Jonathan Gold (July 28, 1960 – July 21, 2018) was an American food critic celebrated for broadening public appreciation for Los Angeles cuisine and for championing small, immigrant-run eateries. He wrote for publications including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and Gourmet. In 2007 he became the first food critic to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, a recognition that highlighted the cultural importance of food writing.

Career and approach

Gold's writing emphasized places and people rather than prestige. He was known for seeking out unheralded neighborhood spots—hole-in-the-wall restaurants, street vendors and family-run kitchens—and describing them with vivid, evocative prose. His work treated food as a gateway to understanding community, labor, immigration and regional culture.

Characteristics and themes

  • Democratic taste: celebration of everyday, affordable food as well as high cuisine.
  • Attention to place: stories often rooted in a neighborhood's history and ethnic mix.
  • Literary style: descriptive, personal, and attentive to texture and atmosphere.

These qualities helped change how both readers and the restaurant industry thought about culinary value. Gold's columns frequently introduced readers to neighborhoods and cuisines they had not previously explored.

Awards, influence and legacy

The 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism acknowledged Gold's role in elevating food criticism into a form of cultural journalism. He influenced a generation of writers and helped expand mainstream attention to regional and ethnic food scenes. His work is often cited in discussions of how criticism can illuminate social and cultural life beyond mere review.

Jonathan Gold died on July 21, 2018, in Los Angeles, California, from pancreatic cancer. Obituaries and remembrances in major publications noted his role in reshaping perceptions of American food culture and his lasting effect on cities that value culinary diversity. For further reading see profiles and collections of his essays at major outlets and archives, including pieces originally published by the Los Angeles Times and earlier work at LA Weekly. Additional background and selected essays appeared in national venues such as Gourmet and various anthologies of food writing; obituaries and retrospectives are available via news outlets linked here for reference (see sources).