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 David, a traveling salesman who loves buffets but hates carbs? Only in L.A.!

Name: David

Age: 31

Occupation: Sales Contractor

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Travel daily anywhere in LA or Ventura County

Favorite Kind of Food: Protein

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Carbs

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: I’m a buffet man: Tequillas for Mexican in N. Hollywood (4310 W Magnolia Blvd.), Mogs Mongolian BBQ in Sherman Oaks (4454 Van Nuys Blvd), Village Tandoor Indian buffet in Northridge (18530 Devonshire St).

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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 James, a DVD peddler with a soft spot for cheap food court teriyaki!

Name: James

Age: 42

Occupation: I work for a DVD distribution company.

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Xenon Pictures, Santa Monica

Favorite Kind of Food: Al Pastor tacos with pineapple, KBBQ, Belgian fries, Saltado de Pollo, loco moco, Japanese curry, broccoli raab.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything overpriced and mediocre like stadium hot dogs and nachos, airport terminal grub, and chain restaurants that pipe in Auto-tune music!

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Our office, being a stone’s throw away from Bay Cities Italian Deli, makes it my go-to spot–Sausage and pepper hoagie Wednesdays! Baja Buds on the 3rd St. Promenade (1315 3rd Street Promenade) makes a decent $7 burrito as does Wahoo’s Fish Tacos (6258 Wilshire Blvd) on Wilshire. I’m not too impressed with the food court offerings at the new Santa Monica Place, but I’ve become a discount card-carrying Sarku Japan fan when I need an (un)healthy dose of teriyaki chicken. For the occasional splurge or client lunch, there’s always Border Grill (1445 4th Street).

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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 Juli, a consultant looking for good Century City burger.

Name: Juli

Age: 28

Occupation: Consultant

Where in L.A. do you Work?: MGM, MGM Tower, Century City

Favorite Kind of Food: It’s really hard to pick a favorite…things that pop up in my head: pho, fried chicken, burgers, carnitas, the list could really go on and on.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: It’s a stretch to find a type of food I can’t at least appreciate when prepared well, some seafoods would qualify under foods I typically avoid.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The Stand (2000 Ave Of The Stars) — the chicken club with chips ($9) is rather delicious (don’t opt to get the fries instead of chips, I made that mistake my first time there — stick with chips). Gelson’s Wolfgang Puck Express (10250 Santa Monica Blvd) — I think the pizza and salad is the best lunch deal you can get in LA ($6.49), it’s enough for 2 lunches (it’s not on the menu, just ask for the lunch special). Be prepared for a lot of food: it’s a whole pizza(!) and a generous side salad. The Thursday farmer’s market provides a lot of great food as well, I stick with the $9 combo from the Greek place: a chicken kebab over Greek salad.

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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 Nick, a non profit researcher who is about to give up on bacon!?

Name: Nick

Age: 24

Occupation: Researcher

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Educational nonprofit ProCon.org on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica

Favorite Kind of Food: I was exposed to mostly bland chain restaurants growing up in southern Orange County, so I appreciate anything that is cultural and made with passion. Lately it’s been Indian, vegetarian, Chinese, and Japanese.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Pork. While I do enjoy pork when it’s used to flavor a dish, I had a realization this past weekend at Artisanal LA while I was munching on bacon trail mix and standing next to the Lardon truck that I am just tired of the bacon fetishism. I am going to try to avoid ordering slabs of pork belly in 2011.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The third street promenade offers a lot of options in walking distance, but not necessarily the type you’d regularly want for lunch. Most tend to either be expensive fine dining options or tourist traps. I’m never disappointed with the taco plates at Border Grill (1445 4th St). A pair of chicken panuchos, potato tacos, lamb tacos, and avocado tacos all come under $10 and include delicious black beans. They also have a filling $10 quick lunch where you get a green corn tamale, an iced tea or soda, and the entrée of the day. La Cachette Bistro (1733 Ocean Avenue) does an excellent three-course lunch special that used to be $15 but I think its $18 now. The virtues of Bay Cities (1517 Lincoln Boulevard) has already been well documented here and Umami Burger (500 Broadway) is an obvious but good lunch option. My favorite lunch in walking distance is going to the Wednesday Farmers Market (Arizona & 2nd), grabbing an oyster or two from Carlsbad Aquafarms, buying a variety of fresh produce, and making myself a huge delicious salad when I get back to the office.

