Q&A: New Restaurant Openings, Top 5 Peking Ducks, Dinner Party Tips, Taco Bell Lettuce, Omakase Etiquette, Diet Coke vs. Coke Zero

**Jordan Okun** (0:05)
All right, Mad Food, I'm Jordan, Max is here, and it's Q&A time once again.

**Max Shapiro** (0:10)
It's great to be back for a Q&A.

**Jordan Okun** (0:12)
Shall we jump in? All right, how late is too late to hit the farmer's market, Max?

**Max Shapiro** (0:23)
Who's asking?

**Jordan Okun** (0:25)
Well, let's start with this.

**Max Shapiro** (0:27)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (0:28)
And when we talk farmer's market, we're really talking Hollywood and Santa Monica. Okay, Santa Monica on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Hollywood on-

**Max Shapiro** (0:40)
Sunday.

**Jordan Okun** (0:41)
Sunday only.

**Max Shapiro** (0:41)
Sunday only.

**Jordan Okun** (0:42)
Okay. Studio City, Brentwood, Largemont, go fuck.

**Max Shapiro** (0:51)
Oh yeah. Okay. The Beverly Hills one, the Melrose Place one, really go fuck.

**Jordan Okun** (0:57)
All of them go fuck.

**Max Shapiro** (0:58)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (0:58)
Okay.
Go have your kid ride a horse. If a kid is riding a horse or there's bouncy machines at your farmer's market, you're not at a real farmer's market.

**Max Shapiro** (1:09)
If there's a psychic.

**Jordan Okun** (1:11)
So let's start with this. What time do these premier farmer's markets open?

**Max Shapiro** (1:16)
Okay. They're there very early.
For the elderly and for chefs, they'll open up at seven. Okay.

**Jordan Okun** (1:27)
But they can't police that.

**Max Shapiro** (1:28)
They don't police it. They don't police it. It's not policed.

**Jordan Okun** (1:32)
Okay. So you could...

**Max Shapiro** (1:33)
But a lot of the time, people are setting up late. When I get there at 7.30, some people are still setting up. But it's fine because you go to the places that are already set up, and then you have your eye on the places that are about to be set up.
But if you get there at nine o'clock, it's a madhouse.

**Jordan Okun** (1:53)
It's too busy, and the product options probably suffer.

**Max Shapiro** (2:00)
The thing is, by nine o'clock, most of the best melons that Weiser had available picked over.
Wong mangoes are gone. They're gone. I think this is the last week, so they're gone anyway.

**Jordan Okun** (2:16)
This is it? It's over already?

**Max Shapiro** (2:18)
That's it. I think so. But I think if you get there at nine, it's game over. I'm sorry. It's too busy. It's too crowded.
It's not enjoyable. Get there early and take your time and look at things and enjoy the brisk morning air.

**Jordan Okun** (2:41)
So, the answer is nine. Is how late? It's too late is nine.
And then the real time you want to target, I believe, is eight.

**Max Shapiro** (2:58)
Between 730 and 830, if you are finishing up as the crowds roll in, fine. But you don't want to get there when everyone else gets there.

**Jordan Okun** (3:08)
Also, it's so hot these days.

**Max Shapiro** (3:11)
It's getting hot early.

**Jordan Okun** (3:12)
That it's so uncomfortable shopping, even at nine, 10 a.m. Yeah, just get there early. Get there early, enjoy the weather being a little cooled down.

**Max Shapiro** (3:23)
Get there early.

**Jordan Okun** (3:24)
Okay, that's the answer.

**Max Shapiro** (3:25)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (3:25)
Okay. And just to confirm, we're not tasting anything ever?

**Max Shapiro** (3:30)
I don't, no. I keep the fast going.

**Jordan Okun** (3:32)
Just because you want to fast?

**Max Shapiro** (3:33)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (3:35)
And you know things are gonna taste good, what you're buying?

**Max Shapiro** (3:38)
Yeah, smell them.

**Jordan Okun** (3:39)
That's enough. Mostly, yeah. But not everyone has the genius sensory skills that you have.

**Max Shapiro** (3:45)
Listen, you go to the right places, you're gonna get the right product.

**Jordan Okun** (3:48)
Okay, there it is.

**Max Shapiro** (3:49)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (3:51)
Next. One hour, one way is the standard LA commute. Suck it up, buttercups.

**Max Shapiro** (3:59)
Standard?

**Jordan Okun** (4:02)
I do suck it up.

**Max Shapiro** (4:04)
All I'm doing is sucking.

**Jordan Okun** (4:05)
I rarely complain. Max loves complaining.

**Max Shapiro** (4:09)
Yeah, it's in my nature.

**Jordan Okun** (4:11)
But he sucks it up.

**Max Shapiro** (4:12)
Yeah, I'm constantly gobbling.

**Jordan Okun** (4:17)
But you are complaining a lot.

**Max Shapiro** (4:18)
Yeah, of course.

**Jordan Okun** (4:20)
How dare this person tell me to suck it up, buttercup.

**Max Shapiro** (4:23)
Was that directed at you or just us in general?

**Jordan Okun** (4:26)
Us in general?

**Max Shapiro** (4:27)
Yeah.

**Jordan Okun** (4:27)
But I'm part of us. So I'm no buttercup guy. Max is the buttercup.

**Max Shapiro** (4:34)
I'm still going.

**Jordan Okun** (4:36)
He needs to stop complaining. That's why people call you buttercup.