I have bought them at Whole Foods and Bristol Farms in the past.

Yeah, they've had It's-Its at Ralphs for more than a year now...

I recommend you attack one section of this map I made. It is almost entirely cheap eats-type places where you don't need to sit down and where pretty much everything is around $5 to $10.
http://goo.gl/maps/wP4d

And here are the results of going to these places:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063

My house...

;-)

Le Dijonaise in Culver City is very reasonable French and they have most of the classics...

Brian's Shaved Ice on Sawtelle

So, thank you to everybody that gave suggestions for the OC Cheap Eats Food Tour. We just completed it yesterday.

Unlike the LA Food Tour, which was 3 days (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063), we only had 1 day for this one. From 10:30am until about 6pm, we had 4 people, and then 2 people had to leave, so my brother and I finished the rest of the tour of on our own (going to about midnight). Overall, we hit 24 different places!!

The favorites were definitely the Banh Mi at Banh Mi Cho Chu and the chocolate cake shake at Portillos. Without a doubt, a lot of the unique Vietnamese dishes were a lot of fun to try but were just missing something to make them really great (and, FYI, 2 of the people on the food tour were Asian-American and everyone, including them, was in basic agreement on most of the scores).

The dessert drink at Thach Che Hien Khanh was definitely fun and unique with its combo of coconut milk and all sorts of weird, funky textures and beans and stuff. I didn't really get the Marble Taro bread at 85C (it was just too floury and bland and starchy) while some of the other breads there, which had more butter and eggs in 'em, were pretty good.

And, yes, I am embarrassed to say that my family does like crappy fast food too so we checked out the Doritos Locos taco (which none of us had tried before) and also made a stop at Sonic for shakes (kind of a tradition we have on food tours).

There were also places we would have tried but they were closed on Sunday or they were just too far out of the way to make it worth going to with our limited time.

Also, a big shout out to Sanjeev Gupta, the owner of Traditions, the Indian restaurant in Tustin. He was a super nice dude and their flatbread that we tried was really unique and tasty.

At the end of the night, someone told us about M&M donuts in Anaheim, which we had not heard of. So, we went to check out their famous warm blueberry donuts (and the place is only open from 11pm until about noon--yes, that's right). The place is insane. We stood in line for 25 minutes and it literally did not move. Literally no one got served. And then it started to move slowly. After another 15 minutes or so, we got our blueberry donuts. While similar to Krispy Kreme in that they were glazed and warm, these were cake donuts rather than yeast-raised donuts and had a really crispy, crusty exterior which were good. The donuts were good, but the place is insane in that they can't increase the capacity (there are only 2 people in the shop and they are this busy every night, which would probably lead a normal business person to add another worker or something). So, can I advocate you go? No. But the donuts were good.

With regards to the scores, they are just based on taste and how much the dish was enjoyed and whether you'd wanna eat it again. Atmosphere, authenticity, presentation and things like that were not taken into account.

ORANGE COUNTY FOOD TOUR (in the order in which we tried them)-
July 1, 2012
Map: http://goo.gl/maps/kREl

Moscow Deli (Odessa Sandwich)-

Ngu Binh Restaurant (banh it kep banh ram [deep fried savory mochi ball]

Brodard (Nem Nuong Cuon [pork spring roll])

Thach Che Hien Khanh (che bam au [Vietnamese dessert drink])

Banh Mi Cho Chu (BBQ combination banh mi [Vietnamese sandwich])

New Duc Huong (Nuco Mia [kumquat sugarcane drink)

Quan Hy (bahn beo [steamed rice cake topped with shrimp and caramelized shallots])

Banh Mi So 1 (Banh Tieu [fried crusty sesame bread])

Huong Giang (spicy “pork hash” wrapped in banana leaf—50 cents)

Los Chilangos (barbacao [goat] taco & pambazo [chile-soaked sandwich])

Portillo’s (chocolate cake shake; Italian beef with hot and sweet peppers & extra jus on the side)

Natural (corn cup [w/mayonnaise, butter, sour cream, mozzarella, parmesan]; chamoyada [mango shake w/salty, sour, chile syrup & chile tamarind straw])

Joe’s Italian Ice [“bada bing cherry” Italian ice w/ fresh cherry pieces]

Alebrije’s Grill [bright pink food truck] (acorazado “battleship” taco [comes w/fresh tortilla, milanesa beef, rice, cactus, avocado, tomato, and cotija cheese]; Mexican coke)

El Borrego Sagrado (Tlacoyo [huarache stuffed with chickpeas])

^Sonic (Batter Blaster Shake with brownie chunks, cookie dough chunks, and chocolate; Tater Tots)

*85ºC Bakery Café (marble taro bread, taro bun, chocolate chip bread)

*A&J Restaurant (spicy wontons)

*101 Noodle Express (beef roll)

*Traditions (Gobi Paratha [flatbread stuffed with masala-spiced cauliflower])

^*Bruxie (Chicken and Waffle Sandwich with Chili Honey, Cider Slaw and real Maple Syrup; custard sample)

^*Taco Bell (supreme Doritos Locos Taco)

^*Flurries (halo-halo "snow ice")

^*M&M Donuts (warm glazed blueberry donut)

- - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - -

AVERAGE SCORES (for Taste)

94.1 Portillo’s (chocolate cake shake; Italian beef with hot & sweet peppers)
94.0 Banh Mi Cho Chu (BBQ combination banh mi [Vietnamese sandwich])
92.5 ^*M&M Donuts (warm glazed blueberry donut)
91.3 ^*Taco Bell (supreme Doritos Locos Taco)
87.6 *Traditions (Gobi Paratha [flatbread stuffed with masala-spiced cauliflower])
87.4 ^Sonic (Batter Blaster Shake with Chocolate, Tater Tots)
86.7 Alebrije’s Grill [bright pink food truck] (acorazado “battleship” taco; Mexican coke)
85.3 Brodard (Nem Nuong Cuon [pork spring roll])
85.2 Thach Che Hien Khanh (che bam au [Vietnamese dessert drink])
84.9 *85ºC Bakery Café (marble taro bread, taro bun, chocolate chip bread)
84.6 Natural (corn cup; chamoyada [mango shake w/salty, sour chile syrup])
84.0 *101 Noodle Express (beef roll)
80.9 Los Chilangos (Barbacao [goat] & pambazo [chile-soaked sandwich])
80.7 Banh Mi So 1 (Banh Tieu [fried crusty sesame bread])
80.6 Joe’s Italian Ice [bada bing cherry Italian ice]
80.5 Ngu Binh Restaurant (banh it kep banh ram [deep fried savory mochi ball])
78.3 *A&J Restaurant (spicy wontons)
76.3 El Borrego Sagrado (Tlacoyo [huarache stuffed with chickpeas])
76.0 Moscow Deli (Odessa Sandwich)
75.9 Quan Hy (bahn beo [steamed rice cake with shrimp & caramelized shallots])
70.6 New Duc Huong (Nuco Mia [kumquat sugarcane drink)
70.0 ^*Bruxie (Chicken & Waffle Sandwich)
69.6 Huong Giang (“pork hash”—50 cents)
58.0 ^*Flurries (halo-halo "snow ice")

^ indicates this location was not a scheduled stop on the OC FOOD TOUR
* indicates there were only 2 judges rather than 4

So, my brothers and I love going on food tours, where we literally hit 20-25 places a day, just sampling the best item at an individual place. Generally, these places are not sit-down type places (although they can be). And most of the stuff is relatively cheap. What we are not really looking for is expensive dishes at fancy places.

Here is a link to the one we did in Los Angeles County so you can see we're not joking around!!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063

One of my brothers is gonna be staying in Orange County for work so we are going to do an Orange County Cheap Eats Food Tour. I've already done a great deal of research (largely from looking at OC Weekly's 100 best dishes for the past few years as well as looking at other Chowhound posts).

Please tell me if you have any more suggestions for other places in Orange County. And, also, it really helps if you have a specific item to get at a given place. Please feel free to give opinions on the list I have already created (e.g., if there is a place on there that we don't need to stop at).

Thanks in advance!

- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -

ORANGE COUNTY FOOD TOUR

here's a Google map of all the places below: http://goo.gl/maps/kREl

Portillo’s (chocolate cake shake; Italian beef with hot and sweet peppers & extra jus on the side)
8390 La Palma Ave, Buena Park; M-Th, Su 10:30am-11pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm; (714) 220-6400

Los Chilangos (Barbacao de borrego [lamb or goat] & pambazo [chile-soaked sandwich]
)1830 W Lincoln Blvd, Anaheim; M-F 9am-9pm, Sa-Su 8am-9pm; (714) 999-5515

Kareem's Restaurant (falafel)
208 S. Brookhurst St, Anaheim, Su-M 11am-5pm, Tu-Sa 11am-9pm; (714) 778-6829

Natural (corn cup; chamoyada [mango shake with salty, sour apricot syrup, chile powder])
1177 S. State College Blvd, Anaheim; (714) 563-1343

Myung In (Wang Mandoo {Korean meat-filled buns])
8911 Magnolia Blvd. #3 [inside H-Mart grocery store], Garden Grove; everyday 9am-10pm; (714) 638-4099

Neveria Flor de Mexico (paletas, paleta de nuez [walnuts & almond milk])
7151 Katella Ave, Stanton; everyday 12pm-8pm; (714) 761-2813

Pee Wee’s Famous (sweet potato tater tots)
5942 Edinger St. #104, Huntington Beach; M-Sa 11am-8pm, Su 11am-5pm; (714) 846-3100

Ngu Binh Restaurant (banh it kep banh ram, #15 [deep fried savory mochi ball])
14072 Magnolia St., #107, Westminster; Tu-Su 9am-8pm; (714) 903-6000

Banh Mi Cho Chu (banh mi, lemongrass beef)
14520 Magnolia St, Ste B, Westminster; 714) 891-3718

New Duc Huong (Nuco Mia [kumquat sugarcane drink)
9081 Bolsa Ave #104, Westminster; (714) 897-8143

Pho Quang Trung (bun cha haoin [pork noodle soup in papaya sauce])
10072 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove; everyday 8am-9pm; (714) 638-2286
9211 Bolsa Ave, Ste 101-103, Westminster; everyday 8:30am-12am; (714) 891-2800

Thach Che Hien Khanh (che bam au [Vietnamese dessert drink])
9639 Bolsa Ave., Ste. A, Westminster; (714) 839-8143
9784 Westminster Ave, Garden Grove; (714) 537-5105

Banh Mi So 1 (Banh Tieu [fried crusty sesame bread])
9812 Bolsa Ave., Ste. 102, Westminster; (714) 775-8834

Huong Giang (“pork hash”—50 cents)
14564 Brookhurst St, Westminster; (714) 531-4930

Brodard (Nem Nuong Cuon [pork spring roll])
9892 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove, W-M 8am-9pm, closed Tuesday; (714) 530-1744

Dat Thanh (Nem Nuong Cuon [barbecue pork sausage spring rolls])
10032 McFadden St., Westminster; Su-M 10:30am-8pm, Tu, Th-Sa 10:30am-8:30pm; (714) 650-0910.

Xanh Bistro (Goi hoa chuoi [banana blossom salad])
16161 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley; M, W-Su 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-9:30pm; (714) 531-2030

Au Couer De Paris Bakery (pate chaud [sausage-stuffed puff pastry])
9441 Edinger Ave, Westminster, M-Sa 7am-7pm, Su 7am-6pm; (714) 775-8465

Delicias de México (paletas)
13466 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove; (714) 590-0031

Joe’s Italian Ice
12302 Harbor Blvd, Garden Grove; M-Th, Su 11am-10pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm; (714) 750-1076

Los Primos (Tortas Ahogadas [chili-dipped sandwich])
2301 W 5th St, Santa Ana, every day except Tu from 9am-5pm; (714) 488-5609

Bangkok Taste (roti [dessert-style with sweetened condensed milk])
2737 N Grand Ave, Santa Ana; M-F 11am-10pm, Sa 5pm-10pm, Su 12pm-9:30pm; (714) 532-2216

El Borrego Sagrado (Tlacoyo [huarache stuffed with chickpeas])
1307 S Main St, Santa Ana; (714) 836-7501

Kim Huong Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant (bun rieu [tomato-y Vietnamese noodle soup])
17311 McFadden Ave # B, Tustin; M-Sa 10am-6pm; (714) 838-6651

Rollie's Bakery (saltena [empanada])
14071 Newport Ave., Tustin, Tu-Sun 8am-8pm; (714) 669-8300

Cream Pan (korokke pan [potato croquette sandwich]; strawberry croissant)
602 El Camino Real, Tustin; Tu-Su 6am-4pm; (714) 665-8239

Traditions (Gobi Paratha [flatbread stuffed with masala-spiced cauliflower])
14131 Red Hill Av., Tustin; Tu-F 11am-2:30pm, Tu-Sun 5pm-10pm, Sa-Su 12pm-3pm; (714) 508-5959

Blackmarket Bakery (garlic artichoke croissant)
17941 Sky Park Cir, Irvine; Tu-Fr 8am-4pm; Sa 8am-2pm; closed Su; (949) 852-4609

Moscow Deli (Odessa Sandwich)
3015 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa; M-Th 10am-7pm, F-Sa 10am-8pm, Su 10am-4pm; (714) 546-3354

Layer Cake Bakery (almond croissant)
4250 Barranca Pkwy, Ste 1, Irvine; M-F 7am-7pm, Sa 8am-5pm, Su 8am-3pm; (949) 786-0223

J.J. Bakery (Taiwanese bakery: pork chop bun, taro toast, )
15333 Culver Dr., Irvine, everyday 8am-9pm; (949) 653-1678

A&J Restaurant (spicy wontons)
14805 Jeffrey Rd, Ste D, Irvine; M-F 11:30am-9pm, Sa-Su 10am-9pm; (949) 786-3585

101 Noodle Express (beef roll)
5408 Walnut Ave, Irvine; everyday 11am-10pm; (949) 654-8542

Strickland’s (ice cream)
4523 Campus Dr, Irvine; everyday 12pm-10pm; (949) 387-9955

A Market and Restaurant (anti-pasto sandwich [Italian sub])
3334 Pacific Coast Highway, Newport Beach; M-F 11am-10pm, Sa-Su 5pm-10pm; (949) 650-6505

Chili Chutney (mantu [Afghan ravioli)
24301 Muirlands Blvd, Ste A, Lake Forest; T-Sa 11am-9pm; Su 11am-8pm; (949) 859-1778

TK Burgers (cheeseburger)
110 Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach; M-Th 10am-8:30pm, F-Sa 10am-9pm; (714) 960-3238

Surfin Chicken (Italian-y grilled chicken)
71 Via Pico Plz, San Clemente; M-Sa 11am-9pm, closed Su; (949) 498-6603

Sophy's Thai and Cambodian (Cambodian beef jerky)
3240 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach; everyday 9am-10pm; (562) 494-1763

Well, speak of the devil.

And this one I pretty much had to do solo...

NYC Food Gluttony Tour:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/684275

So, my brothers and I love going on food tours, where we literally hit 20-25 places a day, just sampling the best item at an individual place. Generally, these places are not sit-down type places (although they can be). And most of the stuff is relatively cheap. What we are not really looking for is expensive dishes at fancy places.

Here is an example of one we did in LA so you can see we're not joking around!!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063

One of my brothers is gonna be in Detroit for a few weeks for work so some of us are going to visit him and do a Detroit Food Tour. I've already done a great deal of research (in large part, looking at other Chowhound posts).

So, please tell me if you have any more suggestions for other places. We definitely like to hit things unique to the Detroit area. And, also, it really helps if you have a specific item to get at a given place Please feel free to give opinions on the list I have already created (e.g., if there is a place on there that we don't need to stop at).

(and, yes, I have things like Sonic and Culver's on there because we really like some ice cream shakes to break things up!!).

