Midtown Lunch

Today from Noon to 1pm Food is the New Rock will be at Amoeba w/ the L.A. Street Food Fest and the Ben & Jerry’s Truck giving out free froyo and tickets to the L.A. Street Food Fest.  For a lot of people in L.A. we know that free Ben & Jerry’s would constitute lunch, but not for us. Normally lunch would be in Thai Town when we’re in this area, but if you only have an hour you’ll need to stay pretty close.  So here are my 5 favorite lunches to grab near Amoeba for when you’re done scoring your freebie…

Murakami

This might be the most underrated sushi place in all of L.A.  It’s always tough to find that cheap sushi sweet spot between price and quality but these guys nail it. You’re not going to find the quality or variety of a place like Sushi Gen, but for $11 you’re not going to do better than this. 1714 N Wilcox Ave. 323-467-8181

Not in the mood for sushi?  Four other options are after the jump…

Umami Burger

We thought there was a possibility that the crazy egg topped burgers at Fuku Burger would be our new go to burger place in the area when they first opened a few years ago… but now they’re only open on the weekends and the place is probably not long for this world. Thankfully there’s an Umami hiding in the courtyard of Space 1520 on Cahunega. If you’re in the mood for a burger, this is probably the move. 1520 North Cahuenga Boulevard. 323-469-3100

 Joe’s Pizza

Is it as good as the original on Bleecker and 6th Ave?  Who cares.  It’s as good as you’re going to get in Hollywood.  So shut your mouth, and order a couple of slices. 6504 Hollywood Blvd. 

Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles

Don’t listen to what anybody says about the original location on Pico… this is the best Roscoe’s in L.A., provided you follow our manifesto on how to order at Roscoe’s.  1514 North Gower Street, Hollywood. 323-466-7453

Balcones del Peru

There’s a part of me that thinks if you’re in the mood for Peruvian food it’s worth it to just drive the extra mile down Vine to Mario’s Peruvian for the best saltado in all of Los Angeles.  But if you’re in a real hurry, there’s no arguing with the convenience of Los Balcones… provided you don’t mind a little bit of a splurge. 1360 Vine St. 323-871-9600