Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Jonathan Gold

Role / Field:

Pioneering American food and music critic, celebrated for championing immigrant cuisine.

Born:

1960-07-28

Died:

2018-07-21

Century / Era:

1960s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Jonathan Gold (July 28, 1960 – July 21, 2018) was an American food and music critic. He was for many years the chief food critic for the Los Angeles Times and also wrote for LA Weekly and Gourmet, in addition to serving as a regular contributor on KCRW's Good Food radio program. Gold often chose small, traditional immigrant restaurants for his reviews, although he covered all types of cuisine. In 2007, while writing for the LA Weekly, he became the first food critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1982, while studying art and music at UCLA, Gold began working at LA Weekly magazine as a proofreader. He met his future wife Laurie Ochoa, a fellow journalist, there, and the couple followed each other to later jobs at other publications. By the mid-1980s, Gold was an editor in the Weekly's music section, initially writing about classical music as well as hip-hop, during which he covered the early days of gangsta rap, interviewing Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and the other members of N.W.A. In 1986, with the reluctant support of Weekly founder Jay Levin, Gold started his first food column "Counter Intelligence", reviewing under-the-radar restaurants in ethnic neighborhoods...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Aaron Klug — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pioneering biophysicist known for crystallographic electron microscopy and nucleic acid structure.
• Alan Bean — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): American astronaut, naval officer, and lunar explorer who walked on the Moon.
• Alexander Zakharchenko — Contemporary (Died in 2018) (2018): Pro-Russian separatist leader and head of the Donetsk People's Republic.
• Abraham Cowley — Shared historical date (07-28 · Died) (1667): Leading 17th-century English poet and essayist, celebrated for his wit and verse.
• Abraham Pais — Shared historical date (07-28 · Died) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• A. D. Hope — Shared historical date (07-21 · Born) (1907): Australian poet and essayist celebrated for his satirical wit and academic career.
• Alan Shepard — Shared historical date (07-21 · Died) (1998): Pioneering American astronaut, second in space and first American on the Moon.
• 1960 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1960
• July 28 (07-28) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 28
• 2018 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2018
• July 21 (07-21) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on July 21

Frequently Asked Questions about Jonathan Gold