Which LA Restaurants Are Secretly Taking Private Equity Cash? | THE LA FOOD PODCAST

<p>Can you tell which LA restaurants have outside investors just by the vibes? Karen Palmer joins Luca Servodio for “Does It Taste Like Private Equity?”, a guessing game exposing the money behind favorites like RVR, Prime Pizza, HomeState, Kismet and more. With Gen Z calling out “PE slop,” we debate whether outside investment actually makes restaurants worse, and why some independent-looking spots have institutional backing while seemingly corporate chains don’t. (For this game, “private equity” is shorthand for a broader mix of private equity, venture capital and other outside investment.)</p><p>Plus, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/casino-omakase-restaurant-22434943.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Karen discovers standout omakase inside the Bicycle Casino</a>, Luca revisits the reimagined Alta Adams, and we discuss Skywalker Grill and Folks Pizzeria. In Chef’s Kiss / Big Miss: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-09-27/nations-best-pastrami-langers-deli-2026-gold-award-winner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Langer’s wins the 2026 LA Times Gold Award</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2026-09-29/backyard-peking-duck-guy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">backyard Peking duck</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/dining/tinys-burger-costa-mesa-southern-california.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Sang Yoon’s customizable fast-food burgers</a>, and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/dining/eric-ripert-buddhism-cooking.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Eric Ripert’s Buddhist approach to kitchen culture</a>.</p><p></p>