Midtown Lunch

As you may or may not know I am a big fan of putting fries on gyros, on falafel sandwiches, or in burritos.  So it’s not to hard to imagine that I would also like a sandwich with… say… onion rings on top.  Makes sense, right?  And if I liked french fries and onion rings on a sandwich, it would also stand to reason that chicken fingers or mozzarella sticks would also be a welcome addition.  I didn’t lose you did I?  Because that’s precisely what you get at the grease trucks, a Rutgers institution that has been serving up over the top, appetizer-samplers-as-a-gigantic-sandwich for almost 15 years.  It doesn’t take much of an imagination to know why a chicken finger + mozzarella stick + french fries + marinara sandwich would appeal to a college student at 2 in the morning, but I don’t see why this can’t be enjoyed during daylight hours!

So when I heard that Fat Sal’s in Westwood was serving up their version of the sandwiches you get at the famous Rutgers grease trucks, I was pretty freakin’ excited.

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You don’t need us to tell you about In N Out Burger, but this post on A Hamburger Today is possibly one of the greatest blog posts ever assembled. And if you haven’t looked at it yet, you really should.  One recent afternoon in San Francisco, Serious Eats Managing Editor J. Kenji Lopez Alt (aided by a super helpful In N Out cashier) ordered and photographed every single possible order permutation at In N Out Burger.  And not just the secret items that everybody knows about (we’re looking at you “animal style”) but also the super-secret menu stuff that you may not have heard about it. My next order at In N Out Burger will be a double double with mustard grilled patties, a whole onion, chopped chilies and fries well done.  If you haven’t looked at it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out>>>

The New York City me would punch the Los Angeles me in the face for saying this, but damn it has been cold lately, right?  It almost makes me want to stop wearing short sleeve t-shirts and flip flops.  Almost.  Yesterday morning seemed particularly chilly, although I don’t have any empirical evidence of this since I don’t really check the weather report that much (in contrast to when I lived in NYC, where checking the weather is a required morning ritual in the wintertime.) I also felt a bit of a sore throat coming on, so that could only mean one thing… soup day!

The last time I was sick, Ramenya proved to be an inspired choice. Pa Ord is where you want to go if you have a stuffy nose that needs clearing up. And I’ve always thought kal gook soo from Myung Dong Kyoja would be the perfect replacement for penicillin.  But now that I’ve been to Mountain Cafe (or San as it’s called in Korean) I think I have found a replacement for my Grandma’s matzoh ball soup.  (Sorry grandma!)

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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 Chas, a burger blogger who loves… well… burgers obviously, but also Cajun food.

Name: Chas

Age: 32

Occupation: Television Editor and Burger Blogger

Where in L.A. do you Work?: I work freelance all over town, but I am mostly in the Santa Monica.

Favorite Kind of Food: Cheeseburger

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Anything vegetarian

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Father’s Office (3229 Helms Avenue): Burger, sweet potato fries and a nice craft beer. Umami Burger (Multiple Locations): The Umami Burger, cheesy tater tots and a Deadlift IPA. Bay Cities Italian Deli (1517 Lincoln Blvd.)– The spicy godmother. Wockano (1413 5th Street): The Maguro sushi lunch special, which is 5 pieces of tuna sushi, tuna roll and a salad. Sometimes they will give you miso soup as well.

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