Autumn has finally arrived in Los Angeles. The air is crisper, wind stronger, and skies cloudier, officially marking the end of summer and allowing us to finally bust out the blazers and sweaters that have been collecting dust in our closets since September.

For people like me, the first day of fall is always a joyous one—it commences the takeover of apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes and starts the countdown to the holiday season. It is also always a very peculiar day, in which everyone and their mother seems to want meatloaf.

I should preface this by saying I grew up near Chicago, where, for some reason I cannot explain, the first day of fall is inextricably linked with having meatloaf for dinner. Something about the sudden drop in temperature combined with cloudy skies and shifting winds drives everyone to the grocery store to buy meat to make meatloaf. It’s as if Mother Nature declared the first chilly day of fall as Crave Meatloaf Day.

This meatloaf phenomenon may not be scientifically proven, but I’ve seen enough first-day-of-fall meatloaf dinners in my lifetime to believe it. My mom would always whip out her famous meatloaf recipe on the first day of fall—the only day of the year she would make it. I presume everybody else in the entire city did, too, because our grocery store would always run out of its special meatloaf meat blend that same day. My mom makes the best meatloaf in the entire world, so you can imagine my disappointment when she would return from the store sans magical meatloaf meat. The infamous meatloaf mix sell-out happened year after year without fail, which led me to believe it was no coincidence.

Now, if you’re a Midwesterner like me or live in a place that experiences seasons, you’ve probably witnessed the meatloaf craze in action. But if you live in Los Angeles (as I currently do) or some place where the weather stays fairly moderate year-round, the fall weather meatloaf craze may not be so applicable. However, I say with confidence to my fellow Angelenos seeking comfort food on a brisk fall day like today: meatloaf is king. 

I will admit it’s pretty hard to get excited about meatloaf. After all, meatloaf is often envisaged as a dry brick of meat that is otherwise inedible without a heavy dose of ketchup or barbeque sauce. While there are certainly some unfortunate versions of meatloaf, this quintessential American weeknight dinner entrée is making a comeback in the restaurant biz.

Gourmet versions of meatloaf are finding a new home on the menus of top restaurants all around the country, even in Los Angeles. Case in point, FIG Restaurant in Santa Monica offers a short rib and pancetta meatloaf that sounds nothing short of pure awesomeness and comfort food divinity.

With a recipe like that, I can’t imagine how Los Angeles could resist embracing meatloaf this fall. It certainly has a special place in my heart, and will soon have an even better place in my stomach—and hopefully the stomachs of other Angelenos.

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