film_score's Profile
Tourist Chowhound Food Crawl
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846313
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/848063
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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...
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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...
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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).
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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).
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--The Aftermath...
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
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--Any More Suggestions?
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...
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--Any More Suggestions?
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...
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--Any More 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...)
LA Cheap Eats Food Tour--Any More Suggestions?
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
Anyone knows what's the marinade on the chicken of Dino's in Pico Los Angeles?
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.
Diet Coke - Desperately seeking Kosher for Passover in LA?
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...
Canned jackfruit?
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
Mexican market near Santa Monica
This should take care of you. This a big Mexican market:
Top Valu Market
4700 Inglewood Boulevard
Culver City, CA
Q: where to get malted milk powder (in cars, or, in bulk) ??
I know the S & F on La Cienega a little below Pico (1835 S. La Cienega) has it but I'm sure some others must as well...
Looking for where to purchase Boiron passion fruit puree
The Supermercado Brazil-Brazilian Market, on Venice Blvd. just west of Overland, has a frozen passionfruit pulp/puree (I'm pretty sure it is not this Boiron brand that you want though--it's a Brazilian brand).
10826 Venice Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Frozen fava beans
Persian markets, like Elat Market (one block east of Robertson on Pico), have frozen ones (and they generally do have fresh ones as well).
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Elat Market
8730 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Anyone know of a war-themed restaurant in/near Koreatown?
Maybe the HMS Bounty?
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The HMS Bounty
3357 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010
Casa Bianca -Eagle Rock
It is good but here's a tip. You can call ahead to put your name on the wait list (although sometimes it is hard to get through). You can also order your pizza while you wait to reduce the wait time for the pizza to arrive when you sit down. Also, be aware that they sometimes close for a weeks during the summer for vacation. I definitely recommend you get there early, 5 or 5:30 or something like that, if you can...
best LA county macaroons?
Porto's in Glendale and Burbank has awesome macaroons (these are coconut macaroons, not French macaroons though).
You might wanna specify which you are looking for...
Lunch deals
Jean-Georges (2-course $32 prix-fixe + assorted amuse bouches and complementary dessert bites, $16 for additional course)
(this is for the main dining room, not Nougatine)
1 Central Park West (60th street) (212) 299-3900
Bouley (5-course $36 prix fixe lunch)
163 Duane St (Hudson, 2 blocks above Chamber) (212) 964-2525
Gotham Bar & Grill (2-course $24 prix fixe lunch, + $7 for dessert)
12 East 12th Street (east of 5th ave) (212) 620-4020
Picholine (2-course $28 prix fixe lunch, $12 for additional course)
35 W. 64th St. (just west Central Park West, east of Broadway) (212) 724-8585
Convivio (2-course $32 prix fixe lunch, $12 for additional course)
45 Tudor City Place (1st ave & 42nd street) (212) 599-5045
L’Ecole at French Culinary Institute (3-course $28 prix fixe lunch)
462 Broadway (south of Broome, north of Grand) (212) 219-3300
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Gotham Bar and Grill
12 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003
L'Ecole
462 Broadway, New York, NY 10013
Young couple looking for good, cheap eats in/around Manhattan
i think they're basically the same (I think papaya king was first) but in my opinion Gray's Papaya is slightly better. Also you don't need to waste your time getting the papaya drink or whatever. It is not good. Just get a dog...
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Gray's Papaya
2090 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
Young couple looking for good, cheap eats in/around Manhattan
Well, the way I do it is to generally not eat an actual meal anywhere. Just nosh as you go. You have two people so just share everything and definitely get small portions and just eat throughout the day.
The things I highly recommend are the Sicilian slice at Artichoke (although I will confess, the last time I had it something was off, but normally it is very good), the pastrami sandwich at This Little PIggy was really good, the Savory Cumin Lamb Noodles at Xian was the favorite of everybody I was with and was probably the best thing we had, a cookie or slice of candy bar or crack pie at Momofuku. And all of this is literally all around the corner from each other so you can do it all in one stop. And of course some pastrami at Katz's (you can always just get a quarter pound of pastrami and ask for some mustard if you wanna save room for other stuff--and try to go at off-hours or early in the morning).