- -

- -

DETROIT FOOD TOUR
Google Map: http://goo.gl/maps/VTpV

Lafayette Coney Island (chili dog, loose burger, and chili cheese fries
)118 West Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit; open 7:30am to 4:30am; (313) 964-8198

American Coney Island (chili dog)
114 West Lafayette Boulevard, Detroit; open 9am to 9pm; (313) 961-7758

Motz’s Burger (sliders)
7216 West Fort Street, Detroit; M-F 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-5pm, closed Sunday; (313) 843-9186

Buddy's Rendezvous Pizzeria (square pizza)
17125 Conant Street, Detroit; (313) 892-9001; M-Th 11am-10pm; F 11am-11pm; Sat 12pm-11pm; Sun 1pm-9pm; (313) 892-9001

Niki's Pizzeria (square pizza with feta)
735 Beaubien Street, Detroit; 313-961-4304;

Supino’s (thin-crust pizza)
2457 Russell St, Detroit; Tu-Th 11am-8:30pm; Fr-Sat 11am-10pm

Eastern Market (Saturday morning market)
2934 Russell St, Detroit; Tu 11am-7pm, Sa 5am-5pm; (313) 833-9300

Mike’s Famous Ham Place (ham sandwich)
3700 Michigan Ave, Detroit; M-Sat 7am-3 pm; (313) 894-6922

Golden Fleece Restaurant (gyro)
525 Monroe Street, Detroit; M-Th, Sun 11am-1am, Fr-Sat 11am-3pm??; (313) 962-7093

Good People Popcorn
633 Beaubien, Detroit; M-Th 11:30am-5:30pm, F 11:30am-7pm; (313) 963-2499

Taqueria Lupita (tacos)
3443 Bagley St, Detroit; M-Th 9am-10pm, Fr-Su 9am-11pm; (313) 843-1105

Slow’s BBQ (triple threat pork sandwich [bacon, pulled pork, and ham])
2138 Michigan Ave, Detroit; M & Sun 11am-10pm, Tu-Th 11am-11pm, F-Sat 11am-12am; (313) 962-9828

Chicken Shack (broasted chicken)
1871 Dix Hwy, Lincoln Park; Su-Th 10:30am-10:30pm, F-Sa 10:30am-11pm; (313) 383-9500
11401 Joseph Campau St, Hamtramck; Su-Th 11-10, F-Sa 11am-11pm; (313) 365-1400
14630 Mack Ave, Detroit; Su-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sa 11am-11pm; (313) 821-9200
19795 Mack Ave, Grosse Pte Woods; Su-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sa 11am-10:30pm; (313) 886-6060

Sander’s Chocolates (bumpy cake and hot fudge sundae)
Livonia Sanders Candy & Dessert Shop, 37702 Six Mil, Livonia; (734) 591-2147
12 Oaks Sanders Candy & Dessert Shop, 27678 Novi Rd., Novi; (248) 344-2987
Grosse Pointe Sanders Candy & Dessert Shop, 16837 Kercheval, Grosse Pointe; (313) 882-4966

Polish Village Café (Polish sampler, dill pickle soup)
2990 Yemans St, Hamtramck; M-W 11am-9pm; Th-Sat 11am-11pm; Su 12pm-8pm; (313) 874-5726

New Palace Bakery (raspberry paczki [Polish filled doughnut]
9833 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck; 313-875-1334

Sheeba Restaurant (Yemeni stews)
8752 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck; open everyday 7am to 11pm; (313) 874-0299

Polonia (Polish food)
2934 Yemans St, Hamtramck; M-Th 11am-8pm, Fr-Sat 11am-9pm, Sun 1pm-7pm; (313) 873-8432

Marcus Hamburgers (tube-shaped hamburger)
6349 E McNichols Rd, Hamtramck; (313) 891-6170

Al-Ameer (Middle Eastern food—stuffed lamb)
12710 W Warren Ave, Dearborn; everyday 10am-12am; (313) 582-8185

Roma Bakery (pepperoni roll; Middle-Eastern pastries)
6412 Schaefer Road, Dearborn; everyday 6am-5pm; (313) 581-5000

New Yasmeen Bakery (cheese bread + spinach pie and meat pie [Middle Eastern])
13900 W Warren Ave, Dearborn; M-Sat 5:30am-10pm, Sun 5:30am-9pm

Cedarland Restaurant (lentil soup, Middle Eastern food—big portions)
13007 West Warren Avenue, Dearborn; everyday 9am-12am; (313) 582-4849

Miller’s Bar (“ground round” burger)
23700 Michigan Ave, Dearborn; M-Sat 10am-2am; (313) 565-2577

Greene’s Hamburgers (slider)
24155 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington; 248-474-7980

Tomatoes Apizza (thin-crust pepperoni pizza)
29275 14 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; M-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 1pm-10pm; (248)-855 3555

Ritter’s Frozen Custard
31227 8 Mile Rd, Livonia; Sun-Th 11am-10pm, F-Sat 11am-11pm; (248) 476-4571

Loui's Pizza (square pizza)
23141 Dequindre Road, Hazel Park; W-Th 11am-10pm, F 11am-11pm, Sat 12pm-11pm, Sun 12pm-1pm; (248) 547-1711

Ronin (hoisin-glazed baby back ribs)
326 West 4th Street, Royal Oak; Sun-M 5pm-10pm, T-F 5pm-11pm, Sa 5pm-3am; (248) 546-0888

Zingerman’s Deli (sandwiches)
422 Detroit St, Ann Arbor; everyday 7am-10pm; (734) 663-3354

The Original Cottage Inn (pizza)
512 E. William, Ann Arbor; M-W 11am-11pm, Th-Sat 11am-12pm, Sun 12pm-10pm; (734) 663-3379

Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger (burger [long wait & “mean” service])
551 South Division Street, Ann Arbor; M-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 12pm-8pm; (734) 663-4590

PizzaPalis (Chicago-style deep dish pizza)
553 Monroe Street Detroit; (313) 961-8020
22022 Michigan Ave. Suite B, Dearborn; 313-724-7722
3171 E. Jefferson Detroit; 313-259-7272
23703 Greenfield Southfield; 248-552-7272

Union Woodshop (barbecue)
8 South Main Street, Clarkston; M-Th 4pm-10pm, F 4pm-11pm ,Sa 12pm-11pm, Su 12pm-9pm; (248) 625-5660

Culver’s (butter burger, concretes)
11001 Belleville Road, Belleville; (734) 699-6100
14800 Racho Road, Taylor; (734) 287-3147
6500 North Newburgh Road, Westland; (734) 595-1883
700 W 12 Mile Rd, Madison Heights; (248) 546-5300

Sonic (ice cream and shakes)
16270 Fort Street, Southgate
7725 North Wayne Road, Westland
305 West Eleven Mile Road, Royal Oak

Bob Jo’s Frozen Custard
4071 Fort St, Wyandotte; everyday 10:30am-11:30am; (734) 282-6818

uhhh... yeah. With all due respect, susiequeue, based on your description, it sounds like you are the one "in the wrong" to be upset about most of this stuff.

It's pretty darn standard for the server to say "these are compliments of the chef" when they bring out the amuse bouches. In fact, pretty much every time I've been served amuse bouches, that is what they say. On what basis would that be insulting?

With regards to the dessert selections, one reason you go out to upscale places is to try something different. I'm not saying whether that dish would be good, and trust me, in general I like old-fashioned desserts (e.g., a good ol' hot fudge sundae) more than esoteric restaurant desserts but the attitude with which you describe the desserts makes you seem a little... sheltered or something. If you went to Denny's and they had that, then yeah, that would be weird. But at an upscale restaurant, you can't be surprised by the fact that the pastry chef is trying something different. Once again, it might not be good, but your disgust at it seems to make you seem provincial (and, sometimes you can be surprised--I just ate at Del Posto in New York where I got a dessert with celery sorbet, figs, and goat cheese, and it actually was totally delicious!!)

I'll grant you the one about the salmon. If you asked him to describe the dish, then, yes, he should explain how it is prepared rather than actually describing the fish itself (unless it is a more unknown fish). But once again, you could just say, "no, I meant describe the dish itself, not the salmon," laugh it off, and move on, rather than feel personally slighted...

And make sure to get a chocolate cake shake!

