Midtown Lunch

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 Jeff a sandwich lover who just moved offices from Venice to Downtown.

Name: Jeff

Age: 26

Occupation: Director of Fundraising for Falling Whistles

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Venice up until two weeks ago. Now Traction Ave. Downtown.

Favorite Kind of Food: Sandwiches! All kinds and I use the term loosely.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Poorly cooked / prepared cafeteria food, especially overcooked pot roast or bad chicken pot pie. Purveyors of bad chicken pot pie should be jailed

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The meat loaf sandwich at Bay Cities Deli (order meat loaf in the hot area and have them put it on bread with mashed potatoes), the Lambwich at Venice Beach Wines (529 Rose Ave), the Cheeseburger with a side of Lay’s from Hinano (15 Washington Blvd), any burger at 26 Beach (3100 Washington Blvd), a large soft pretzel and a draft Erdinger at On the Waterfront Cafe (205 Ocean Front Walk), and if I am feeling very ambitious, the fried catfish, hushpuppies and collard greens at Aunt Kizzy’s Backporch (523 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey). And I have a recommendation for your Cheap Chinese Buffet Challenge: you must try Tasty Goody on Lincoln in Venice. It is south of Rose (715 Lincoln Blvd). I have only been there twice and can’t really handle it at lunch (I use it for a dinner gut bomb.) But I would be curious to get your take on it. I won’t spoil it with anything else. I mean the name is Tasty Goody. What more do you really need to know?

Read more »

I remember my very first experience with Lemonade… not the drink, obviously, but the popular picnic themed (?) lunch spot with four locations around Los Angeles (Venice, WeHo, & 2 locations Downtown). I was walking on Abbott Kinney with a buddy, who pointed out their Venice location to me and suggested we poke our heads in. At least I thought he was a buddy. What’s with the salads, friend-o? You know I’m not into the whole “I live in L.A. and love to eat quinoa” bullsh- wait a second. What’s that to the left of the salads? Are those dutch ovens? Filled with various meats that have been tendered up slowly so that the fat actually remains in the dish? And not just one, but 6 different stews?! Alright trendy salad and lemonade place. You have got my attention.

Read more »

The cacharro from Ta Bom, a new Brazilian truck. Photo by Mattatouille

• MOBILE Check out the potato stick topped burger and dog from Ta Bom [Mattatouille]
• MOBILE More on Manila Machine, the new Filipino food truck [LAist]
• BEVERLY Nancy Silverton’s “Short Order” coming to the Farmer’s Mkt… [Grub Street]
• BEVERLY …and here is your first look at the burger [LAist]
• NORTH H’WOOD The freshly fried falafel at Top Falafel is great [Eater]
• WEHO Phociti is opening their fourth location in a few weeks [Grub Street]
• WEST LA Japanese fried chicken wings FTW! [Savory Hunter]
• DOWNTOWN We’re not the only ones who love Ludo’s Parisian [NomsNotBombs]
• ECHO PARK “The Guru” calls Xoia good for the hood… [Squid Ink]
• HOLLYWOOD … and calls Siam Sunset the Thaiest Thai food in Thaitown [LAW]

I know I spend a lot of time railing against chicken (comma Los Angeles’ love of) here on Midtown Lunch… but I can’t help it.  Choosing white meat chicken breast over pork, lamb, goat, and even dark meat chicken is a crime against all that is holy and good about eating.  It’s a cop out.  That being said, not all chicken is bad.  For example, rotisserie chicken = good chicken.  White or dark meat… if you allow the liquid fat from other chickens to drop onto your chicken while you cook it, getting the skin all crispy and greasy, that makes an acceptable chicken.  And lucky for me, there is no shortage of rotisserie chicken in Los Angeles.

Family issues aside, Zankou is the undisputed king of chicken (if not in taste, certainly in popularity) but if you work near Hollywood and Vine, there are a few other worthwhile (and more importantly, cheaper) options.  Certainly you could drive East to Zankou (there’s one on Sunset and Normandie), but Al Wazir and Ro Ro are close as well.  Can you tell the difference between the three?  Let’s find out…

Read more »