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 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!

Read more »

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 we’re happy to welcome art curator Gil, the friend who introduced me to La Cienega Kebab House and took down that massive falafel in laffa at Ta-eem. Now it appears as if he’s become obsessed with Ink.Sack.

Name: Gil

Age: 30

Occupation: Writer/Curator

Where in L.A. do you Work?: SEGALprojects (art gallery), Currently in West Hollywood

Favorite Kind of Food: Cheese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Salad

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Soda Pops (349 North La Cienega Boulevard) – Veggie Reuben is ridiculously good. Ink Sack (8360 Melrose Ave) – I’m pretty sure the sandwiches contain meth, as there is no time in the day that I am not craving one. I am mad that they stopped making the “Nu-tella” sandwich. Apparently, I was the only person who ordered it.

Read more »

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!

Read more »

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 Adam, a TV writer who shares office space with me (at Scoops Westside.)

Name: Adam

Age: 29

Occupation: TV Writer / All-Too-Often TV Writer’s Assistant

Where in L.A. do you Work?: My couch in Marina Del Rey. Or Olympic & Bundy for my assistant gig at Parenthood (tune in Tuesdays at 10pm on NBC!)

Favorite Kind of Food: Offal. Or sushi. Or offal sushi.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Coconut… Which is strange given that I’d say the Coconut Bavarois at Red Medicine is my favorite dessert in town.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Near Olympic & Bundy… It’s hard not to love the Nook Burger @ Nook (11628 Santa Monica Blvd).  Tsukemen @ Tsujita (2057 Sawtelle Blvd). Or if the food truck line-up lottery right outside is feeling generous… the truffle popcorn from the Vizzi Truck. Near the Marina… Poke Poke on the Venice boardwalk has amazing Hawaiian raw tuna. I probably eat there three times a week. Get the Aloha style, add siracha, kale, avocado, seaweed and masago, then sit on the sand and resist the urge to Instagram the whole experience. If you need a pick-me up, the blue bottle coffee from Schultzie’s right next door is great. Poke Poke… best lunch in Venice.

Read more »

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 Garrett, a freelance writer who pities the fool that doesn’t like Vietnamese food.

Name: Garrett

Age: 23

Occupation: Freelance Writer, Server

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Culver City / Miracle Mile

Favorite Kind of Food: Vietnamese

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Russian

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Probably Pioneer Fried Chicken (5970 W Olympic Blvd): home to both fried pickles, fried okra and fried mushrooms. Cemita Poblanas Truck on Pico and Fairfax: beef milanesa cemita, extra chipotle. Escuela Tacqueria (308 N Stanley Ave): pork belly taco and homemade agua frescas. Slow Fish (5406 Wilshire Blvd): Decent sushi, which can be made with black rice, as well as cheap lunch bowls. +1 for the Curry Udon. Hollywood Pies (333 S Boylston St): Excellent Chicago deep-dish pie (for LA at least), but they only do to-go or delivery after 4 p.m.

Read more »

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 Farley, a taco lover who’s looking for pupusas in West Hollywood.

Name: Farley

Age: 27

Occupation: Freelance Writer

Where in L.A. do you Work?: I write taco reviews for Serious Eats and do all sorts of things for LAist. More specifically, I work from an iMac in West Hollywood.

Favorite Kind of Food: I love anything cooked simply where the star of the show is meat. Tacos, burgers, gyros, fried chicken sandwiches. GET IN MY MOUTH.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything fussy, really. If it’s too gelatinous or chewy, I’m out.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: I’m not afraid to take a lunchtime drive, which really opens up the possibilities. I’ll always love the gryos at Papa Cristo’s on Pico Blvd. or the simple deli sandwiches from Mike’s Deli on Slauson. I can count on Capitol Burger on Pico to deliver a great So Cal-style double cheeseburger and a mound of greasy, delicious fries; served out of a cut up beer box, of course.

Read more »

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. I don’t get up to the Valley too often, so today we’re turning to David for some good recs north of the typical Midtown Lunch’ing area. Plus he loves turkey burgers, which makes him the perfect Thanksgiving week profile…

Name: David

Age: 30

Occupation: Marketing and Promotions for motion pictures and I run a little cupcake blog for kicks.

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Universal Pictures in Universal City , CA

Favorite Kind of Food: Burgers….but oddly, I don’t eat red meat. But I love a great turkey burger or veggie burger. Oh, and I love fries. Oh, and I love cupcakes. Yeah…I love those things, but not in that order.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Seafood. I’m deathly allergic.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The Counter ( 12117 Ventura Blvd. ), Pitfire Pizza ( 5211 Lankershim Blvd. ) The Griddle (7916 Sunset Blvd.) The Artisan Cheese Gallery ( 12023 Ventura Blvd. ) and Mr. Cecil’s Rib ( 13625 Ventura Blvd. )

Read more »