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846313
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063

Yeah, Porto's was no fluke. Now, it should be noted, that while in the past I have had plenty of stuff at Porto's and it's always good, not everything is the best. The cookies and brownies and stuff are fine but nothing particularly great or worth getting excited over. But when you get the particular items we had (cheese roll, guava cheese strudel, and maybe the coconut strudel), they truly are done to perfection. The texture of the pastry is just perfect. And it's pretty consistent since they are just constantly making them fresh because they have so many people going through there. And then the medianoche sandwich is always tasty as well. On top of all this, everything is totally reasonably priced...

This was the Roscoe's at Pico/La Brea. Honestly, you basically are right in that the chicken is not the best fried chicken and the waffles aren't particularly good on their own. But, somehow, when you put it all together, the chicken, the waffles, the butter, and the corn-syrup-y maple syrup, there just is something good and satisfying about it. The sum really is greater than its parts...

Certainly a reasonable-seeming idea but the only problem is sometimes people have never had the item in question (like one guy had never had boba before). And, of course, it can work the other way as well (everyone but me had never had real "ramen" before besides store-bought, but they all ended up loving that). So, it is very hard to just subtract someone's score out because they didn't like it (for whatever irrational reason).

And, also, it should be noted that some things really split people. For me and another guy who really like boba, the bobas at China Express got pretty good scores (90 and 82). But two of the other guys just don't like bobas in general and as a result gave it a (55 and 60).

Similarly, with the Jack in the Box bacon shake (no longer on the menu, but I had some stored up for this occasion), another guy and I liked it and gave it 86 and 89. But then the other two guys didn't like it at all and gave it a 14 and 37.

But that's just the nature of this stuff. As a result, something with a medium score might have something really good that some people would like a lot but others wouldn't.

Also, with regards to the scoring, here's a general guide:

100-80 is very good
80-60 is good
60-40 is average/meh
40-20 is not too good
20-0 is pretty disgusting/inedible

exactly. The *** places are ones that I personally really liked (before we went on the tour). Most of them got really high scores but sometimes the other guys did like them but just didn't totally love them. And, then at some places (like Langer's and El Atacor), what we got didn't live up to what I had had in the past (just an off day or something).

Alright, I was worried the formatting wouldn't translate, but i guess it'll work.

Here are the scores. Now, for a little explanation, the scoring is just for the food. Each participant gave each stop one score (even if we had multiple items of food at one stop). Then we averaged the scores.

The score is basically for taste but it also is for things like uniqueness as well as desire to come back and have the food again. Basically, the score means how much do I really crave this food. Ambiance was not included in the score.

I wouldn't take these scores as truly definitive of anything. Sometimes one item we had at a place was really good and another item was just okay, so even though we would really recommend a particular item, the overall score for the place got a lower score because of the other item.

Similarly, some people sometimes gave a really funky score that would throw off the average of all the other scores. Like one guy (irrationally) hates any meat cooked with wine (things like beef bourguignon) so he did not like the poutine at Animal (which is topped with something similar) and gave it a 24, while the rest of us gave it a 99, 98, and 87. Now, he was being honest and the score reflected his taste. He just really didn't like it (but he was not saying it was badly prepared or anything--it just wasn't to his taste). But, as a result, the poutine got a much lower score than it "should."

Anyhoot, so take all this with a grain of salt, but here are the scores.

95.0 ***Dino’s Chicken and Burgers ($5.50 half-grilled chicken + French fry plate)
94.9 ***Porto’s (cheese roll, guava cheese strudel, coconut strudel, medianoche sandwich with pickles)
94.7 ***Ricky’s Fish Taco’s (fish and shrimp tacos + hibiscus drink)
94.2 Baklava Factory (baklava)
93.6 ***Zankou (tarna [chicken schwarma] sandwich, extra-crispy bread with extra garlic sauce and mutabbal [baba ghanoush] with extra-crispy bread)
93.6 Kogi BBQ Truck (2 Korean short rib tacos)
93.3 Auntie Em’s Kitchen (red velvet cupcake)
93.0 ***Big Mista BBQ (brisket, pulled pork, pig candy [caramelized and smoked bacon])
92.8 Mexicali Taco & Co. (vampiro taco [quesadilla-like with garlic sauce] & cachetada [tostada])
92.3 Papa Cristo’s (gyro sandwich and baklava + chocolate baklava)
91.3 Bouchon Bakery (kouign-amann [caramelized buttery pastry])
90.2 ***Father’s Office (burger)
89.8 Pazzo Gelato (hazelnut chip, salted caramel, and banana pudding raspberry gelato)
89.5 Crazy Fish (Kinta Sushi Roll)
88.8 Brian’s Shaved Ice (1/2 Passion/Orange/Guava, 1/2 Pina Colada shaved ice filled w/Macadamia Nut Ice Cream topped w/Sweetened Condensed Milk & Li Hing Mui Powder)
88.8 ***Elena’s Greek Armenian Cuisine (falafel)
88.3 The Trails (pear walnut scone, lavender vanilla shortbread cookie, apple pie)
88.3 Jack in the Box (large strawberry Oreo ice cream shake)
88.0 Bay Cities Italian Deli (Large Godmother Sandwich—1/2 mild peppers, 1/2 hot peppers)
87.8 Santouka [Mitsuwa Marketplace] (#7 Special Pork Ramen)
87.5 ^^^The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. (toasted marble bagel with cream cheese)
87.3 Churro Borough of Los Angeles (churro ice cream sandwich with vanilla custard and churro ice cream sandwich with mexican chocolate ice cream)
87.2 ***El Taurino (al pastor & carne asada tacos)
86.5 The Counter (Caramel Apple Crumble Shake)
86.0 Umami Burger (Umami Burger and Manly Burger)
85.8 Skooby’s (barbecue-spiced Fries with Red Pepper Aioli)
85.5 Jack in the Box (Large Java Cookie Shake with extra coffee syrup and extra Oreo cookies)
85.5 ***El Chato Taco Truck (2 al pastor tacos, 1 carne asada taco, and 1 chorizo taco + horchata)
85.3 Dolce Monachelli (Italian butter rum bundt cake)
85.0 In ‘N’ Out (1 cheeseburger and 1 cheeseburger with extra grilled onions)
84.8 Blockheads Shavery Co. (Strawberry Snow Cream w/Fresh Strawberries, Almond Jelly, & Sweetened Condensed Milk)
84.5 ***Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n’ Waffles (1/2 fried chicken and 2 waffles)
84.5 Pie Hole (Mexican hot chocolate pie)
83.8 Coolhaus (Molten Chocolate Cake Ice Cream Sandwich with Oatmeal Raisin Cookies)
83.8 Fatburger (1/2 pound burger and strawberry/banana Oreo shake)
83.0 Zankou (soujouk [Armenian sausage] sandwich)
82.8 Primo's Donuts (buttermilk bar, maple donut, crumb donut)
81.8 ***Cemita Truck AKA Angelica Food Truck (milanese cemita [Mexican sandwich] with papalo)
81.0 ***Sapp Coffee Shop (Thai boat noodles)
81.0 101 Coffee Shop (Waffle Brownie Sundae)
80.5 Oinkster (ube shake)
79.1 Phillipe’s (lamb or beef French dip with blue cheese, double-dipped)
78.3 Bhan Kanom Thai (taro corn fritter and grilled coconut sticky rice stuffed with banana)
77.0 Animal (Poutine with Oxtail Gravy and Cheddar)
75.5 Wurstküche (Rabbit, Veal, & Pork Sausage and Rattlesnake & Rabbit Sausage)
72.5 ^^^Farmer’s Market at the Americana (Three Berry Agua Fresca)
72.3 Spudnuts (apple fritter, maple sour cream donut)
71.8 China Express (taro boba and mango boba)
71.0 Cacao Mexicatessen (duck carnitas + horchata)
69.1 The Foundry (Grilled Cheese with Tallegio, Raisin Bread, Apricot Puree and Short Ribs)
69.0 Mikawaya (mochi ice cream)
68.1 Berlin Currywurst (paprikawurst with Jambalaya Level 2 sauce)
65.3 Huckleberry Bakery & Café (Maple Bacon Biscuit)
65.0 Street (Kaya Toast)
64.8 My Taco (barbacoa de borrego lamb tacos)
64.3 Huarache Azteca (huarache [flat, hard taco] with al pastor + pineapple agua fresca)
64.0 Diddy Reese (Espresso Chip Ice Cream Sandwich with White Chocolate Macadamia & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies)
62.5 Mitsuri Cake (red bean cake [imagawayaki]
61.3 La Estrella Tacos Truck (carnitas & cabeza taco + grapefruit drink)
59.8 Milk (nutella ice cream bar and Banana Peanut Malt [banana dulce de leche ice cream, malted milk, and roasted peanuts])
57.5 Oki’s-Dog (Oki Dog: two hot dogs on a flour tortilla, covered with chili and pastrami)
56.5 Jack in the Box (bacon shake—stored in my freezer from a few months earlier)
56.0 Bob's Coffee and Donuts (glazed donut)
55.3 ***Langer’s Deli (1/4 pound pastrami)
53.3 Flavors of Belize (chirmole soup AKA Black Soup of Death)
53.0 Cha Cha Chicken (Coconut Fried Chicken)
50.5 Frances Bakery & Coffee (souffle cheesecake)
50.3 Randy’s Donuts (buttermilk bar and jelly donut)
48.5 Hot Dog on a Stick (Hot Dog on a Stick & Mango Lemonade)
44.5 Olvera Street (champurrado—Mexican hot chocolate-type drink)
41.5 Mush Bakery (lahmajun [Armenian pizza] and za’atar flatbread)
37.4 Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars (Mango Chili and Mamey Zapote Paletas)
37.0 ^^^Beard Papa (Green Tea-Filled Cream Puff with Cookie Crust)
36.5 ***El Atacor #11 (crispy potato tacos)
35.0 Hamada-ya Bakery [Mitsuwa Marketplace] (chicken curry doughnut)

