Inside LA’s Most Delicious Night

🎙️ This week on Lunch With Jamie I had one of my most powerful conversations yet with Beto O’Rourke. You can listen to the full conversation on Youtube, or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

From Jamie’s Desk:

The Baby2Baby Gala (which raised over $18 million, breaking last year’s record) is the closest thing I have to a food Super Bowl. Every year, the lineup includes some of my favorite chefs and a medley of LA’s best bites all in one place.

Jon & Vinny are the masterminds behind the evening’s menu, while Randi Okun pulls it all together (with my help when they let me)—and, of course, the Baby2Baby team as the ultimate support. The night kicks off with signature appetizers from Carmelized Productions, Jon & Vinny’s catering business run by Randi (the best caterer in LA), serving patatas bravas and empanadas. This is the perfect warm-up before the main event.

When the clock strikes 7:30, the crowd makes a beeline for the food—a hit list of LA’s finest. For true foodies, this part requires both strategy and stamina. It can be overwhelming without a game plan. The secret is to find a buddy to divide and conquer the chef’s stations and share everything with. Every year Kazunori has the longest line, so I always head there first. They remain a fan favorite: delicious, portable, and perfect for eating while mingling.

Most of my evening was spent bouncing from one station to the next. Nothing makes me happier than being there when someone tries Jon Yao’s cooking for the first time, or watching Evan Funke (in his ninth year participating) personally serve cacio e pepe. Not to mention, Evan generously donated a private dinner to the auction.

From Moo’s brisket to Saffy’s open face arayes to the matzah ball soup from Max & Helen’s, the night was perfect. The dessert room was the cherry on top after Ludacris’ performance, with treats from Petit Grain Boulangerie, Uli’s Gelato, and Merci Montecito, alongside Jon & Vinny’s tres leches and princess cake. I could barely take another bite after the main course, but somehow still managed to sample everything and snag a Pop Up Bagel (coming soon to Brentwood, which is major news for anyone west of the 405). And, of course, Jon & Vinny’s closed out the night by feeding guests at the after-party and sending everyone home with a pizza.

The bottom line: this year’s food Super Bowl did not disappoint. The chefs crushed it and I’m already counting down the days until next year’s kickoff.

Discussed in this issue: An inside look at the Baby2Baby Gala, my energizing conversation with Congressman Beto O’Rourke, my upcoming conversation with Representative Jake Auchincloss, and great shows worth getting tickets to.

Have a restaurant rec, cultural gem, can’t-miss event, or a hot sauce that changed your life? Send it my way: [email protected]

🎧 Lunch With Jamie is available as a podcast—perfect for easy, on-the-go listening. Follow along on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon Podcasts, and don’t forget to like, subscribe, share, and comment. We want to hear from you!

🇺🇸 My next guest on Lunch With Jamie will be Representative Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), who is seeking re-election in 2026. He will be joining me on Tuesday, 11/18 at 1 PT/4ET.

Instead of telling you what I thought, I asked a few of the guests themselves. And their reviews say it all:

“I may or may not have left with more than one (or five) boxes of Jon & Vinny’s pizza on my way out.” — Leslie Mann, actress

“The food at the Baby2Baby Gala is always on point, but this year felt extra elevated. The mix of gourmet dishes and simple comforts was perfectly curated, and the post-event options were the best yet. My favorite was the Kato shrimp toast with candied walnuts.” — David Nathanson, CEO of Mapleton Sports

“I LOVEDDD the tuna tostada from A Tí, and Kazunori’s blue crab hand roll always hits. I think the biggest plus is anything that’s delicious to eat and also easy to eat while standing.” — Lauren Glucksman, artist relations at Apple Music

“The smash burger from Burger She Wrote was a 10/10 and the Roe caviar was great!” —Jessica Alba, actress and founder of The Honest Co.

“I loved the smash burger from Burger She Wrote, and the squash ‘onion rings’ from Beethoven.” — Susanna Felleman, executive vice president for business affairs at HBO Max

“My favorite was The Benjamin’s eggplant parm bites—the texture and taste were perfect. Kazunori’s hand rolls were amazing, and the fact that Evan Funke was just there making cacio e pepe was insane!” — Sophia Rossi, founder and writer of Between Friends

“I loved Saffy’s open face arayes and Holy Basil’s green curry risotto. And, of course, Roe caviar!” — Keleigh Thomas Morgan, partner at Sunshine Sachs

“Incredible night! The BBQ brisket from Moo’s Craft was insane. I went back 4 times.” — Danny Passman, entertainment attorney

“I had three of The Benjamin’s eggplant parm balls. I couldn’t get enough!” — Rob Fishman, CEO of ZATV

“The tuna tostada from A Tí was amazing. I also enjoyed Found Oyster/Queen Street. I easily had fifteen oysters.” — Honor Titus, artist

“The smash burger was fantastic! And Kato’s shrimp toast was amazing.” — Simon Tikhman, co-founder of The Core Entertainment

“Tough to choose the most spectacular dish, but that tostada from A Tí with the tuna and the spice and a thousand other flavors was pretty insane.” — Carl Kawaja, chair of Capital Group

“Such a fun night. My favorites were the brisket with pickles from Moo’s Craft and the oysters from Found Oyster/Queen Street.” — Erik Feig, producer and CEO of Picturestart

“A Tí’s tuna tostada was insane!” — Maha Dakhil, partner at CAA

“The lobster roll from Caramelized Productions was fantastic!” — Dana Settle, co-founder and managing partner at Greycroft

“Beethoven’s squash ‘onion’ rings and the matzoh ball soup from Max & Helen’s are what I kept going back for.” — Jay Luchs, vice chairman at Newmark

“My favorite bite was the sashimi from Kazunori.” — Judd Apatow, director and producer

“The flavor on Kato’s shrimp toast was amazing. A Tí’s tuna tostada was great too, I loved the spice.” — Jordan Zachary, chief strategy officer at Live Nation Entertainment

“I would go with Mr. Chow. Old reliable. Chicken satay always amazing. And that little shrimp flute was my favorite bite.” — Marc Bretter, founder of Maywood Property Group

“Always such a fun night of food and drink. It’s hard to pick a favorite. The sushi from Kazunori is always a must. Kato was awesome, and Mr. Chow was a surprising highlight! Also, the largest bottle of 1942 I’ve ever seen was right there on the table!” — Andrew Fried, president of Boardwalk Pictures

“I loved the baby bottles of 1942 on the table. The best part for me was the Petit Grain Boulangerie on the way out.” — Kristina O’Neill, head of Sotheby’s, editor-in-chief of Sotheby’s Magazine

This week, I sat down with former Congressman Beto O’Rourke from Texas in what was honestly one of my favorite conversations I’ve ever had. I left feeling completely energized. His passion and enthusiasm for his work, and for democracy itself, is truly in a league of its own.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Beto (although I don’t know how that’s possible), he’s one of the most compelling and pragmatic voices in the Democratic Party. After running for office three times and coming remarkably close to unseating Ted Cruz, he’s since shifted his focus from campaigning to organizing—working as a force for change behind the scenes.

Through his PAC Powered By People, Beto is mobilizing voters and working tirelessly to elect Democrats across Texas. He spoke about what it means to turn hope into action, and even shared that he’d be boarding a 6:00 a.m. flight the next morning to meet with college students across the state to boost voter engagement. His fire and personal approach to politics are what we so desperately need.

And yes, we talked about the question everyone’s asking: will he run for office again?

You can listen to the full conversation on Youtube, or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify and Amazon.

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