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 Justin, a freelancer who used to lunch Downtown, but is now in the Valley.

Name: Justin

Age: 23

Occupation: Unemployed recent college graduate/Freelance editor/assistant

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Used to work mostly downtown/USC area, now the valley

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese and truck fare

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Chain food

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Where I used to work… the two plate combo at A Taste of India in the University Village Food Court (3333 South Hoover Street). Steak nachos at Chanos Drive In (3000 S Figueroa St) was an entire meal unto itself. Fibbs with a side of Vegan Mac & Cheese (that is 10x better the next day) at Vegisoul (1436 W Jefferson Blvd). Or a cheese slice from the Slice Truck. Now: Tandori Lunch at Anarbagh in Woodland Hills (22721 Ventura Blvd), or a plain slice or a special slice at Mulberry Street Pizza in Encino (17040 Ventura Blvd) .

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? Subway/Quiznos, sigh. It pains me inside.

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? Cappriotti’s in Beverly Hills (19 miles) even though it’s always a pain to get to Beverly Hills during lunch. Their bobbie is happiness (and thanksgiving) in my mouth. Joans on Third (8.8 miles) for their yummy sandwiches. The farthest I used to walk was to a Wolfgang Puck Express on-USC’s campus for every USC student’s favorite, a Chicken Pesto Sandwich.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? Well, I have three, but Tokyo edges out the top spot. I visited a year ago and loved the food but have realized that I only hit the tip of the iceberg, there is so much other food to try–traditional Japanese food as well as Japanese takes on Western fare. My other two are Hawaii and home in NYC –probably in SoHo or Chelsea-Market area.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers in L.A.? Where does one get a perfect crab cake and/or lobster roll.

Got a recommendation for Justin? Put 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.