Definitely a Gray's Papaya hot dog with everything, the pabellon arepa at Caracas was really good, Motorino pizza is very good, definitely get yourself a Shake Shack concrete (shake) for sure, and I recommend a burger although you might say it's nothing special. It's just a very classic hamburger done perfectly. A bahn mi sandwich from anywhere if you haven't had it. And Levain bakery chocolate chip cookie is pretty darn good. And, hey, I also like the roasted nut guys on the streets, too.
Those would pretty much be my must-haves from the quick, cheap eats department.
I also really recommend going for a lunch at Jean Georges, a 4-star restaurant which for $32 you get two courses (plus bread, 3 amuse bouche, about 1-2 small little desserts as well all included). Add another course for 3 courses total and it comes out to $48. And definitely tell them in advance if you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary and sometimes they will throw in another dessert. Without a doubt, it is the best deal for a totally high quality place (make sure to sit in the main dining room--although you shouldn't wear jeans and should dress reasonably nice). But call now to see if you can get a reservation...
Have fun!!
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Jean Georges
1 Central Park W, New York, NY 10023
Caracas Arepa Bar
93 1/2 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St, New York, NY 10023
Gray's Papaya
402 6th Ave, New York, NY 10014
Artichoke
328 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003
Xi'an Famous Foods
81 St. Marks Pl, New York, NY 10003
Momofuku Milk Bar
251 E 13th St, New York, NY 10003
Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef
149 1st Ave, New York, NY 10003
Young couple looking for good, cheap eats in/around Manhattan
I don't live in NYC, but, like you, I have accumulated a list of cheap eats (which is below). I've had about 95% of the stuff on the list on my assorted visits to New york so I can definitely recommend pretty much everything on here. And, yes, there is a lot of overlap with your list...
And I definitely recommend you do "waste" time at Shack Shack. Yes, it's a straight classic burger, but it is good (and make sure to get a concrete...)
EAST VILLAGE
Artichoke Basille (pizza slices, Sicilian in particular)
328 East 14th (between 1st and 2nd avenue)
Also 114 10th Avenue (at 18th street)—sit down
Also 111 MacDougal (just south of 3rd street, 1 block east of Avenue of the Americas)
This Little Piggy Had Roast Beef (Pastrami Sandwich and “That Way” on Roll)
149 1st Ave (between 9th St & St Marks Pl)
Momofuku Milk Bar
(get pork buns—chocolate chip cookie, blueberry cookie, free ice cream sample)
207 2nd avenue NYC 10003 (13th street and 2nd ave)
Xi’an Famous Foods (Savory Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles)
81 St. Mark's Place (1st avenue)
Caracas Arepas Bar (Arepa de Pabellon)
93 1/2 E 7th St. (just east of 1st avenue)
Dumpling Man (mango shaved ice)
100 St. Mark’s Place (AKA 8th street just east of 1st avenue)
Mamoun (falafel)
22 Saint Marks Place (AKA 8th street between 2nd and 3rd avenue)
Porchetta (sandwich)
110 E 7th St (between 1st Ave & Avenue A)
Motorino (Neopolitan-style pizza)
$12 Price Fixe Lunch 212-777-2644
349 East 12th Street (and 1st avenue)
Pizza Gruppo (super-thin New York style pizza)
186 Avenue B (between 11th street and 12th street)
The Stand (toasted marshmallow milkshake)
24 E 12th St (between 5th Avenue and University Place)
DessertTruck (bread pudding or donut holes)
3rd Ave & Astor Place or St Marks Place, Tues-Sun 6 pm - 12 am
Pommes Frites (Belgian fries with dips)
123 2nd Avenue (and 7th Street)
Ippudo (Akamura Modern Ramen)
65 4th Avenue (10th Street and Park Avenue)
Eataly
200 5th Avenue (23rd and 5th/Broadway)
Shake Shack (burger and concrete—vanilla with caramel and chocolate-covered toffee)
Bottom of Madison Square Park (23rd between 5th and Madison)
- - - - - - - - - -
LOWER EAST SIDE
Katz’s (just get a 1/4 pound pastrami)
205 East Houston Street at Ludlow (just east of 1st ave)
Russ and Daughters (lox, herring, etc.—Super Heebster)
179 East Houston Street at Allen (just east of 1st ave)
Schiller’s Liquor Bar (Sticky Toffee Pudding)
131 Rivington Street (1 block north of Delancy, 2 blocks west of Clinton)
DessertTruck Works (Chocolate Bread Pudding)
6 Clinton Street (between Avenue B & Houston St)—3am-11pm (midnight on weekends)
Rice to Riches (Rice Pudding)
37 Spring Street (between Mott and Mulberry St)
The Meatball Shop (meatballs and ice cream sandwiches)
84 Stanton St (between Allen St & Orchard St)
Baohaus (Chairman bao bun)
137 Rivington Street (between Norfolk and Suffolk)
Vanessa’s Dumplings (sesame pancake with beef or dumplings)
118 Eldridge St (between Grand St & Broome St)
Prosperity Dumplings (pork and chive dumplings)
46 Eldridge St. (between Canal & Hester)
Mac Bar
54 Prince Street, New York, New York 10012 (Lafayette—1 block S. of Houston)
- - - - - - - - - -
CHINATOWN
Banh Mi So 1 (Vietnamese sandwich)
369 Broome St (1 block south of Delancey, between Center and Bowery)
Xi’an Famous Foods (Savory Cumin Lamb Hand-Pulled Noodles)
