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 Michelle, a TV exec who wishes she lived in Hong Kong but can’t stand durian.

Name: Michelle

Age: 30

Occupation: Television Executive

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Kurtzman/Orci Productions (located on the 20th Century Fox Lot)

Favorite Kind of Food: Sushi

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Durian fruit. Tried this on a trip to Taiwan and actually felt embarrassed to be Asian.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Sotto (9575 W Pico Blvd) when I have a light afternoon at work (because the food is anything but light). Love their margherita pizza, lamb ragu pasta and pork meatballs. Mizu 212 (2000 Sawtelle Blvd) for Japanese shabu shabu, especially on cold, rainy days. The meat and veggies are super fresh and I’m addicted to their dipping sauces. I love the burger and the catfish burrito at Nook (11628 Santa Monica Blvd) on Santa Monica Blvd. And everything at the Tacos Por Favor location on Olympic!

The “goto” lunch place you and your co-workers eat at too often? FOOD on Pico and Clementine (1751 Ensley Ave) are office standbys for healthy but yummy salads washed down with unhealthy but totally-worth-it pastries and desserts.

Places you’ve discovered thanks to Midtown Lunch: Had been to Son of a Gun before, but heard about them opening for lunch on your blog. Hello, chicken sandwich!

The farthest place you’ll drive for lunch on a normal day? Langers Deli in MacArthur Park for a #19 sandwich. If I jam it on the 10 (with no traffic), it’s actually totally doable!

Dream job location (anywhere in the world), purely for lunch purposes, and why? Hong Kong. It really is a foodie haven with high and low end options to satisfy every craving.

Anything you’d like to ask the Midtown Lunch readers? Slapped with jury duty downtown — what are my best lunch options? (besides Langers!)

I feel like this is the only city I’ve ever lived in where I wanted to get jury duty!  A few blocks away from Starry Kitchen and Mendocino Farms, and a ten minute walk from Little Tokyo?  And of course the Grand Central Market (although it would be way better if Chimu was still open.)  Such a great area for lunching. Got your own recommendation for Michelle? 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.