Archive for 'PROFILED L.A. Lunch’ers'

Every Tuesday we'll profile a L.A. Lunch'er and get his or her recommendations for the best lunches Los Angeles has to offer. Want to be profiled and give your recs? Just email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Kelley”

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 Kelley, a Downtown based insurance underwriter who loves to chase food trucks during her lunch hour.

Name: Kelley

Age: 30

Occupation: Insurance Underwriter (and semi-professional food truck chaser)

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Insurance company on 8th & Figueroa in Downtown LA

Favorite Kind of Food: That is such a difficult question to answer. I hate to be cliche but I really love all food. I especially like traditional food with a creative twist.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Shellfish…but just because I’m allergic to it.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Its no secret that my favorite place to eat is the corner of 9th & Hope, where most food trucks stop. My favorite truck picks are: Chinese BBQ Pork tacos (Don Chow Tacos), Asian Marinated Chicken tacos (Komodo), Lomo Saltado (Lomo Arigato), Honey Feta Fries (Louks), and The Original Manila Dip (Manila Machine). As for a non- food truck lunch, I can be found at the Farmer’s Market at 7th +Fig shopping center on Thursdays ordering a lamb crepe w/ avocado.

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Meg”

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 Meg, a Century City marketing person who spends a lot of time in the Century City Mall- but wishes she worked in Mexico City.

Name: Meg

Age: 30

Occupation: Marketing

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

Favorite Kind of Food: French brasserie (moules frites, steak frites, cassoulet, roast chicken, frisee aux lardons, etc.)

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Deviled eggs and anything with plantains

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Spicy pork ramen from Ajisen Ramen in the Century City Mall Food Court (10250 Santa Monica Blvd). It’s no Daikokuya (Downtown), but as far as fast food ramen goes, it totally holds its own.

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Patricia”

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 Patricia, an inventory manager (and Co-Founder of Boobs4Food), with her lunch recommendations for those of you who work in the no man’s land between WeHo and Beverly Hills.

Name: Patricia

Age: 27

Occupation: Operations and inventory manager by day, amateur baker at every other hour, co-founder of Boobs4Food

Where in L.A. do you Work?: A retail clothing boutique chain at Third & Robertson, the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood no man’s land

Favorite Kind of Food: I’m going to cheat and keep it broad — “comfort” food. Not specifically American comfort food, but those of most other cultures. Braised meats, curries over rice, slow-cooked sauces over pasta, soup noodles, stews — things that you would find your [ethnicity inserted here] best friend’s grandmother’s cooking. And good, salted butter or triple-creme cheese smeared on a fresh baguette.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Overdressed salads. I may be in the minority because with in-season produce and a slightly salty element like olives, cured meat, or cheese, I rarely think a salad needs dressing at all, but all too often, a perfectly good salad is ruined by dressing poured with a heavy hand. What before was a mix of fresh and clean tasting ingredients, becomes a wet rag.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: I usually eat pretty simply at lunch to sustain indulgent dinners out. When I feel the hankering for cheese and bread, I’ll go to Joan’s on Third (8350 W. 3rd St.) and consult the always helpful cheesemonger, throw in some speck, and a baguette from Breadbar (8718 W. 3rd St.). (I keep Echire butter in the work fridge.) The Joan’s short rib grilled cheese (aka Bon Appetit cover girl) is quite a tasty bread/meat/cheese combination, but reserved for special occasions like mild depression. A slice of the white pie at Vito’s (846 N. La Cienega) is also a favorite, and if I’m feeling like protein, I’ll pick up the koobideh or beef kabob at La Cienega Kabob House (444 N. La Cienega). Since the inception of Cart for A Cause, I’ve been known to hightail it to the Pacific Design Center or 5900 Wilshire for the chef of the day’s creation. Reliably delicious, substantial, and feeds myself as well as a senior — without a doubt, the best Tuesday option.

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Arianna”

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 Arianna, a freelance copywriter who doubles as a food truck blogger on the site Foodtrucktimes.com.

Name: Arianna

Age: (gasp!) 35 (grumble)

Occupation: Freelance copywriter

Where in L.A. do you Work?: From my home in Mid-Wilshire

Favorite Kind of Food: Almost anything Asian. I’m a sucker for sushi, in particular.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Ethiopian

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Since I write a blog about the LA food trucks (www.foodtrucktimes.com), I’m frequently up on Wilshire, trying new ones. So far, my favorites are Flying Pig (the duck tacos kill me – in a good way), Komodo truck (chicken burrito) and Kassava truck (jerk chicken). Like everyone else on earth, I also love the Kogi truck (currently really into their tofu tacos, but it’s all delicious). There is also an Armenian brick-and-mortar chicken place nearby, called – of all things – City’s Best Chicken (5303 W Pico Blvd). I get their chicken kebab plate; their hummus and babaganoush make me cry (again, in a good way).

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Esther” (aka e*starLA)

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 Esther, a financial advisor by day- food blogger by night- who really wants to like Ethiopian food, but isn’t there yet.

