By VALENTINA SILVA, Eastside Food Bites El Sereno – File this under “only in L.A.” If you love fried chicken and churros, you can get both, served together as one, at Mama Churro y Mas in El Sereno. The small eatery has been serving their special, which includes two pieces of chicken and four mini churros for $4.99, for a ... Read More »
GLASSELL PARK — Is the biscuit the star of breakfast at Lemon Poppy Kitchen in Glassell Park? Looks like it judging by this photo by Valentina Silva of Eastside Food Bites. Got a favorite a favorite meal or snack – from a restaurant, food truck or your own kitchen – that you would like to recommend to Eastsider readers? Click ... Read More »
GLASSELL PARK — “VaKA is going places by thinking out of the box,” says Aaron J. Perez, a Boyle Heights native and the chef behind VaKA Burger. The new restaurant pops up a few times a week at Tested L.A., a house-turned-experimental-kitchen in a residential neighborhood in Glassell Park. The concept—gourmet, grass-fed burgers accessorized with house-made everything—is certainly new for ... Read More »
EAGLE ROCK — When Little Beast first opened last year, I was impressed. I loved how they’d transformed the Craftsman bungalow formerly occupied by soul food joint Larkin’s, turning the porch and side yard into a lovely alfresco experience and, a few peccadillos aside, I also had good things to say about their elevated take on standards, like a beautifully ... Read More »
Cypress Park’s Antigua Coffee House, with its friendly, familiar vibe, vibrant decor and strong brew, is an easy place to love. Owner Yancey Quiñones treats every customer like he’s known them forever, setting a communal tone for the daily crowd of laptop-pounding and just-hanging patrons, which makes this cozy space so welcoming and without the attitude that ruins many a ... Read More »
Open since 1949, El Gallo Bakery is an East L.A. tradition. Mention the famed panaderia to anyone who grew up in the neighborhood, and you’re sure to hear one word over and over: “payaso.” If you’ve ever had a Payaso, you understand why, and if you haven’t, you need to learn stat. The perfect marriage between pan dulce and a ... Read More »
I’m not really a ham and cheese kind of girl. I like a good turkey or veggie sandwich for everyday and maybe an Italian sub when I feel like going for it, but I barely give a passing glance to ham and cheese on a menu. The fact is they rarely impress, and ham usually has one flavor profile–salty. However… There’s one ... Read More »
Nachos are one of life’s little luxuries and maybe the guiltiest of food pleasures since some people won’t even admit to liking them. But these people are liars because tortilla chips and melted cheese are an undeniably delicious union—though not a perfect one. Bad nachos do exist (just go to the movies if you don’t believe me), yet the beauty ... Read More »
Polka has been on my culinary to-do list for a while, but for some reason, I just couldn’t get there. Maybe it the location—the Glassell Park restaurant is hidden in one of those only-in-LA strip malls where parking kerfuffles run rampant, and every other space is a five-minute only job. But, if that’s what’s been holding you back, then park ... Read More »
The overhaul of Echo Park Lake was a seemingly endless one, but now that it’s finally up and running, I find myself strolling its picturesque path often. The long walk brings a combination of sights, including neighborhood joggers (of varying fitness levels), dogs galore, picnickers, and lots of bench-sitting old men just enjoying the day—the scene is downright European. Of ... Read More »
Summer heat gives you the right to indulge in ice cream at least every other day, right? You’re lucky, too, because there are so many great ice cream shops on this side of town, most of them making beautiful ice creams, gelato, and frozen yogurt on the premises. Here are three great beat-the-heat-icy-sweet saviors from an ice cream fanatic (me): ... Read More »
With gourmet burgers having reached the point of utter ubiquity in L.A., the humble hot dog is now set to be exploited. Thank goodness. Meea’s in Eagle Rock is one of the first wiener meccas to hit Northeast L.A., and it’s a nice start. You’ll miss the tiny hot dog storefront if you blink, but it’s worth a few u-turns ... Read More »
I love potato tacos. A lot of people don’t, and I blame the overwhelming amount of bad potato tacos (soggy, bland, and uninspired) for misrepresenting the entire category. Perhaps my appreciation comes from the fact that I usually make mine at home, giving them an Indian twist with Chef Raghavan Iyer’s smoky yellow dal recipe. This way, I get to ... Read More »
An Italian sub can be a glorious thing, but cold cuts aren’t for everyone. If you’re a vegetarian, or if you just prefer a meatless lunch now and again, finding a good veggie sandwich can be a task. Sometimes all you get is lettuce, tomato and cheese. Talk about blah. Still, there are some satisfying veggie sandwiches out there that ... Read More »
If there’s one thing Figueroa Street needs it’s breakfast. There are some notable staples—Antigua Bread, Metro Balderas, La Fuente—but there’s no denying that some new blood is in order. That’s why I was intrigued when I heard that Good Girl Dinette is now serving breakfast! Owner Diep Tran says she labored over the new morning menu, and it shows. The ... Read More »
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