NON-SCORED FOOD STOPS
^^^Rocket Fizz (Bacon Soda & Grapefruit Soda)
Galco's Soda Pop Shop (honey cream soda)
Grand Central Market (tamarind candy)

*** indicates one of my absolute favorite places
^^^ indicates this location was not a scheduled stop on the LA FOOD TOUR

Well, the LA Cheap Eats Food Tour 2012 is complete, and it was pretty epic. The four of us hit more than 75 places(!!!) in three days and we even did sightseeing as well (walking around in Santa Monica on 3rd street and the pier, checking out the La Brea Tar Pits, going to Griffith Observatory, driving to right underneath the Hollywood sign, etc.)

The main thing that allowed us to eat at all these places was that the schedule was arranged so each place was only a few minutes drive to the next place (for the most part). Sometimes we’d get in the car and 20 seconds later we’d be at the next location. We intermixed every kind of food and interspersed savory with desserts (milkshakes are a big thing with us so you’ll definitely see a lot of those). We were also very strict about not over-ordering, and I also carried a cooler filled with ice in the back of the car to take home leftovers (otherwise, I feel bad about buying a whole plate of stuff and throwing half of it away). So, the participants knew not to overeat at any one place, even if it was good, in order to save themselves for future treats. And despite two minor instances of a participant feeling slightly not-so-great, everybody was at 100% for most of the tour (and some guys were still ready to eat more even after the whole day of eating).

We started about noon on Thursday (after everyone’s planes arrived). The other days we started around 9:30am. And pretty much every day we went until around midnight (except on Sunday because everybody left around 10am).

Of course, we didn’t stop at every possible place we wanted to because logistically it’s just not possible (like we missed a lot of Chinatown favorites because they were closed by the time we got there). But we really did hit about 85 percent of the places we wanted to go.

The hands-down favorites definitely included Dino’s Chicken, Porto’s, Ricky’s Fish Tacos, tarna sandwich at Zankou, Baklava Factory, Kogi Truck, the red velvet cupcake at Auntie Em’s Kitchen, Big Mista BBQ (and a big shout-out to Big Mista himself for treating us extra nice when we stopped at his place), Mexicali Tacos, Papa Cristo’s, the burger at Father’s Office, Pazzo Gelato, Brian’s Shaved Ice, The Godmother at Bay Cities, #7 Ramen at Santouka, assorted desserts at the Trails Café, and more.

We did have a few disappointments. Langer’s just didn’t deliver. We just got some really fatty pastrami and it just wasn’t great (and I’ve had it numerous times and know how good it can be). Similarly, the potato taco at El Atacor #11 just wasn’t great this time (and, once again, I’ve had it before and know that it can be good). That’s just the nature of this kind of thing. Sometimes, places are just gonna have an off-day for whatever reason.

And now for the list of every place we stopped and what we ate there (the guide to the assorted markings is at the bottom of the list).

THURSDAY: MAY 3, 2012

Dolce Monachelli (Italian butter rum bundt cake)

***Cemita Truck AKA Angelica Food Truck (milanese cemita [Mexican sandwich] with papalo)

***Zankou (tarna [chicken schwarma] sandwich, extra-crispy bread with extra garlic sauce
and mutabbal [baba ghanoush] with extra-crispy bread)

^^^###Rocket Fizz (Bacon Soda & Grapefruit Soda)

Diddy Reese (Espresso Chip Ice Cream Sandwich with White Chocolate Macadamia & Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies)

Kogi BBQ Truck (2 Korean short rib tacos)

Blockheads Shavery Co. (Strawberry Snow Cream with Fresh Strawberries, Almond Jelly, and Sweetened Condensed Milk)

Brian’s Shaved Ice (1/2 Passion/Orange/Guava, 1/2 Pina Colada Hawaiian shaved ice filled with Macadamia Nut Ice Cream Topped with Sweetened Condensed Milk and Li Hing Mui Powder)

^^^Beard Papa (Green Tea-Filled Cream Puff with Cookie Crust)

Huckleberry Bakery & Café (Maple Bacon Biscuit)

Bay Cities Italian Deli (Large Godmother Sandwich—1/2 mild peppers, 1/2 hot peppers)

^^^Hot Dog on a Stick (Hot Dog on a Stick & Mango Lemonade)

Cha Cha Chicken (Coconut Fried Chicken)

Mitsuwa Marketplace
Hamada-ya Bakery (chicken curry doughnut)
Santouka (#7 Special Pork Ramen)

***Father’s Office (burger)

Coolhaus (Molten Chocolate Cake Ice Cream Sandwich with Oatmeal Raisin Cookies)

Flavors of Belize (chirmole soup)

Umami Burger (Umami Burger and Manly Burger)

Jack in the Box (Large Java Cookie Shake with extra coffee syrup and extra Oreo cookies)

- - - - - - - - - - -

FRIDAY: MAY 4, 2012

Jack in the Box (bacon shake—stored in my freezer from a few months earlier)

Bob's Coffee and Donuts (glazed donut)

Papa Cristo’s (gyro sandwich and baklava + chocolate baklava)

***Dino’s Chicken and Burgers ($5.50 half-grilled chicken + French fry plate)

Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars (Mango Chili and Mamey Zapote Paletas)

***El Taurino (al pastor & carne asada tacos)

***Langer’s Deli (1/4 pound pastrami with slice of rye bread)

Berlin Currywurst (paprikawurst with Jambalaya Level 2 sauce)

Pazzo Gelato (hazelnut chip, salted caramel, and banana pudding raspberry gelato)

***Ricky’s Fish Taco’s (fish and shrimp tacos + hibiscus drink)

China Express (taro boba and mango boba)

The Trails (pear walnut scone, lavender vanilla shortbread cookie, apple pie)

Mush Bakery (lahmajun [Armenian pizza] and za’atar flatbread)

Zankou (soujouk [Armenian sausage] sandwich)

***Sapp Coffee Shop (Thai boat noodles)

Bhan Kanom Thai (taro corn fritter and grilled coconut sticky rice stuffed with banana)

101 Coffee Shop (Waffle Brownie Sundae)

Skooby’s (barbecue-spiced Fries with Red Pepper Aioli)

Street (Kaya Toast)

