Midtown Lunch

After reading Bon Appetit’s list of the 10 best plates of fried chicken in the country, I couldn’t help but head to Huckleberry on Friday. Sadly for me, I wasn’t the only one! I called that morning to see what time they normally sell out of their $14.50, Friday only, Jidori fried chicken special, and was told (much to my surprise) that they never sell out. Showed up at 1pm, and guess what they were sold out of? The fried chicken.

According to their twitter account, they weren’t prepared for the BA article- and since the chicken soaks in buttermilk for 2 days there was pretty much nothing they could do at that point. Already there, we decided to try the only two sandwiches that qualify as a true Midtown Lunch (aka under $10.) See, I’ll splurge for the best fried chicken in the country… fancy sandwiches? I like to keep that under $10. (Unless the sandwich has fried chicken, of course!)

Breakfast sandwich for lunch, and a better than average grilled cheese are after the jump…

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Khao soi from Pailin; Photo courtesy of Sinosoul.

• DOWNTOWN Starry Kitchen has made a few more fans [LAist; NomNotBombs;Savory Hunter]
• HOLLYWOOD The khao soi at Pailin is far superior to Spicy BBQ’s [Sinosoul]
• HOLLYWOOD The “Guru” spills the beans about Jitlada’s off the menu burger [Squid Ink]
• HOLLYWOOD Another rave for the boat noodles at Pa-Ord [Cork & Rind]
• KOREATOWN The Yook heh jang at Mapo is highly recommended [Mattatouille]
• MID-CITY Were we at Dino’s Chicken & Burgers on the very same day!? [Cork & Rind]
• SANTA MONICA Mariscos Guillen La Playita has an awesome $5 burrito [Squid Ink]
• SANTA MONICA Sacramento based Sandwich Spot is opening soon [Grub Street]

The proof that I love Korean food can be traced back to day one of Midtown Lunch.  When I launched the site four years ago in NYC, I extended the boundaries of “Midtown” a few extra blocks specifically so I would have an excuse to stuff my face in Manhattan’s Koreatown (on 32nd btw. B’way+5th).  I love it all- from Korean BBQ to Korean fried chicken (natch), bi bim bap to kal gook soo (knife cut noodles), jjajangmyeon (Korean/Chinese food) to kimbap (Korean sushi).  But the one thing I haven’t come around to is the modern Korean fast food chain.

If you’ve ever eaten in Kyochon, you know what I’m talking about.  I love the chicken- but the cheesy music, spotless decor, and shiny white walls with inspirational sayings I could do without. With crappy frozen yogurt I suppose it makes sense, but when it comes to Korean lunch I’d choose the atmosphere of Myung Dong Kyoja over Isaac Toast every time. But Midtown Lunch isn’t about decor. It’s about food. So when I heard that School Food, a popular Korean chain that specializes in kimbap and topokki, opened a location in Koreatown- I couldn’t help myself.

And after trying their giant combination roll platter for 3, I’m kind of glad I did. Bad decor and all.

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If you like gourmet sandwiches, the west side is the place to be these days.  Popular Downtown staple Mendocino Farms opened in Marina del Rey last month, Skratch has become Choppe Choppe in Downtown Culver City, and now- filling the hole in between- Earl’s Gourmet Grub has opened in Mar Vista, on Venice.  If you live in the area you may already be familiar with Earl’s.  They’ve been selling their gourmet sandwiches at the Mar Vista Farmer’s Market, preparing for the opening of their brick and mortar storefront- which finally happened last week.

Some of the sandwiches look good in that healthy, has vegetables, marinted not fried, safe for L.A. kind of way (I’m looking at you heartichoke) but I look for something a bit meatier in my sandwiches. Also, paying $9+ for a sandwich is not my idea of good deal, but I can be persuaded by interesting combos, quality ingredients, and cutesy names involving two of my favorite foods (hello “pig n fig”!)  So yesterday, I headed over to try some of their less healthy sounding sandwiches and see for myself whether this was a worthwhile “Midtown Lunch’ish” option or one of those new places that sound good on paper, but ends up not being worth the $$.

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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 Lilly, a punk rock label check writer who hates white washed ethnic food but has a soft spot in her heart for El Poll Loco (as do I.)

Name: Lilly

Age: 26

Occupation: Accounts Payable

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Epitaph|Anti|Hellcat records, Silverlake

Favorite Kind of Food: Mexican

Least Favorite Kind of Food: White washed ethnic food

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Mariela’s Tacos (2501 W Sunset Blvd, Silverlake). Their 3 taco plate includes rice and beans, $5 (cash only). I prefer carnitas, but they are known for their Asada, and their pastor and pollo are great too! India Sweets N Spices, 3126 Los Feliz Blvd in Atwater Village (not the one in Culver City). It’s all vegetarian, and the number 2 is around $7 and includes rice, 2 veggies, 1 samosa, papadam, naan, salad, and a few sauces. Enough for 2 meals, and the veggie choices change every day. Dusty’s Bistro (3200 W Sunset Blvd, Silverlake) a French Canadian place that is perfect place for business lunches. We come here for office celebrations. Their breakfast menu is served during lunch time for around $10 per item. Their Poutines (fries with gravy and cheese) are a must, and their Dustys mimosa (with strawberry juice) is delish. The croques and salads are more popular amongst my co-workers.

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