Veteran music and culinary commentator, Jonathan Gold '82, passes away
Jonathan Gold: A Legendary Los Angeles Food Critic
Jonathan Gold, a UCLA Alpert graduate from 1982, had a distinguished career as a food critic and writer. He was best known for his work with the Los Angeles Weekly and the Los Angeles Times.
Gold began his career with the Los Angeles Weekly in the early 1980s, where he wrote about music. However, it was his transition to food criticism in 1986 that truly set him apart. During the 1980s, he honed his skills as a food writer and restaurant critic for The Weekly.
In 2007, Gold's exceptional work was recognised with the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, making him the first food critic to receive this prestigious award. Beyond the Pulitzer, he was celebrated widely for his influential food writing that brought attention to diverse cuisines and immigrant communities across Los Angeles.
From 2007 onward, Gold continued his work as a food critic and writer for the Los Angeles Times. He became the chief critic at the publication, using his platform to highlight the city's ethnic and often overlooked dining scenes.
Gold's career was marked by his powerful storytelling about food and culture. He passed away on Saturday at the age of 57 from pancreatic cancer. His loss is deeply felt by the Los Angeles community and the wider food writing world.
Before his career in food criticism, Gold grew up in a household that embraced the arts and spent much of his childhood playing the cello. He also attended UCLA and received a degree in music history. Gold also contributed to Rolling Stone and other major music publications.
Gold's work will continue to inspire a new generation of food critics and writers. His legacy lives on in the diverse and vibrant food scene of Los Angeles, a city that he helped shape and celebrate through his writing.
Although Jonathan Gold's primary focus was food criticism, his early career was rooted in music, contributing to Rolling Stone and other major music publications. In the world of entertainment, Gold transitioned his unique storytelling skills to food, becoming a celebrated figure in the LA food scene.