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Christmas has come early for westside ice cream lovers now that a second location of the ultra popular Scoops is open in the Palms area. It’s called Scoops Westside (natch), and in addition to serving 7 flavors of ice cream delivered directly from the original location on Heliotrope (brown brown bread FTW!), they also have Intelligentsia coffee, and you can follow them on Twitter. For this weeks Tuesday Profile we asked owner Matt Kang to give us his recommendations for lunch around his brand new baby (on Overland just south of the 10.)

Name: Matthew

Age: 26

Occupation: Ice cream shop proprietor

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Scoops Westside, Palms

Favorite Kind of Food: Kimchi fried rice, Korean BBQ, durian, tacos al pastor, steak florentine, roast chicken, hakata style ramen, pastrami sandwich, ice cream (naturally), pappardelle bolognese, saffron risotto, Thai boat noodles, banh mi, pozole, goat birria tacos, margherita pizza, burgers

Least Favorite Kind of Food: bread and butter pickles

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Simpang Asia (10433 National Boulevard, Palms). The nasi bunkus is great. I honestly want to try everything on the menu because I love Indonesian food. The beef brisket sandwich at Western Smoke House (10640 Woodbine St) is terrific and it’s super convenient because it’s just one door down from my shop. I’ve also had fairly decent pizza at Kristina’s Italian Kitchen across the street but it’s nowhere near a great pizza. Victor’s Deli (10002 National Blvd) has good BBQ beef and BBQ chicken sandwiches at a good price.

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As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Kara, a carb fiend who is looking for a spicy lunch in Hollywood…

Name: Kara

Age: 30

Occupation: Assignment Desk

Where in L.A. do you Work?: KTLA, Hollywood, CA

Favorite Kind of Food: I love anything with carbs, spicy food, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Peruvian, Thai, El Salvadorean, Vegan & Vegetarian, German, Greek, Cuban & Moroccan food!

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Tasteless food, Chipotle & In-and-Out

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Tender Greens (6290 Sunset Blvd) – Seared Ahi tuna dinner plate-They also have amazing mashed potatoes, desserts & fresh drinks. Oaks Gourmet (1915 North Bronson Avenue) – Grilled Cheese Night is to die for here, plus they sell s’muffins! Palms Thai (5900 Hollywood Blvd.) – Pad See Yew & Raw blue crab is incredibly fresh! California Vegan (7300 W.Sunset Blvd. #A) Crispy Chicken dinner has a great chicken-like texture.

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As is customary on Midtown Lunch, every Tuesday we’ll profile a random reader to get their recommendations for the best spots to lunch near their work. This week it’s Melissa, a journalist who is probably eating lunch at the LAX food truck lot as you’re reading this…

Name: Melissa

Age: 27

Occupation: Music and film journalist/editor of political and advice columns, and comic strips

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Creators Syndicate, LAX area/Winchester

Favorite Kind of Food: Thai, anything with basil or cilantro, copious amounts of cheese, Greek

Least Favorite Kind of Food: “fishy” fish, baby corn

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Ayara Thai (6245 West 87th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90045-3901) – The lunch specials are killer! I usually get the pad thai $8 lunch special, which also comes with chicken sate and veggie rolls; The Counter (700 A Allied Way, El Segundo, CA 90245-5504) – BOMB build-’em burgers. I’m partial to a bleu cheese one with the garlic fries; Veggie Grill (720 South Allied Way, El Segundo, CA 90245) – A vegan reprieve from the aforementioned meals, but just as good! The All Hail Kale salad is delish, as are the sweet potato fries!

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