I've been to a few of the countries about whose cuisine Gold writes. I definitely have barely scratched the culinary surface compared to how deep Gold dives into the range of dishes reviewed.
I have business trips coming up to some of these countries, and I will unabashedly be using his reviews as a crib-sheet for good eating!
I heard about him in TIME's review of a biographical movie. the reviewer himself was incredulous about a move of a food critic. But this food critic happens to be a Pulitzer Prize winner.
I've been to a few of the countries about whose cuisine Gold writes. I definitely have barely scratched the culinary surface compared to how deep Gold dives into the range of dishes reviewed.
I have business trips coming up to some of these countries, and I will unabashedly be using his reviews as a crib-sheet for good eating!
January 14, 2019
Outdated, sure, but many spots are still in business, and the reviews, best consumed one or two at a time, are enlightening about different cuisines and, sometimes, mic-drop hilarious: "I'm all for stately homes, but if hungry people had political clout, Hong Kong Low Deli is the kind of thing the city's Cultural Heritage Commission might be dedicated to preserving instead of a bunch of old buildings that don't even have restaurants in them."
July 19, 2015
Say 'garlicky' again. Say 'garlicky' again, I dare you, I double dare you, say 'garlicky' one more time.
August 26, 2018
I didn't expect to laugh as much as I did while reading this collection of Jonathan Gold restaurant reviews. These weren't just half-smiles with a chuckle or two; these were sudden, joyous LOLs sparked by Gold's turns of phrase and fantastic eye for detail. Many of the eateries featured in the collection, published in 2000, may be gone (I was checking Yelp as I read), but at least we have this book as a snapshot of L.A.'s food history at the turn of the millennium.
I love that Gold doesn't restrict himself to L.A. proper. He celebrates the fact that he's living in a culinarily diverse and rich region and travels from DTLA to Long Beach to Glendale to Torrance to Bakersfield to Artesia – lots of visits to Artesia. It's awesome that he was so fond of Artesia's Little India. I really can't express how much it means to me when I read writers (usually writers who grew up here) embracing the county and the region, not just a microscopic slice of the city centered around its most famous landmarks. The L.A. County cities south of the 91 exist too, you know, and we have some amazing food c:
As other reviewers have noted, this is the kind of book that you can just skim through, reading the entries that catch your eye. Each restaurant review is pretty short, only 2 or 3 pages on the Kindle app. Gold outlines the vibe of each location, describes a bit of its history, and recommends a few dishes. There's no such thing as a perfect restaurant in Gold's L.A., only perfectly cooked food, but Gold conveys an open-mindedness in each review that will make you want to experience the idiosyncrasies of most of these delicious restaurants.
I enjoyed reading about two family favorites, Atlacatl and Tommy's. Thank you for your words regarding crispy, soft pupusas and gooey mounds of chili cheeseburgers. RIP
I love that Gold doesn't restrict himself to L.A. proper. He celebrates the fact that he's living in a culinarily diverse and rich region and travels from DTLA to Long Beach to Glendale to Torrance to Bakersfield to Artesia – lots of visits to Artesia. It's awesome that he was so fond of Artesia's Little India. I really can't express how much it means to me when I read writers (usually writers who grew up here) embracing the county and the region, not just a microscopic slice of the city centered around its most famous landmarks. The L.A. County cities south of the 91 exist too, you know, and we have some amazing food c:
As other reviewers have noted, this is the kind of book that you can just skim through, reading the entries that catch your eye. Each restaurant review is pretty short, only 2 or 3 pages on the Kindle app. Gold outlines the vibe of each location, describes a bit of its history, and recommends a few dishes. There's no such thing as a perfect restaurant in Gold's L.A., only perfectly cooked food, but Gold conveys an open-mindedness in each review that will make you want to experience the idiosyncrasies of most of these delicious restaurants.
I enjoyed reading about two family favorites, Atlacatl and Tommy's. Thank you for your words regarding crispy, soft pupusas and gooey mounds of chili cheeseburgers. RIP
August 28, 2011
More a guide to multicultural Los Angeles than a compilation of restaurant reviews, but it's really cool either way. Gold sets out to explore the hidden gems of LA cuisine from Uzbeki pilaf to taquerias from all 31 Mexican states. He's funny, adventurous, entertaining. This is the first book that's ever made me half-seriously wish I could spend some time in Babylon....
March 25, 2023
Why am I reading a 20 year old book on restaurants and food in Los Angeles? By a writer who has passed away? Because Jonathan Gold’s brilliant writing on food in Los Angeles never gets old. His descriptions of restaurants- food, ethos, patrons- are spot on- especially my old favorites like El Coyote and Pink’s hot dogs. Gold won numerous writing and food awards including the Pulitzer (a first for food writing) which explains the timelessness of this book and the fact that there are four holds on the ebook at the LAPL- 20 years after its publication.
