City of Gold Offers Insights Into Both a Critic and the Soul of a City

How important is a restaurant critic to chefs? That point has been continuously debated over the last few years, as Yelp, social media and a changing of the guard in media and in the kitchen has led to several chefs to question—if not full-on protest—traditional newspaper critics.

But Jonathan Gold of the LA Times exists on a higher plane, for the respect he’s garnered by putting a spotlight on the tiny,...