Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Watch this video ad-free and get the full transcript on my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/152195241
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I recently spent an afternoon with Bricia Lopez at her home in Los Angeles. Bricia is the co-owner of the legendary Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetza, as well as the co-author of the cookbooks Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico and Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling. Her family’s story—moving from Oaxaca to Los Angeles and building a restaurant that would become a cultural landmark—has played a huge role in shaping how Oaxacan food is understood in the U.S. today. She’s also become one of the most thoughtful voices talking about Mexican food, culture, and community in America.
While making memelas together, we talked about her childhood in Oaxaca, her father’s early days selling mole door-to-door in L.A., the influence of Jonathan Gold, and what it means to run a restaurant that’s deeply rooted in a specific immigrant community. We also got into the realities of running a restaurant today, the challenges and opportunities of bringing traditional flavors into consumer packaged foods, and the responsibilities that come with having a platform. It was a wide-ranging conversation about food, family, identity, and what it means to carry culture forward.
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If you want to help me write my next cookbook and see your name printed in it, join at the annual Cookbook Club level for even more recipes, livestreams, Q&As, and more.
Joining my Patreon, purchasing my books and products, and subscribing to my social media channels is the best way to support my work.
You can get any of my books (The Food Lab, The Wok and Every Night is Pizza Night) wherever books are sold, or you can order signed and personalized copies to be shipped anywhere in the world from here: booklarder.com/search?q=kenji
MY SHOP:
kenjilopezalt.com/shop
BOOKS:
Signed, personalized copies are available here:
The Food Lab: booklarder.com/products/the-food-lab-better-home-cooking-through-science1
The Wok: booklarder.com/products/the-wok
And my Kid’s book, Every Night is Pizza Night: booklarder.com/products/every-night-is-pizza-night1
You can also buy my books anywhere books are sold, or from these online retailers:
kenjilopezalt.com/books
SUBSCRIBE
Instagram: instagram.com/kenjilopezalt
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@j.kenji.lopezalt
Patreon: patreon.com/kenjilopezalt
Website: kenjilopezalt.com
CREDITS
Shot By: Kenji Lopez-alt and Lena Davidson
Edited By: David Zimmermann and David Hudson
Produced By: Kenji Lopez-Alt and Lena Davidsons
Watch this video ad-free and get the full transcript on my Patreon: patreon.com/posts/152195241
********
I recently spent an afternoon with Bricia Lopez at her home in Los Angeles. Bricia is the co-owner of the legendary Oaxacan restaurant Guelaguetza, as well as the co-author of the cookbooks Oaxaca: Home Cooking from the Heart of Mexico and Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling. Her family’s story—moving from Oaxaca to Los Angeles and building a restaurant that would become a cultural landmark—has played a huge role in shaping how Oaxacan food is understood in the U.S. today. She’s also become one of the most thoughtful voices talking about Mexican food, culture, and community in America.
While making memelas together, we talked about her childhood in Oaxaca, her father’s early days selling mole door-to-door in L.A., the influence of Jonathan Gold, and what it means to run a restaurant that’s deeply rooted in a specific immigrant community. We also got into the realities of running a restaurant today, the challenges and opportunities of bringing traditional flavors into consumer packaged foods, and the responsibilities that come with having a platform. It was a wide-ranging conversation about food, family, identity, and what it means to carry culture forward.
********
If you want to help me write my next cookbook and see your name printed in it, join at the annual Cookbook Club level for even more recipes, livestreams, Q&As, and more.
Joining my Patreon, purchasing my books and products, and subscribing to my social media channels is the best way to support my work.
You can get any of my books (The Food Lab, The Wok and Every Night is Pizza Night) wherever books are sold, or you can order signed and personalized copies to be shipped anywhere in the world from here: booklarder.com/search?q=kenji
MY SHOP:
kenjilopezalt.com/shop
BOOKS:
Signed, personalized copies are available here:
The Food Lab: booklarder.com/products/the-food-lab-better-home-cooking-through-science1
The Wok: booklarder.com/products/the-wok
And my Kid’s book, Every Night is Pizza Night: booklarder.com/products/every-night-is-pizza-night1
You can also buy my books anywhere books are sold, or from these online retailers:
kenjilopezalt.com/books
SUBSCRIBE
Instagram: instagram.com/kenjilopezalt
Tik Tok: tiktok.com/@j.kenji.lopezalt
Patreon: patreon.com/kenjilopezalt
Website: kenjilopezalt.com
CREDITS
Shot By: Kenji Lopez-alt and Lena Davidson
Edited By: David Zimmermann and David Hudson
Produced By: Kenji Lopez-Alt and Lena Davidsons
