Midtown Lunch

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“If Shake Shack doesn’t announce this year that they’re opening in California, that is a huge slap in the face to Los Angeles.”

– My friend Garrett, 2 weeks ago

Well, crisis averted.  My friend can put away his satisfaction demanding white handkerchief, because this morning New York burger chain Shake Shack announced that it will be opening its first Southern California location in West Hollywood at some point in 2016.  Having lived in L.A. and New York for a practically equal amount of time I have much love for both In N Out Burger and Shake Shack.  I’ve even argued that comparing the two is a silly exercise.  In N Out Burger is half the price and a west coast staple whose awesomeness will never be diminished. But Shake Shack is objectively better. It’s also twice as expensive. You don’t have to like it more than In N Out (there’s no arguing with personal taste), but take the price and nostalgia out of it and Shake Shack is kind of better.

Don’t believe me?  Here are 5 reasons even the most hard core In N Out fan should be excited for Shake Shack…

Read more »

This pizza cost $5.36

I’m going to make this super short and sweet because what I’m about to tell you is pretty easy to understand.  IF YOU’RE NOT FOLLOWING 800 DEGREES ON INSTAGRAM YOU’RE MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE.  Every single morning they post a photo of their “Pizza of the Day” which, if you choose to order it on said day, will be given to you at 50% off.  11am until closing.  Any and all locations.  Half off.  The pizza of the day.  If you keep the toppings to a minimum, 800 Degrees is already a great deal.  Half off 800 Degrees is a stupid good deal. The day I went it was a margherita w/ caramelized onions, bacon and pine nuts. Today it’s salami and broccolini.  Of course it helps if you’re willing to eat anything and everything. To order just let the pizza maker know you want the “pizza of the day” and they take care of the rest.  You pay somewhere around $5, the end.

800 Degrees, multiple locations

This morning I’m making the annual trek out to Indio for the craziness that is Coachella. Not for the music, the fashion, or the pool parties (lord knows I’m too fat and uncool for all of that) but for the eats.  The festival has really outdone itself food wise this year, supplementing the corn dogs, crab fries and spicy pie with restaurant pop ups from famous L.A. chefs, fancy Outstanding in the Field dinners, and more casual stands from some of the best restaurants in L.A. (think: Eggslut, Kazunori, & Beer Belly).

As part of Tumblr’s Creatrs project, you can follow my Coachella food diary all weekend long over on Food is the New Rock while listening to our recent episodes of the podcast with Jonathan Gold, David Chang, and Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio.