In this richly penetrating documentary odyssey, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold pulls back the curtain on the perceived superficiality of Los Angeles to show us a genuine and vibrant world where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic doorway to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America.

Combing through colorful neighborhoods in his green pickup truck, Gold sniffs out his next strip-mall discovery—whether Oaxacan grasshopper soup, hand-cut tonkotsu ramen, or a particularly unctuous pad see ew. As piping-hot platters are served up, so are stories of immigrants whose secret family recipes are like sacred offerings pledged for the opportunity to build their American Dream. With eternal curiosity, razor-sharp intellect, and existential longing, Gold is a culinary geographer casting his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement where food is the gateway for experiencing how we live.