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 Shauna, a public radio marketer with some great recs for Downtown L.A.

Name: Shauna (aka “The Minty“)

Age: 35

Occupation: Public Radio Marketing

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Downtown Los Angeles, South Park

Favorite Kind of Food: Seafood, Korean, tacos, sushi, American comfort food such as meatloaf, fried chicken and the like.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Americanized anything. Americanized Chinese. Americanized Thai. Americanized Mexican. Bleh.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: I’ve been going to the Hygge Bakery (1106 South Hope Street) for sandwiches, specifically for the roast beef. I like the fresh green pepper slices in it. Corkbar (403 W. 12th) makes a great soup. Their corn and pasilla chile is wonderful. If I want to splurge, I go to Rivera (1050 S Flower St). Their shrimp and watermelon mojito salad is very good. And I like their fish tacos.

“Go-To” Lunch Place You and Your Coworkers Eat at Too Often? The Market Cafe by Patina at the AT&T Center (1150 S. Olive St.). They have a decent salad bar.

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? It takes me about 15 minutes to walk to the Financial District of DTLA. I usually end up at Drago Centro (525 S Flower St) for their panini bar. I love their beet salad. I also enjoy It’s a Wrap (818 W 7th St) for their spicy tofu soup (soon dobu). You can get it with or without beef but I started asking for it with spicy pork. I also go to Mendocino Farms quite a bit. Any of their pork sandwiches will do. Or I’ll go to the Fashion District. I love the pork burger and chicken pot pie at Wood Spoon (107 W 9th St). If I’m driving anywhere, it’s for Peruvian at Mo-Chica near USC or into Chinatown for dim sum at Golden Dragon.

If you could work anywhere (just because of the lunch) where would it be and why? I love eating in L.A. There are so many different cuisines to try. The only places I’ve found to rival that would be San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. I suppose I’m a West Coast girl through and through.

Is there anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers in L.A.? I’m looking for a good Chinese restaurant in South Park. Everything I’ve found is Americanized. See above for my dislikes.

Got a recommendation for Shauna? Put it in the comments. And if you’d like to be next week’s Profiled: L.A. Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d want to nominate), email me- zach@midtownlunch.com.