Midtown Lunch

As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Kathy, a writer searching for sweet Indian balls.

Name: Kathy

Age: Too old for George Clooney

Occupation: Freelance Writer/Resident Blogger at DenimTherapy.com

Where in L.A. do you Work?: I have a home office, but I travel between Pasadena, Downtown and Westside a lot to cover events or meet with potential clients.

Favorite Kind of Food: Japanese, Italian, French and Chinese comfort food (e.g. savory Tang Yuan soup and Hainan Chicken); charcuterie, salumi, things that might become extinct (like abalone); but I’ll take a well-marbled steak and baked potato anyday.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Things with floating red oil on top like chili fries or those $1 Chinese “express” heat lamp places around town.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Many of my favorite lunch places have closed over the years, such as The Coffee Table in Silver Lake. They used to make this wonderful German potato salad to go with a burger or sandwich. I’m a huge fan of Euro Pane Bakery (two locations) in Pasadena for their chicken salad sandwich (made with yogurt instead of mayo) or open-face egg salad sandwich; Philippe’s for their lamb dip; Farfalla in Los Feliz for their Rigatoni Al Tre Funghi or Gnocchi; San Sui Tei (313 E 1st St) in Little Tokyo for their Bento lunch combos and Favorite Place (115 W. Wilson Ave.) in Glendale. All their sandwiches are excellent (I like the “From Russia with Love”) and their rosewater lemonade is legendary!

The “goto” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often? I don’t really have co-workers these days, but I frequent various afternoon tea rooms with my sister, or I’ll swing by Yum Cha Cafe (638 N Broadway) in Chinatown. There’s a lot to choose from and they’re cheap; I often end up bringing pastries or dim sum from there to my meetings. Their dim sum is just as good as some more expensive restaurants in town. Also, the Chinatown location is the only restaurant I know of where they make savory Tang Yuan (glutinous rice ball) soup year-round.

Places you’ve discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: The Spice Table (114 S Central Ave, DTLA). I hear there is excellent banh mi that may rival Banh Mi Che Cali Restaurant & Market’s fresh-baked goodness (7968 Garvey Ave., Rosemead).

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? I might drive 30 miles tops. Lido Pizza in Van Nuys (I hear the pizza is pretty darn close to New York-good), The French Crepe Company at The Original Farmer’s Market or the food court inside the Galleria Market in Northridge. Inside, there’s a restaurant that makes a superb Korean seafood tofu stew.

Dream job location (anywhere in the world), purely for lunch purposes, and why? So many, but definitely Maine (lobster rolls and lighthouses are my thing), France or Italy. If I can have local foie gras/charcuterie, great bread, access to fresh San Marzano tomatoes and regional wines, then it’s pretty close to heaven, no?

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Where can I find decent zeppole that isn’t the size of a baseball, or Besan Ka Laddoo (that is the size of a baseball) in L.A. at any given time of year?

I had to look up what besan ka laddoo are (spoiler: they’re Indian cookie balls), so I’m not sure exactly where to find them but have you been to any of the Indian restaurants in Culver City with bakery sections. I’ll bet India Sweets and Spices might have them. Or Samosa House? Got your own recommendation for Kathy? Put it in the comments. And, as always, if you want to be next week’s Profiled: L.A. Lunch’er (or know somebody you’d want to nominate), email me- zach@midtownlunch.com.