Name: Esther

Age: 31

Occupation: Financial Advisor and Blogger at e*starLA

Where in L.A. do you Work?: M. L. Stern & Co., Beverly Hills-Los Angeles border

Favorite Kind of Food: I love a good slice of New York pizza (Folliero’s in Highland Park) but I also love a huge Oaxacan platter at Guelaguetza (3014 W. Olympic Blvd.) If I’ve just completed a full day of snowboarding in Whistler, I’ll feel like a stack of poutine with gravy and cheese curds or a rare flat iron steak…followed by an Irish Car Bomb. If I’m feeling like reconnecting with my roots – I’ll go for a Taiwanese rice pyramid with sweet chili sauce or oyster noodle soup. I can always go for some Chinese juicy pork dumplings, a bowl of pho from Pho 87 (1019 N Broadway, Chinatown) or a bowl of Shio ramen from Santouka (3760 S Centinela Ave., West L.A.) Or, if I feel like reconnecting with my other (Wisconsinite) roots, I’ll go for a thick beer-marinated brat with mustard and a cold beer. And, of course, cheese. It doesn’t need to be Hook’s 100 year – 10 gets a good amount of flavor crystals in there as it is. If I feel like being particularly challenged, I’ll go to Jitlada (5233 W. Sunset, Hollywood) for that sweat-from-the-inside feeling.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: I’m willing to try almost anything once, but what I don’t really understand is gamey or tough meat. I also have to acclimate my palate more to Ethiopian and other African foods to be able to appreciate them. I am no Eddie Lin, so I also have to ease into the organs. But my no-waste, ethnic heritage demands that I at least try.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Hokusai (8400 Wilshire Blvd.) is undergoing remodeling right now, but I get a $7 cash-only bento box with a salmon filet prepared with sea salt over rice. It has a tiny amount of sides like a few edamame, pickled yellow daikon and dallops each of seaweed salad, Japanese potato salad – but what do you expect? It’s $7. What I’ll also do is actually drive down to the lunchtime food truck depot going on in front of the Variety Building in Miracle Mile. Having a MINI makes it possible to park in that 1/2-spot behind a truck that takes up 1 1/2 metered parking spots right on Wilshire. When I start talking about extended fancier lunches, I get into Beverly, Melrose and La Brea, like BLD (7450 Beverly Blvd.) for their salads, Hatfield’s (6703 Melrose) for their lobster club sandwich, and Cube (615 North La Brea) for their handmade papardelle. Coworkers, on their birthday, get a Susina Bakery cake if I’m consulted about that.

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Lilly”

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 Lilly, a punk rock label check writer who hates white washed ethnic food but has a soft spot in her heart for El Poll Loco (as do I.)

Name: Lilly

Age: 26

Occupation: Accounts Payable

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Epitaph|Anti|Hellcat records, Silverlake

Favorite Kind of Food: Mexican

Least Favorite Kind of Food: White washed ethnic food

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: Mariela’s Tacos (2501 W Sunset Blvd, Silverlake). Their 3 taco plate includes rice and beans, $5 (cash only). I prefer carnitas, but they are known for their Asada, and their pastor and pollo are great too! India Sweets N Spices, 3126 Los Feliz Blvd in Atwater Village (not the one in Culver City). It’s all vegetarian, and the number 2 is around $7 and includes rice, 2 veggies, 1 samosa, papadam, naan, salad, and a few sauces. Enough for 2 meals, and the veggie choices change every day. Dusty’s Bistro (3200 W Sunset Blvd, Silverlake) a French Canadian place that is perfect place for business lunches. We come here for office celebrations. Their breakfast menu is served during lunch time for around $10 per item. Their Poutines (fries with gravy and cheese) are a must, and their Dustys mimosa (with strawberry juice) is delish. The croques and salads are more popular amongst my co-workers.

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PROFILE: L.A. Lunch’er “Matt”

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 Matt, an interactive producer who works on the westside, but is looking for some good shawarma downtown.

Name: Matt

Age: 34

Occupation: Interactive Producer (and blogger at Dig Lounge)

Where in L.A. do you Work?: Where Culver City and Marina Del Rey meet.

Favorite Kind of Food: Such a tough question. Classic American comfort food would fit a lot into one genre I guess. But my first real job was slinging pizzas, lasagna, manicotti, et al, at a small Italian cafe in Whittier, so I would have to say Italian too.

Least Favorite Kind of Food: Maybe African. On a Jungle Food Marathon with some other bloggers we stopped in at Nkechi African Cafe and tried some Ogbono Soup and Egusi Soup. It just didn’t agree with my palette at all.

Favorite Place(s) to Eat Lunch: The newly opened Mendocino Farms in the Marina (4724 Admiralty Way), their sandwiches are so good. Otherwise I go to Taqueria Sanchez (4525 Inglewood Blvd.) The lomo there is outstanding. When a taco joint is filled with the local hispanic residents and workers, you know you’re in the right place. It’s one of the few places you get lunch for under 5 bucks on the West Side.

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