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How Jonathan Gold Brought Hundreds Of People Together, Even After His Death

By  Elina Shatkin
Published Aug 27, 2018 8:15 AM
Jonathan Gold, star of the documentar "City of Gold," poses for a portrait during the 2015 Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2015 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)
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Hundreds of people showed up at Grand Park in downtown L.A. on Sunday night for the #LAGold public memorial honoring beloved food writer Jonathan Gold, who passed away in July.

Hosted by Los Angeles Times arts writer Carolina Miranda, the evening included a screening of the documentary "City of Gold," tributes from a bunch of people who knew and worked with Gold -- "Good Food" host Evan Kleiman, Guelagueztza restaurateur Bricia Lopez, chefs Sang Yoon and and Michael Cimarusti, his brother, Mark Gold -- and, of course, taco trucks.

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Gold was honored with a plaque outside Grand Central Market that features this quote from his writing: "The huge number of multiple cultures that live in this city... and the fault lines between them are where you find the most beautiful things."

His silhouette will also hang above Broadway in downtown Los Angeles and the area just outside Grand Central Market has been renamed Jonathan Gold Plaza.

Plenty of people who didn't know Gold personally but fell in love with the city through his words turned out to celebrate him -- and to eat.

And some of them dressed up.

L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Councilman José Huizar also turned out for the event.

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Gold's widow, L.A. Times Arts and Entertainment Editor Laurie Ochoa, was at the ceremony along with their two children.

Plenty of "ordinary" people also showed up. Here's what some of them had to say.

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