Midtown Lunch

Mac & Cheese from Bay Cities. Photo courtesy of Emma Courtland/Squid Ink

• SAMO Bay Cities makes the best mac and cheese in L.A. [Squid Ink]
• DTLA It doesn’t matter what you call it, Mendo Farms’ banh mi is a winner [Squid Ink]
• DTLA Sai Sai is becoming a fast casual noodle bar [Grub Street;Eater]
• DTLA Your first look at the new Mo Chica on 7th [Grub Street]
• DTLA Your first look at Umamicatessen [Eater]
• MID CITY Gish Bac‘s salsa de chorizo is great [Food GPS]
• MID CITY Five Guys Burgers & Fries is now open on Wilshire [Eater]
• SAMO Shaka Shack makes a worthwhile burger [Squid Ink]

Last year Mexicali Taco & Co. shocked the world by defeating Mariscos Jalisco in the finals of LA Taco’s Taco Madness 2011.  Ok, maybe “shock the world” is a bit of an overstatement.  But the shrimp taco dorado from the Mariscos Jalisco truck is one of the single greatest tacos I have ever eaten. And the whole thing is deep fried.  Could a simple carne asada taco (even one covered in garlic and cheese that’s been melted quesadilla style) compete with a taco that was good enough to dispatch Ricky’s Fish Tacos in the semi finals!? Sadly, Mexicali Taco wasn’t open for lunch. And tracking down their makeshift, late night, outdoor set up on 1st & Beaudry was just not realistic for those of us who do our DTLA food exploring during the day.

So when I heard that they were finally opening a brick and mortar location, and that location would have regular business hours (aka open for lunch!) I got pretty excited. In fact, for fans of lunch, yesterday’s grand opening could be the biggest of 2012.

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There is something happening on Sawtelle these days. Empty spaces are being filled, tons of coming soon signs are going up, and for the first time in awhile Little Osaka doesn’t feel like a tired, second rate alternative to the South Bay (third rate if you include Little Tokyo.)  There’s still a long way to go, but signs are pointing in the right direction. With the opening of Tusjita, West L.A. can legitimately lay claim to serving the best ramen and tsukemen in L.A., and Ramen Jinya is also on the way (presumably to capitalize on the lunchtime overflow and give people a dinner time ramen option?) Plan Check is opening Feb. 22nd. Blockheads Shavery is now open on Mississippi, for all those people looking to try the hot-right-now Taiwanese shaved snow phenomenom. And coffee snobs now have Balconi and Cafe Tomo.  Gr/eats, which closed on Monday, is supposedly going to become another tsukemen place.  And the empty space next to Tsujita is going to be a new Vietnamese cafe called Nong L.A.  Even food trucks are getting in on the action.  Signage recently went up for a brick and mortar location of the Slice Truck.  (Huzzah?)

And if you like Japanese pasta we were excited to find last week courtesy of Lunch’er Dylan that Orris, the French/Japanese restaurant owned by Chef Shiro (of Restaurant Shiro in Pasadena), has become Spaghetti House.

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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 Rob, a TV exec looking for some good ethnic food in Burbank.

Name: Rob

Age: 29

Occupation: Television Executive for Disney XD

Where in L.A. do you Work?: I work for Disney in the Burbank Center Building on Alameda

Favorite Kind of Food: Hard to pick one but love good Chinese food, Mediterranean, great sandwiches.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Hate canned tuna fish (although I like raw/seared tuna), pineapple, kiwis

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Olive & Thyme (4013 Riverside Dr) has great sandwiches and salads – I recommended the Middle East Chicken Sandwich or the chopped salad. The best sushi by far is at Yuzu on Riverside. All the fish is fresh, innovative cuisine but the asparagus and corn soup is the must get every time. My favorite cheap eat is wraps at Honeydew (171 N. Maple). Very small place but everything there is really fresh and lots of different combinations for sandwiches.

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Cachetadas from Mexicali & Co. Photo courtesy of Darin Dines.

• BEV HILLS Choppe Choppe is now open [Toddrickallen]
• DTLA Mexicali & Co opens on Weds, and here’s your first look [Darin Dines;Squid Ink]
• DTLA Looks like Blue Cow is going to be a bit too expensive for us! [UE]
• HWOOD Pailin Thai makes a great kway chap [Gastronomer]
• MID CITY New Vietnamese on Pico?  I’ll bite! [Squid Ink]
• MID CITY Walter Manske will be adding to Short Cake’s lunch menu!? [Grub Street]
• SAMO Pier Burger is good, and under $10!? [AHT]
• SILVER LAKE A new cheesesteak spot has opened on Fountain [Squid Ink]
• WEST LA Gr/eats is closing Monday [Squid Ink]
• WEST LA We told you Hurry Curry is better than Curry House! [Minty]

Over the weekend Midtown Lunch turned two years old, and I used the occasion as an excuse to enjoy a big bowl of khao soi at Spicy BBQ in Thai Town- the very first “Midtown Lunch” I had after moving here from NYC. It not only got me super excited to move here, but it made me realize how little I was going to miss about lunching in New York. Now when friends from the east coast visit, I make it my mission to make them realize it too. And for our two year anniversary I figured it was time to put together a list of my 25 favorite lunches to take people from out of town to.  (Mostly because I’m lazy, and sick of writing out this info in an email every time a friend visits L.A.)

Since Midtown Lunch doesn’t really cover San Gabriel Valley or the South Bay or the Valley, and people like to keep things close, the list mainly covers the areas between Downtown and Santa Monica.  And while most of the lunches are under $10, I did sneak a few essential splurges in there (but not too many, because I’m a cheap bastard.) Plus there are plenty of places I love to eat lunch at that didn’t make the cut, because they’re not jealousy inducing. And that’s what this list is all about…

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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 Lisa, a college administrator who used to lunch Downtown.

Name: Lisa

Age: 28

Occupation: Administration

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Riverside City College in Downtown Riverside, but I used to work at the downtown public Library. I miss that job ^_^!

Favorite Kind of Food: Sri Lankan (biased) Malay/Singaporean, Korean, Thai (used to live there) Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, really anything Asian and spicy.. I carry Sriracha in my purse that’s how bad my need to sweat is!!!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Not the biggest fan of traditional American fare… I have traveled Asia extensively and sorry but bland food just doesn’t cut it for me! And I am half Sri Lankan, I was born with a chili in my mouth! I really need spicy, flavorful food to be satiated. I also hate food that is dry, I love saucy food !!! I always ask for extra sauce on the side… I think because I grew up eating curries… hmm the only things that I will not eat are raw carrots, undercooked eggplant, durian, and raw strawberries (love the flavor but was traumatized when I bit into one when I was a child and there was a maggot inside o_O!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Happy Family in Costa Mesa, when I was a teenage vegan… j/k I was vegetarian but their AYCE yummy Chinese sooo good. Alcove in Los Feliz has yummy brunch, and great hipster gazing with their lovely scenester patio, and MASA’s mussels and deep dish pizza in echo park is always pretty good.

For lunch Downtown I dont really now the names of the places but there is a great korean (fast foodish) in the Bonaventure Food Court (404 South Figueroa Street) that I used to go to quite often. Also used to eat in Chinatown ALOT. I love the cheap Chinese lunch specials that are overly abundant there. Gosh it’s been a few years so I am not sure if the places are even the same… and U used to go to Gill’s Indian AYCE buffet (838 South Grand) and would go to the Pantry for after hours sobering session!

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