The Foundry (Grilled Cheese with Tallegio, Raisin Bread, Apricot Puree and Short Ribs)

Milk (nutella ice cream bar and Banana Peanut Malt [banana dulce de leche ice cream, malted milk, and roasted peanuts])

The Counter (Caramel Apple Crumble Shake)

***El Chato Taco Truck (2 al pastor tacos, 1 carne asada taco, and 1 chorizo taco + horchata)

***Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n’ Waffles (1/2 fried chicken and 2 waffles)

Jack in the Box (large strawberry Oreo ice cream shake)

- - - - - - - - - - -

SATURDAY: MAY 5, 2012

^^^Farmer’s Market at the Americana (Three Berry Agua Fresca)

***Big Mista BBQ (assorted meats, pig candy [caramelized and smoked bacon])

***Porto’s (cheese roll, guava cheese strudel, coconut strudel, medianoche sandwich with pickles)

Baklava Factory (baklava)

***Elena’s Greek Armenian Cuisine (falafel)

Auntie Em’s Kitchen (red velvet cupcake)

Cacao Mexicatessen (duck carnitas)

Oinkster (ube shake and sample of pastrami)

Huarache Azteca (huarache [flat, hard taco] with al pastor)

La Estrella Tacos Truck (carnitas taco)

Galco’s Soda Pop Shop (honey cream soda)

My Taco (barbacoa de borrego lamb tacos)

***El Atacor #11 (crispy potato taco)

###Grand Central Market (tamarind candy)

Wurstküche (Rattlesnake & Rabbit Sausage)

^^^Pie Hole (Mexican hot chocolate pie)

Mikawaya (mochi ice cream)

^^^Mitsuri Cake (red bean cake [imagawayaki]

Frances Bakery & Coffee (souffle cheesecake)

Phillipe’s (1 beef French dip with blue cheese, double-dipped and 1 beef French dip with Swiss cheese, double-dipped)

Olvera Street (champurrado—Mexican hot chocolate-type drink)

Mexicali Taco & Co. (vampiro taco [quesadilla-like with garlic sauce] & cachetada [tostada])

Churro Borough of Los Angeles (churro ice cream sandwich with vanilla custard and churro ice cream sandwich with mexican hot chocolate ice cream)

Fatburger (1/2 pound burger and strawberry/banana Oreo shake)

Oki’s-Dog (Oki Dog: two hot dogs on a flour tortilla, covered with chili and pastrami)

Crazy Fish (Kinta Sushi Roll)

Animal (Poutine with Oxtail Gravy and Cheddar)

In ‘N’ Out (1 cheeseburger and 1 cheeseburger with extra grilled onions)

- - - - - - - - - - -

SUNDAY: MAY 6, 2012

Bouchon Bakery (kouign-amann [caramelized buttery pastry])

^^^The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. (toasted marble bagel with cream cheese)

Primo's Donuts (buttermilk bar, maple donut, crumb donut)

Spudnuts (apple fritter, maple sour cream donut)

^^^Randy’s Donuts (buttermilk bar and jelly donut)

*** indicates one of my absolute favorite places
^^^ indicates this location was not a scheduled stop on the LA FOOD TOUR
### indicates a non-scored stop on the LA FOOD TOUR

Thanks for your comments. I pretty much agree with most 'em (e.g., even though some things are on the list, like Daikokuya, we're not likely to go there, and, yeah, Phillipe's isn't the best food-wise but people still do seem to like to go there--if you get the sandwich with blue cheese it's not bad; otherwise it's just totally boring--and, yes, Animal is more expensive than the other stuff on the list and as a practical matter we're probably not gonna make it there).

I do have to say, though, that Zankou is definitely one of my favorites!! Remember, I'm not talking about the rotisserie chicken but rather the chicken schwarma. With extra garlic sauce and some extra-toasted pita, it can't be beat!!

Once again, I do appreciate your taking the time to give me your thoughts on everything...

Well-done fries at Dino's eh? Interesting. Although, of course, in general I always want my fries crisp, I had just accepted that at Dino's they were not gonna be that way and just accepted them the way they are. But I will have to give 'em try well-done. Thanks for the suggestions...

Yeah, I acknowledge that an Oki Dog is relatively disgusting but at the same time, there is something kind of good about it. It's definitely more for the novelty and the fun of it than purely for the taste or whatever. But chances are we won't be going there anyways (but, it's always possible...)

Thanks for the (sad) update...

So, my brother and some friends are coming into town May 3-7. We are gonna to do a total LA Cheap Eats food tour where we drive around and hit as many good eats as possible. Most of these things range from $5 to $10 and are pickup/carryout stuff (versus having to sit down at a restaurant with waiter service). This is so we can hit as many as possible.

I've made a map of them:

http://g.co/maps/qanng

Below I've listed them all (it's the same places that are on the map). You should note that I know we are not really gonna hit all of these places in this period of time, but it at least lists all the possibilities that are available (and it's loosely arranged geographically).

My question is if you guys have anything you think that I've missed (and I acknowledge I'm a little weak on my offerings west of the 405). Or if you vehemently disagree with something on my list. And the places that have *** next to them indicate the must-stop places for me. Also, I know I don't have the San Gabriel Valley on there, but that's just because we are not gonna have time to hit it.

Thanks for your help,
mike

LA ”CHEAP EATS” FOOD TOUR

***Dino’s Chicken and Burgers ($5.50 half-grilled chicken + French fry plate
)2575 West Pico Boulevard (2 blocks west of Vermont); M-Thu 6am-11 pm, F-Sat 6am-12am, Sun 7am-11pm

Papa Cristo’s (gyro sandwich)
2771 West Pico Boulevard (at Normandie); T-Sat 9:30am-8pm, Sun 9am-4pm

Jeon Ju (Bibimbap—Korean rice bowl with meat and vegetables)
2716 West Olympic Boulevard (just west of Vermont), (213) 386-5678

***El Taurino (carne asade & al pastor tacos)
2306 West 11th Street (1 block south of Olympic just east of Hoover); M-Thu 8:30am-3am, F-Sun 6am-6am

Mateo’s Ice Cream & Fruit Bars (Mexican Ice Cream & Paletas)
1250 South Vermont Avenue (just above Pico) (213) 738-7288
4222 West Pico Boulevard (just west of Crenshaw) (323) 931-5500
4929 Sepulveda Boulevard (a few blocks south of Culver Boulevard) (310) 313-7625

***Langer’s Deli (1/4 pound pastrami or pastrami sandwich)
704 South Alvarado Street (7th and Alvarado) M-Sat 8am-4pm, closed Sun, free parking one block east on 7th

Grand Central Market
317 South Broadway (between 3rd and 4th)
Sarita’s Pupuseria (Pupusa con Loroco, Empanada Solo w/Banana + Milk)
Lupita’s Fresh Seafood (Shrimp Tostada)

Bäco Mercat (“the original” with pork belly, beef carnitas, smoked aioli and salbitxada)
408 S Main St—opens lunch M-Sa 11:30-2pm, dinner M-Sa 6pm to close, closed Sun—213 687 8808

Big Man Bakes (mini cupcakes)
413 S Main St (just south of 4th street, 2 blocks east of Broadway) (free 15 minute parking in adjacent garage)
M-Thu 11am-8pm, F 11am-12am, Sat 10am-12am, Sun closed

Daikokuya (ramen)
327 E 1st Street (two blocks west of Alameda)

Mikawaya (mochi ice cream)
118 Japanese Village Plaza (1st street, two blocks east of Alameda)

Wurstküche (Rabbit, Veal, & Pork Sausage and Rattlesnake & Rabbit Sausage)
800 East 3rd Street (just east of Alameda)
625 Lincoln Blvd (PCH) in Venice (between Rose and Venice Blvd.)

