Midtown Lunch

As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Nick, a video editor who knows all the hot spots on Pico btw. Hauser and Fairfax.

Name: Nick

Age: 37

Occupation: Video Editor/Web Designer

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Will Work For Film Prod’s – home office in Mid Wilshire/ Fairfax & Pico (Little Ethopia) area

Favorite Kind of Food: Anything rice based, particularly Chinese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Cream Cheese, Fruit Crumble, Mayo

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Ho Ho Kitchen (5677 W Pico Blvd, btw. Hauser+Fairfax) for Chinese, Bloom Cafe (5544 Pico Blvd, btw. Hauser+Fairfax) for best pizza in town, Canter’s (419 N Fairfax Ave, nr Beverly) for best corned beef west of the Mississippi, Chic Cafe (5545 W Pico Blvd, btw. Hauser+Fairfax) for great rotisserie, Chulada Grill (5607 San Vicente Blvd, nr. Hauser) for really good burritos

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Ho Ho Kitchen and Pollo Loco (something about their twice grilled burritto from the drive through – which I must eat while driving)

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? Being from Chicago, I can’t resist going to Buena Park (30 miles) to get an Italian Beef sandwich at Portillo’s. While it ain’t Al’s Italian Beef in Little Italy on the South side of Chicago, it’s surprisingly close. (What is Italian Beef, you may ask? Imagine succulent shredded roast beef soaking in its own juices for hours, then placed into a fresh french roll – then dipping it all into those same juices and adding sweet and hot peppers. On death row, this would be my last request.)

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? My dream job location would have to be somewhere in Chinatown – any Chinatown, so long as it wasn’t actually in China.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers in L.A.? How do you convince someone in LA that while the looks of the restaurant may frighten, the food is well worth the adventure?

Tell them to read Midtown Lunch, that’s what you do!  Fighting the good fight against lunchtime salads and grilled chicken sandwiches with every single post.   Got something to say to Nick? Pit it in the comments, and as always if you would like to be next week’s Profiled: L.A. Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d like to nominate), email me- zach@midtownlunch.com.