July 29, 2007
Gold's writing can be simultaneously extraordinarily stimulating (think Pavlov's dog and literal salivation) and predictably formulaic. His reviews generally start off with a witty history of a restaurant, maybe interspresed with an anecdote or two, and then he puts food-related commentary in the middle (get this, avoid this, et cetera). Nearly always he finishes up with the "maybe you'll be tempted by the (fill in the blank); maybe you'll want to try the (what have you); but the real reason you came here is the (tamales or whatnot), and that's what you should order" sentence. This book, however laden with restaruants featuring tripe and other organ meats, succincly and alphabetically compiles reviews which are mostly extensions of those Gold has provided for the LA Weekly for the last however many years. He's actually the first food writer journalist to win a Pulitzer. And there's a reason for that. Formulaic as he can be, he also triggers in readers a primal sense of what is right and what is wrong in the world - focusing on flavors and sensory reactions and turning even the most stodgy business person or impoverished college student straight into an eloquent aesthete.
Want to read
November 19, 2009I really want to check out this book after reading the New Yorker article about Jonathan Gold! He travels around LA looking for all sorts of food, and is way more hardcore than your average food writer or food network talking head. He is interested in what regions within countries are represented in different parts of LA and monitors it through food.
November 26, 2008
Jonathan Gold is the Jimi Hendrix of the food reporting world.
Though he may be obsessed with offal and off-the-beaten-track wonders of the LA dining scene, the man has a delicious perspective on what it is to be a diner in such a culturally diverse city.
Though he may be obsessed with offal and off-the-beaten-track wonders of the LA dining scene, the man has a delicious perspective on what it is to be a diner in such a culturally diverse city.
December 5, 2020
A love letter to cuisine and Los Angeles, Jonathan Gold sparkles, displaying his remarkable range, humility, the breadth of his knowledge, and the humor that made him one of the country's best and most beloved food critics..
October 16, 2017
I never thought that some of the best writing I would ever read would be restaurant reviews. Jonathan Gold is a master.
August 26, 2018
The best book of food reviews ever written. Jonathan Gold will be missed
August 17, 2023
The recent LA Times list of 110 essential Los Angeles books (April 2023) caused me to check out this 2000 book by one of my favorite food writers. When I heard of Jonathan's passing on NPR in 2018, I cried in my car. Reading these indexed highlights from his long-time column, Counter Intelligence, had me blinking back tears as well.
Jonathan's work was a regular source of reference for me throughout my early adulthood. I loved his spot-on, non-pretentious, and typically gritty coverage as a weekly contributor to KCRW's Good Food radio show. While I only caught his columns occasionally in LA Weekly or LA Times, his annual best restaurants lists were a favorite.
It's hard to read a book about restaurants that is 20+ years old because of the nature of noteworthy new openings & sorrowful closures. A few pages in & I was already searching the Internet in hopes some blogger had narrowed the list to places still in business (no such luck). That being said, there are plenty of LA standbys with reviews that still hold to this day--El Coyote, Matsuhisa, Pink's Hot Dogs & more.
I laughed out loud reading about the original Hot Dog on a Stick in Santa Monica: Frankly, as regional hot dog styles go, HDOAS may not rank with Nathan's Famous in Coney Island or the redhots served outside Wrigley Field, but no other hot-dog stand in the world has a spectacle that comes close to the sight of a miniskirted HDOAS employee mixing a tankful of cool lemonade on a hot day.
Jonathan's work was a regular source of reference for me throughout my early adulthood. I loved his spot-on, non-pretentious, and typically gritty coverage as a weekly contributor to KCRW's Good Food radio show. While I only caught his columns occasionally in LA Weekly or LA Times, his annual best restaurants lists were a favorite.
It's hard to read a book about restaurants that is 20+ years old because of the nature of noteworthy new openings & sorrowful closures. A few pages in & I was already searching the Internet in hopes some blogger had narrowed the list to places still in business (no such luck). That being said, there are plenty of LA standbys with reviews that still hold to this day--El Coyote, Matsuhisa, Pink's Hot Dogs & more.
I laughed out loud reading about the original Hot Dog on a Stick in Santa Monica: Frankly, as regional hot dog styles go, HDOAS may not rank with Nathan's Famous in Coney Island or the redhots served outside Wrigley Field, but no other hot-dog stand in the world has a spectacle that comes close to the sight of a miniskirted HDOAS employee mixing a tankful of cool lemonade on a hot day.
March 14, 2024
Counter Intelligence by the late great Jonathan Gold is a soulful homage to the thousands of restaurants contributing to the culinary fabric of Los Angeles. Like complex stitch work, Gold traverses through the crisscrossing network of neighborhoods that make Southern California’s biggest city one of the most diverse and eclectic gastronomic capitals of the country—and maybe the planet.