Mr. Churros (churros)
15 Olvera Street

La Luz del Dia (champurrado—Mexican hot chocolate-type drink)
1 Olvera Street

Phillipe’s (lamb or beef French dip with blue cheese, double-dipped)
1001 N Alameda St

Bahn Mi My Dung (Bahn Mi: Vietnamese sandwich)
314 Ord Street---closes at 3:30 pm

Buu Dien (Bahn Mi: Vietnamese sandwich)
642 N Broadway (just south of Ord)

Family Pastry (Chinese char siu pork buns)
715 N Spring St (just north of Ord)

Yang Chow (slippery shrimp)
819 North Broadway (just north of Alpine)

Mexicali Taco & Co. (vampiro taco [quesadilla-like with garlic sauce] & cachetada [tostada])
702 N. Figueroa St., (north of the 101 and Sunset/Cesar Chavez) (213) 613-0416

Mariscos Jalisco Food Truck (shrimp taco & ceviche)
3040 E Olympic Blvd (on 10, get off at Santa Fe, go east on Olympic) 9am-5pm everyday
[there is an impostor truck nearby—the correct one has large bright letters red, blue, and green letters]

Guisado’s (taco sampler)
2100 E Cesar Chavez Ave (just east of the 10/5)

Antojitos Carmen (fried quesadilla, pambazo, walnut atole, toasted seed salsa)
2510 E Cesar E Chavez Ave. (just east of Soto Street)

***El Atacor (crispy potato tacos)
3520 North Figueroa Street (exit 26b on 110)

My Taco (barbacao lamb tacos)
6300 York Blvd (east of Figueroa, just west of the 110)

Galco’s Soda Pop Shop (rare sodas)
5702 York Boulevard

La Estrella Tacos Truck (carnitas taco)
York Blvd. and Ave 54 (about 5400 York Boulevard)

Huarache Azteca (huarache [flat, hard taco] with al pastor)
5225 York Boulevard

Cacao Mexicatessen (duck carnitas)
1576 Colorado Boulevard

***Casa Bianca Pizza (sausage + eggplant pizza or pepperoni pizza)
1650 Colorado Boulevard (323) 256-9617—opens at 4pm, closed Sunday and Monday

Oinkster (ube shake)
2005 Colorado Boulevard (3 blocks east of Eagle Rock Blvd)

Auntie Em’s Kitchen (red velvet cupcake)
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd (a few blocks south of Colorado, north of York)

***Elena’s Greek Armenian Cuisine (falafel)
1000 South Glendale Avenue (just north Chevy Chase); M-Sat 11am-9:30pm, closed Sun

Baklava Factory (baklava)
1415 E Colorado St (just east Verdugo)

***Porto’s (cheese roll, guava cheese strudel, coconut strudel, medianoche sandwich with pickles)
315 North Brand Boulevard (just south of the134)—Sunday closes at 5:30pm, other days at 7pm
3614 West Magnolia Boulevard, Burbank (at Hollywood Way)—Sunday closes at 6pm, other days at 7:30pm

Village Bakery (donut muffin)
3119 Los Feliz Blvd (just east of the 5)

Tacos Villa Corona (breakfast burrito with papas [potatoes])
3185 Glendale Blvd (a few blocks west of the 5);
opens 9am T-F, 8:30am Sa & Su; closes 3pm T-F, 8pm Sa, 5pm Su

***Ricky’s Fish Taco’s (fish and shrimp tacos + agua fresca drink)
1400 N Virgil (a few blocks W. of Vermont, N. of Fountain, S. of Sunset); look for white tent in parking lot on east side. Thursday through Sunday: noon-ish to 4-ish: check twitter.com/rickysfishtacos

Mush Bakery (lahmajun [Armenian pizza])
or Sasoun Bakery or F&J Bakery
Mush: 5224 W Sunset Blvd (just west of Normandie)—closes at 7pm
Sasoun: 5114 Santa Monica Blvd (and Normandie)—closes at 6:30pm
F&J: 5410 W Adams Blvd (just east of Hauser)

***Sapp Coffee Shop (Thai boat noodles)
5183 Hollywood Boulevard (just west of Normandie)

Sahag’s Basturma (soujouk [Armenian sausage] sandwich)
5183 Sunset Blvd. (just west of Normandie)

Bhan Kanom Thai (Thai desserts)
5271 Hollywood Blvd (just west of Normandie)

China Express (taro boba drink)
1907 N Hillhurst Ave (at Franklin)

Pazzo Gelato or Scoops (unique gelato/ice cream flavors)
Pazzo: 3827 West Sunset Boulevard (323) 662-1410—(just south of Santa Monica)—11am to 11pm
Scoops: 712 North Heliotrope Drive (323) 906-2649—just N of Melrose 2 blocks East of Vermont
3400 Overland Ave (just north of Palms) (323) 405-7055

Berlin Currywurst (paprikawurst with Level 3 sauce)
3827 W. Sunset Boulevard (just south of Santa Monica) Mon-Thur open til 10pm, Fri-Sat open til 11pm, Sun open til 8pm

Lark Silverlake Cake Shop (chocolate wafer icebox cake)
3337 W. Sunset Boulevard

***Zankou (tarna [chicken schwarma] sandwich, extra-crispy bread with extra garlic sauce
and mutabbal [baba ghanoush])
5065 W Sunset Blvd (at Normandie) 10am-12pm (also soujouk at this location only)
1716 S. Sepulveda Blvd. 10am-11pm
1415 E. Colorado St., Glendale 10am-11pm
901 W. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale 10am-10pm
1001 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank 10am-10pm
10760 Riverside Dr., North Hollywood 10am-10pm
1296 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena 10am-10pm
5658 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys 10am-10pm

Koo's Sweet Rice Pancake Ho-tteok Cart (Korean dessert rice pancake)
4317 Beverly Blvd (2 blocks west of Normandie)—behind the California market; M-Sun 10am-10pm

The Trails (Assorted Pies)
2333 Fern Dell Dr. (just east of Western, north of Los Feliz) Tue-Sun 8am to 5pm

101 Coffee Shop (Waffle Brownie Sundae)
6145 Franklin Ave (between Gower and Vine) open until 3am

Skooby’s (barbecue-spiced Fries with Red Pepper Aioli)
6654 Hollywood Blvd. (east of Highland)

***Lucky Devil’s (chocolate cake shake)
6613 Hollywood Blvd (between Cahuenga and Highland)

Street (Kaya Toast)
742 N. Highland Ave (just north of Melrose)

The Foundry (Grilled Cheese with Tallegio, Raisin Bread, Apricot Puree and Short Ribs)
7465 Melrose Ave (a few blocks east of Fairfax)

Milk (shakes)
7290 Beverly Blvd (a few blocks west of La Brea)

Animal (Poutine with Oxtail Gravy and Cheddar Curds)
435 N. Fairfax Ave (a few blocks north of Beverly)—323 782-9225—opens at 6pm (sitdown)

Coney Dog (Detroit-style chili dog)
8873 Sunset Blvd. (at San Vicente); free parking on roof—closes 12am Mon-Thurs, closes 3am Fri-Sat, closes 10pm Sun

Millions of Milkshakes (milkshakes)
8910 Santa Monica Boulevard (just west San Vicente)—open until 2am

Bob's Coffee and Donuts (glazed donut)
6333 W 3rd St (Farmer's Market @ Fairfax)

Umami Burger (Manly Burger and Truffle Burger)
850 South La Brea Avenue (between Olympic and Wilshire)
1520 North Cahuenga Boulevard (just north of Sunset)
4655 Hollywood Boulevard (just east of Vermont)
500 Broadway, Santa Monica
12159 Ventura Blvd, Studio City (just west of Laurel Canyon)

***El Chato Taco Truck (al pastor and carne asada tacos)
Southwest Corner of Olympic and La Brea (Mon-Thurs: 9pm-1am; Fri-Sat: 9pm-3am)

Flavors of Belize (chirmole soup)
1271 South La Brea Ave (just north of San Vicente—between Pico and Olympic)
M-Thur 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-8pm; (323) 931-4840

***Roscoe’s House of Chicken ‘n’ Waffles (fried chicken and waffles)
1514 N Gower St (just north of Sunset) 8am-12am
5006 W Pico Blvd (just west of La Brea) 8am-12am Sun-Thurs, 8am-2pm Fri, 9am-2pm Sat

Oki’s-Dog (Oki Dog: two hot dogs on a flour tortilla, covered with chili and pastrami)
5056 W Pico Blvd (3 blocks w of La Brea) M-T 9am-10pm, F-Sat 9am-12am, Sun 9am-11 pm, (323) 938-4369

Sky’s Gourmet Tacos (seafood tacos)
5408 W Pico Blvd (at Hauser, a few blocks west of La Brea); M-Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-7pm

Tacos Leo ($1 al pastor tacos)
Corner of La Brea and Venice (76 Gas Station); Su-Thurs 6:30pm-2am; Fri-Sat 6:30-3am

JNJ Burger & Bar-B-Que (chopped pork or chopped beef sandwich)
5754 W Adams Blvd (just east of Fairfax)

Phillips Barbecue (baby back ribs—mild or mixed sauce on the side)
4307 Leimert Blvd (just north of Vernon)
2619 Crenshaw Boulevard (at Adams)
1517 Centinela Avenue (east of La Cienega)

Versailles Cuban Restaurant (famous garlic chicken)
1415 S. La Cienega Blvd. (just south of Pico); Su-Th 11-10, F-Sa 11-11
10319 Venice Blvd, Culver City (just east of Motor)

Sinai Kosher Market or Elias Kosher Market (Persian koobideh kabobs)
Sinai: 8680 West Pico Blvd (a few blocks east of Robertson)
Elias (in back): 8829 West Pico Blvd (a few blocks west of Robertson)

Crazy Fish (unique California-style sushi—Spicy Tuna Kinta roll)
9105 West Olympic Boulevard (just West of Doheny)

Bouchon Bakery (kouign-amann [caramelized buttery pastry])
235 N Canon Dr, (just north of Wilshire, 1 block east of Beverly, 2 blocks east of Rodeo)

Diddy Reese (ice cream cookie sandwich)
926 Broxton Avenue

Attari Sandwich Shop (Persian Kuku sandwich)
1388 Westwood Boulevard (on the south side of the building in the courtyard)

***Father’s Office (burger and sweet potato fries)
3229 Helms Avenue (just South of Venice east of Robertson)
M-Thu 5pm-1am, F-Sat 12pm-2am, Sun 12pm-12am

Let’s Be Frank (hot dog with grilled onions, Devil sauce, homemade pickles)
Helms Ave (between Venice Blvd & Washington Blvd)
Wed-Fri 11:30am-3:30pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am-4pm

Bulgarini Gelato (pistachio gelato)
8686 Washington Blvd. Culver City (inside Tea Forest Café) between Robertson and La Cienega

Coolhaus (ice cream sandwiches)
8588 Washington Blvd., Culver City, between Robertson & La Cienega; 310 424 5559
T-Th, Su 9am-10pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken (biscuit and fried chicken)
9537 Culver Boulevard (a few blocks west of Robertson) M-Thur, 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm

***Cemita Truck AKA Angelica Food Truck (milanese cemita [Mexican sandwich]—ask for papalo)
In front of Smart & Final at 10113 Venice Blvd just west of Clarington (near Overland) closes at 2:30pm
Also, may be open for dinner on Monday and Wednesday

Samosa House (samosa)
10700 Washington Blvd (just west of Overland); M-Sun 11am to 9pm
11510 West Washington Boulevard (a few blocks west of Sawtelle); M-Sun 11am to 9pm

Spudnuts (apple fritter)
11285 Venice Blvd (Sepulveda)
3001 South Figueroa Street (above Jefferson)
4949 West Slauson Avenue (just east of La Cienega)

Primo's Donuts (Buttermilk Bars)
2918 Sawtelle Blvd. (at National)

See’s Candy (free sample—California brittle)
Assorted locations (3431 S La Cienega Blvd—just below Jefferson)
10250 Santa Monica Blvd (Century City Mall)
1227 Wilshire Blvd (12th Street in Santa Monica)

Mitsuwa Marketplace
3760 South Centinela Avenue (at Venice Blvd.); M-Sun 11am-8:30pm
Santouka (#7 Special Pork Ramen)
Hamada-ya Bakery (chicken curry doughnut)

Baby Blues BBQ (beef rib)
444 Lincoln Blvd. (Venice) or 7953 Santa Monica Blvd (just west of Fairfax)

Brian’s Shaved Ice (Hawaiian shaved ice with ice cream and condensed milk)
11301 W Olympic Blvd (actually, on Sawtelle, just north of Olympic); M-Sun 12pm-11pm

Blockheads Shavery Co. (Taiwanese snow cream [shaved ice cream])
11311 Mississippi Ave (just off Sawtelle, 1 block north of Olympic); M-Th 12:30pm-10:30pm; F-Sat 12:30pm-11pm, Sun 12:30pm-10pm

Churros Calientes (Spanish-style churros)
11521 Santa Monica Blvd. (between 405 and Barrington) T-F 5:30pm-10:30 pm, Sat-Sun 11:30am-10:30 pm

Huckleberry Bakery & Café (maple bacon biscuit)
1014 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; T-F 8am-7pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm; closed Sun

Bay Cities Italian Deli (Godmother Sandwich)
1517 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica; T-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 9am-6pm, closed Mon

Cha Cha Chicken (Coconut Fried Chicken)
1906 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica (at Pico); M-Th 11am-9:45, F 11am-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9:30

Dolce Monachelli (Italian butter rum bundt cake)
Tuesday 3pm to 7pm: Culver City Farmer’s Market, 3834 Main Street (between Culver & Venice Blvd)
Wednesday 12pm to 6pm: Westwood Farmer’s Market, 1083 Broxton Ave
Thursday 3pm to 7pm: La Cienega Farmer’s Market, 1801 S La Cienega (a few blocks south of Pico)
Sunday 9am to 2pm: West L.A. Farmer’s Market, 1645 Corinth Ave. (just south of Santa Monica Blvd)

***Big Mista BBQ (brisket, pulled pork, pig candy [caramelized and smoked bacon])
Sunday 10-2 pm: Atwater Village Farmer’s Market—3250 Glendale Boulevard
Thursday 3-7 pm: El Segundo Farmer’s Market—400 Main Street (at Pine Avenue)

***Bludso’s BBQ (Texas sampler, brisket, and ribs)
811 South Long Beach Boulevard, Compton, CA 90221 (310) 637-1342
Open Tue-Thu 11am-8pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 12:30pm-7pm

Portillo’s (chocolate cake shake and Italian beef with hot and sweet peppers & extra jus on the side)
8390 La Palma Ave, Buena Park

Jack in the Box (ice cream shake)
Assorted locations (8605 W Pico Blvd)

In ‘N’ Out (burger with extra grilled onions)
Assorted locations (9245 W. Venice Blvd. & 9149 S Sepulveda Blvd, 13425 Washington Blvd)
Su-Th 10:30am-1am, F-Sat 10:30am-1:30am

Kogi Truck (Korean short rib tacos)
Assorted locations
Or available at Alibi Room, 12236 Washington Boulevard (between Inglewood and Centinela),
M-Sat 5:30pm-12am

The Grilled Cheese Truck (cheesy mac and rib grilled cheese)
Assorted locations

(Bacon wrapped hot-dog)
Assorted Locations

What makes it red is likely annatto seed or achiote paste (made from annatto seeds), which is popular in Mexico.

But, yeah, the rest is probably mostly Greek stuff with a little Mexican thrown in. There's a lot of oregano and garlic and then probably some other herbs and spices. And, yes, the sauce is obviously very heavy on the vinegar and the garlic.

Elat Market and Glatt Mark at Pico/Robertson definitely have lots of Kosher for Passover Coke but, yeah, I don't actually recall seeing Diet Coke. I'll look next time I go...

I believe the Silom Supermarket (a Thai supermarket) has canned jackfruit. I'm not sure that they have baby jackfruit but it should satisfy your needs. They also have all sorts of other funky canned Asian fruits (e.g., toddy palm, mangosteen). But, yeah, I think it is in syrup rather than brine. But, if you wanted, you could just drain the syrup and then brine it yourself for a day or two...

5321 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Whole Foods carries Lyle's Golden Syrup...

This should take care of you. This a big Mexican market:

Top Valu Market
4700 Inglewood Boulevard
Culver City, CA