Jenn Harris named a restaurant critic of the L.A. Times

The following announcement is sent on behalf of General Manager for Food Laurie Ochoa and Food Editor Daniel Hernandez:

She has ranked grocery chain fried chicken, shown us everything we need to know about dumplings, and communed with strangers at a naked dinner party in the Valley — and that’s just the last few years. And now, Food is delighted to announce that our columnist Jenn Harris has joined Bill Addison as restaurant critic at the Los Angeles Times.

In columns, guides and feature stories, Harris has distinguished herself throughout a 15-year career at The Times as a captivating writer celebrating the foods we love in Southern California. In recent years she’s waded into reviewing, including in pieces like “I’ll take the jerky at Sophy’s over your Wagyu steak anyplace else,” leading to a James Beard Media Award nomination for restaurant criticism in 2025.

Addison and Harris will now jointly tackle the nearly impossible task of covering a landscape of tens of thousands of restaurants in L.A., from corner taquerías to four-star tasting menus with astronomical price tags. The pairing couldn’t be better. Addison, the 2023 recipient of the James Beard restaurant criticism award, and Harris have seamlessly combined forces since 2024 to co-write the 101 Best Restaurants List, The Times’ most anticipated annual editorial project.

Harris is a native of Pasadena and a graduate of UC Irvine and USC. She began writing for the paper in 2010, first in fashion, and became one of the earliest and most successful voices on video here, starting with a series she called “Jenn and Tonic.” To say we are thrilled for her would be the understatement of the year. Her new role is effective immediately.