Gold is a master at weaving together history, narrative, and gastronomy, sprinkling his own personal experiences into his descriptions of his most essential, and often unknown, LA restaurants. Strip malls, gas stations, banquet halls, and buildings that can only be described as shacks, house the hundreds of establishments that Gold had frequented over the course of his lifetime living (and driving, his green truck has since become a symbol of the Los Angeles culinary scene) in LA.
Counter Intelligence is a compilation of his reviews for the LA Times, including pithy, smart, and sentimental recollections that gives readers both hunger pangs and heart burn of every sense. Over the course of his career, Gold has covered every type of cuisine: Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Ecuadorian, New American, Argentinian, regional Mexican; moles to hot dogs, donuts to cloudy Korean soup, Szechuan-charged chicken and diced rabbit.
Gold is a master at weaving together history, narrative, and gastronomy, sprinkling his own personal experiences into his descriptions of his most essential, and often unknown, LA restaurants. Strip malls, gas stations, banquet halls, and buildings that can only be described as shacks, house the hundreds of establishments that Gold had frequented over the course of his lifetime living (and driving, his green truck has since become a symbol of the Los Angeles culinary scene) in LA.
Counter Intelligence is a compilation of his reviews for the LA Times, including pithy, smart, and sentimental recollections that gives readers both hunger pangs and heart burn of every sense. Over the course of his career, Gold has covered every type of cuisine: Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Ecuadorian, New American, Argentinian, regional Mexican; moles to hot dogs, donuts to cloudy Korean soup, Szechuan-charged chicken and diced rabbit.
May 10, 2022
Gold is well regarded in food writing circles, and this book remans a relevant restaurant guide to Los Angeles even some fifteen odd years after its publication date. But the real reason to read this book is because it is the best lesson I’ve encountered on presence in life. Gold can write a single page restaurant review that revels in the specifics of one region’s history, the intersection of cultures, the texture of grilled meat, a humanist interaction with a waiter, and the scent of jasmine in the morning air — if I could move through life with 15% of his awareness, depth of perception, observational acumen and sheer joy, I’d consider himself happy. This isn’t a book to be checked out of the library and read quickly (stupid me!) but rather purchased, ready slowly, a page at a time. A culinary and cultural history, written with humor and humanity.
September 20, 2024
this book made me SO happy :D i'm obsessed with the way jonathan gold sees the world. the banality is beautiful, the beauty is extra beautiful, and every meal and snack have a specialness even if they ultimately kind of suck. i learned so much about the city i live in and its endless array of people and cuisines. ever since i started reading this i have been eating and walking around the city differently - counter intelligence has really encouraged me to Notice and Savor <3
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December 1, 2020Gold is an excellent writer, and was amazing at finding out-of-the-ordinary off-the-beaten-track restaurants in the LA area. But it's a little weird to read restaurant reviews published more than 20 years ago, for a city in which I do not live.
So, despite dipping in and out a lot, I just can't finish it.
So, despite dipping in and out a lot, I just can't finish it.
August 10, 2024
I loved Gold's writing and joie de vivre. He is the absolute GOAT food writer and probably reviewer. I also feel I learned a lot about Los Angeles from his neighborhood descriptions and recollections. His reviews are just amazing writing. As a book though, this was a bit of a slog. It's hard to read 330 pages of two page reviews, and the decision to organize the reviews alphabetically and without dates doesn't help.
November 4, 2020
I read about half of this and enjoyed the perspective on food writing and ethnic food in LA. After that, with few of the restaurants still open, I lost interest.
February 7, 2026
“But like an Izozaki exterior or a Commes des Garçons-suit, Mishima's pasta is admirable for simplicity of line and elegance of execution, even when it doent exactly thrill you.”
October 20, 2021
POPSUGAR 2021: A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021
May 12, 2025
I recently reread Counter Intelligence, Jonathan Gold’s remarkable collection of newspaper restaurant review essays. Years ago, I had the privilege of meeting him at the premiere of his documentary City of Gold, which I highly recommend as a companion to this book. Each essay seems to capture the vibe of the L.A. landscape via moments from the mom-and-pop spots, the gatherings around meals cooked from family recipes, and often from memories sparked only by taste, leaving lasting impressions of food, the freeways, and the communities in between.... that will stay with you long after you put it down—even after a second helping!
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March 24, 2007the first food-writer to be nominated for the pulitzer!
June 12, 2007
Love it.
January 2, 2008
A great guide to some of the best eats in Los Angeles.
July 28, 2010
Sadly dated...
August 23, 2011
This isn't really a book you "read". I flipped through. Information is mostly out of date due to the book's age.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews