Loved the Lincoln Lawyer books too. One author that notes the LA food scene also, is Jonathan Kellerman. I’ve enjoyed a lot of his books.
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Thanks. Just requested this at the library.
Netflix with food on the side:
We recently discovered the “Kominsky Method” where Musso and Frank is the setting for the regular alte kakers’ lunch.
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Loved The Kominsky Method!
It took until now to remember the James M Cain noir volume “Serenade” that included:
“Well, brother, you can have your Terrapin Maryland. It’s a noble dish, but it’s not Iguana John Howard Sharp.”
We’re pretty sure the scene made it into the movie:
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Watching the latest season of this:
reminded us of this:
https://www.mcbeaton.com/us/books/agatha_raisin_mysteries/the_quiche_of_death/
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Genesis of the movie:
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Good flic. Of course Helen Mirren is always good.
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Again, Netflix with food on side – the just-released miniseries “Hollywood” also depicts Musso and Frank. Of course, because the show is set in the Golden Age of the studio system.
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I just watched Hollywood- it was fun.
50 Essential Novels for Foodies
This is an old list, but with some I dont recall.
Note to self; I especially want to check out:
The Dinner , Herman Koch
One meal can change everything. The proof is in the pudding: that is, this dark and delicious novel that turns from social satire to psychological thriller as the courses (not to mention the truths) come out. Plus: another sinister and unreliable narrator for the ages — what is it about these foodies
John Saturnall’s Feast , Lawrence Norfolk
A lush historical novel that tells of an orphaned kitchen boy who is destined to become one of the greatest chefs of all time, and whose food might just tempt a beautiful woman out of her despair.
The Belly of Paris , Emile Zola
Anthony Bourdain once called Zola’s classic ”the Citizen Kane of foodie books.” There is also a famous scene about the sensation of walking into a cheese shop that is referred to by those in the know as the “Cheese Symphony,” which is something every book should probably have more of.
Edible Stories , Mark Kurlansky
Kurlansky is a talented food writer outside of the fictional realm, so it’s no surprise that the food sometimes outshines the people in this charming book, billed as “a novel in sixteen courses” but more truly a witty story collection.
White Truffles in Winter , N.M. Kelby
This delicious novel throws historical fiction, essay, romance, and page upon page of sumptuous descriptions of food in a pot and sets it to simmer. An exquisite novel based on the life of famous chef Auguste Escoffier, this is definitely one to savor.
La Cucina , Lily Prior
Prior’s book is subtitled “a novel of rapture,” and indeed, it may or may not make you throw your head back in all the gluttonous pleasure — food, sex, murder, food, the kitchen, the Mafia. Yum.
The Lives of Notorious Cooks , Brendan Connell
A platter full of 51 fictional biographies of chefs from Ancient Greece to the end of World War I. Kings, slaves, wise men, pastry chefs whose confections raise the dead, all swirl about in this delightful historical fantasy.
Appetite , Philip Kazan
A young man in Renaissance Florence has a gift: the ability to taste more than the average man, and a sense of passion that will lead him into joy and trouble.
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Thanks - not the usual suspects!
May I suggest Love in the Time of Covid? Vivid descriptions of pantry meals, eaten wantonly, as well as other delights, whether food or not. Oh wait, it hasn’t been written yet, anybody game? 
Haven’t read the entire thread, on a serious note, Aphrodite - Isabelle Allende.
ETA: not sure if it’s fiction, although I do have the book. Her nonfictional writing has an element of a fictional feel however, IMO. Hope that counts.
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We’re late to the party. Longmire/Craig Johnson fans already know that Walt’s “Durant, Wyoming” is Buffalo, Wyoming, and that the his Busy Bee Cafe retreat really exits:
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I always enjoyed the dinner party scenes in Len Deighton’s Game, Set, & Match series. His mother was a professional chef and he also wrote cookery books.
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Page 91 of the latest Lincoln Lawyer, The Law of Innocence, has Mickey Haller entering Dan Tana’s for “the best New York Strip in the city.”
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More research required @BoneAppetite, but thank you. I do love the Lincoln Lawyer series, but there was a long gap between books for awhile, so kinda stopped reading them. Did watch a LL movie a month or so ago with Matthew M. Enjoyed! Also like J Kellerman’s series for LA atmosphere.
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Another Michael Connelly mention that our personal experience allows an endorsement:
And Little Jewel gets another mention in his latest:
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If you like Jewish delis generally and LA’s Canter’s specifically, try the Amos Parisman books by Andy Weinburger. There are two, so far: An Old Man’s Game, and Reason to Kill. I really enjoyed them, and some of the action takes place at Canter’s.
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