Sushi, Soba & Senator Mark Kelly

From Jamie’s Desk:

This has been a big year for Jamie’s List. Our community has grown to more than 9,000 subscribers and we’ve recorded podcasts with guests such as Kara Swisher, Wes Moore and Fareed Zakaria (to name just a few). We’ve featured 246 restaurants from around the world in our newsletter, and hosted a live event with Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham—the creators of the best TV show of the year Adolescence. To top it all off, we published another book.

If you’re enjoying the newsletter and aren’t yet a paying subscriber, joining is the single best way to support. It’s how the restaurant list continues to grow, how the conversations keep happening, and how we’re able to keep sharing the kind of recommendations you won’t find anywhere else.

This is my last official newsletter of 2025, and I think we can all agree it’s a year we’d happily lock up and throw away the key. There’s a lot to look forward to in 2026, from restaurant openings to elections to my 50th birthday. For these last few weeks of the year, I’m finally getting to a few restaurants I’ve been wanting to try (or return to) but haven’t had the time for.

One of the many upsides of staying in LA for the holidays is that things naturally slow down. People leave town, reservations get easier, and the notorious traffic lightens, making it possible to go places that usually require carving out an entire day.

If you’re staying in LA for the holidays or visiting, I suggest doing the same. Below are a few spots I’m especially excited to check out this holiday season.

Discussed in this issue: where to eat just outside LA, my conversation with Senator Mark Kelly and must-visit holiday spots.

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

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📍Gardena: Otafuku
Cuisine: Japanese
Crew: Anthony Jacobson, Andy Wang, Alex Tse, Brian McGinn, Joseph Varet, Matt Karatz, Eli Meyer, Jerry Greenberg, The Infatuation, Time Out, LA Times, Eater
Good For: Business Dinner, Dinner With Friends, Date Night
Pro Tip: This is a no-frills spot, so don’t expect ornate decor or white tablecloths. What you should expect is some of the most exceptional soba you’ll find without getting on a long-haul flight.
What to Order: Soba Noodles, Spanish Mackerel Bowl, Yakitori, Sashimi, Tempura
Notes: It’s hard to describe Otafuku other than to say that, for anyone who’s been to Japan, it truly feels like being transported to a nondescript restaurant on a nondescript street—one that just happens to be serving the best version of its specialty in the world. That’s what makes Japan so special: many of its 100,000-plus restaurants focus on doing one thing, and doing it exceptionally well. Otafuku technically does more than one thing, but you come here for the soba.

The restaurant opened in 1997 and has been serving essentially the same menu for nearly 30 years. Sadly, the family’s patriarch, Seji, passed away last year, but his daughter Meiko now runs the restaurant, and it remains every bit as special. Most of the ingredients are still sourced from Japan—most importantly, the flour.

📍Gardena: Sushi Sonagi (reviewed by Max Shapiro, Partner at Westside Estate Agency & Co-House of Air Jordan: A Food Podcast)
Cuisine: Sushi
Crew: Jamie Patricof, Anthony Jacobson, Jerry Greenberg, Nick Grad, Brian McGinn, Max Shapiro, Matt Karatz, Eli Meyer, Michelin Guide, LA Times, Time Out, Eater, The Infatuation
Good For: Date Night, Dinner with Friends, Solo Dining
Pro Tip: It’s an eight-seat restaurant with limited spots available, so plan your reservation now.
What to Order: Omakase
Notes: Sweet, sweet Daniel Son San. I’ve been to Sonagi four times now, and here are some undeniable truths I’ve come to learn: Daniel is as humble as they come. He’s constantly pushing himself to learn, refine, and improve. He sources meticulously. He cares about the product, the craft, and, most importantly, his guests. None of these qualities guarantee a great meal, but in Daniel’s case, they translate directly onto the plate. The meal was flawless. Every technique, every cooking method was executed perfectly. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again until people get the message: adopt the Binchotan diffuser when butane torching. It absorbs the butane flavor, keeping it off the food and letting the ingredients not be tainted. Anyway, I digress. Sonagi keeps getting better, and I have no doubt it will continue on that trajectory. If you’re up for a field trip to Gardena, Sushi Sonagi should be your destination.

This week was tough. From the senseless shooting at Brown University to the antisemitic terror attack in Australia to the murder of Rob & Michele Reiner (and Trump’s vile response)—it’s hard to deny that things feel dark. 

But I can’t think of a better person to be having this conversation with than Senator Mark Kelly. He’s someone who’s served his country both in the Navy and NASA, and now represents Arizona. He knows all too well about the impact of gun violence—having almost lost his wife, Gabby Giffords, to a mass shooting.

We discussed the need for common sense gun reform in our country, including why in the list of topics for single issue voters, gun reform is never one of them. We also spoke about Trump’s public threats to hang the Senator for simply reminding the military they’re obligated to resist illegal orders, and Hegseth’s strategy (or lack thereof) in Venezuela. 

This was a sobering conversation, but I didn’t walk away without hope. Senator Kelly’s determination to fight for what’s right, even when facing threats from the White House, is admirable.

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

🎬 JAY KELLY from Academy Award® Nominated Director & Writer Noah Baumbach is now nominated for 4 Critics Choice Awards including Best Picture, Original Screenplay, and Casting & Ensemble. Starring Golden Globe® Nominees George Clooney & Adam Sandler. For Your Awards Consideration.

Aaron Michaelson, Aaron Stern, Adam Saper, Adam Smith, Alex Tse, Andy Wang, Anthony Jacobson, Ashley Sawyer, Ben Hundreds, Blake Lively, Bobby Kim, Brian McGinn, Chad Colby, Chad Gutstein, Chris Rice, Condé Nast Traveler, David Gelb, David Katzenberg, David Nathanson, Evan Funke, Eater, Eli Meyer, Food & Wine, Goop, Kristina O’Neill, Iman Dakhil, Infatuation, James Beard Award, Jason Spivak, Jerry Greenberg, Jeremy Smith, Jerrold Son, Jessica Alba, Joe Varet, Jon Buscemi, Jon Alagem, Jon Shook, Jordan Okun, James Ponsoldt, Kate Burr, Katie McNeill, Kelly Sawyer Patricof, The LA Times, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lloyd Sacks, Marc Rose, Marc Mezvinsky, Martha Patricof, Matt Haimes, Matt Karatz, Max Chow, Max Shapiro, Max Winkler, Michael Kives, Michelin Guide, Nicole Richie, Neal Moritz, The NY Times, Paul Zucker, Peter Goldwyn, Phil Rosenthal, Phill Ettinger, Rachel Halilej, Riley Patricof, Sawyer Patricof, Shu Chowdhury, Todd Steinman, The Hungry Tourist, The Infatuation, Vinny Dotolo.

Today’s email was brought to you by: Jamie Patricof, Michaela Sullivan and Lauren Malanga