88 E. Broadway, near Forsyth St.
Sau Voi Corporation (Vietnamese sandwich—back of record store)
101 Lafayette St # 3 (just south of Canal)
Yao’s Dragon Beard Candy Cart
Canal between Elizabeth and Mott
Near Bowery, Mott, and Canal--11am to 7pm
Doughnut Plant (cake donuts--tres leches & blackout)
379 Grand Street (south of Delancey, west of Clinton)
- - - - - - - - - - -
TIMES SQUARE AND MIDTOWN
Gray’s Papaya
539 Eighth Avenue at 37th street
Shake Shack (burger and concrete—vanilla with caramel and chocolate-covered toffee)
44th street and 8th avenue
Virgil’s BBQ (good BBQ, but expensive)
152 West 44th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenue)
Burger Joint (burger)
119 W 56th St (Between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue)
Momofuku Milk Bar—2nd location in Ma Peche
(chocolate chip cookie, blueberry cookie)
15 West 56th Street (between 5th avenue and 6th avenue)
The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English
One West 59th Street (11am to 10pm) (just west of 5th Avenue)
- - - - - - - - -
UPPER WEST SIDE
Levain Bakery (chocolate chip cookie)
167 W 74th Street (and Amsterdam) 8am-7pm
Jacques Torres (Hot Chocolate and chocolate chip cookie)
285 Amsterdam Avenue (at 74th Street)
Also 350 Hudson at King Street (1 block South of Houston)
10am – 8pm
Zabar’s (market)
81st & Broadway
Barney Greenglass (Lox & Bagel)
541 Amsterdam (between 86th and 87th)
Gray’s Papaya
2090 Broadway at 72nd street
Shake Shack (burger and concrete—vanilla with caramel and chocolate-covered toffee
366 West Columbus Avenue (between 77th and 78th)—near Museum Natural History
Also, bottom of Madison Square Park and 44th street and 8th avenue
Also, 691 8th Avenue (44th street)
Also, 154 East 86th (Lexington)
- - - - - - - - -
WEST VILLAGE/CHELSEA
Doughnut Plant Chelsea (cake donuts--tres leches & blackout)
220 West 23rd Street (between 7th and 8th in Hotel Chelsea)
Taim Falafel
222 Waverly Place (11th Street and 7th Avenue)
Gray’s Papaya
402 Sixth Avenue at 8th Street
Bleecker Street Pizza (Nonna Maria slice)
69 7th Avenue South (at Bleecker)
John’s Pizzeria of Bleecker Street (no slices—can get small pizza)
278 Bleeker St (just East of 7th avenue at Jones)
Artichoke Basille (pizza slices, Sicilian in particular)
111 MacDougal (just south of 3rd street, 1 block east of Avenue of the Americas)
Mamoun’s (falafel)
119 MacDougal St (just south of 3rd street, 1 block east of Avenue of the Americas)
Ali Baba (lamb schwarma and falafel)
126 MacDougal St (just south of 3rd street, 1 block east of Avenue of the Americas)
Yatagan Kebab House (doner kebab and $2.50 falafel)
104 MacDougal St (just south of 3rd street, 1 block east of Avenue of the Americas)
- - - - - - - - - -
UPPER EAST SIDE
William Greenberg Bakery (Black & White Cookie)
1100 Madison Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd)
Two Little Red Hens (classic cheesecake)
1652 2 Avenue (between 85th and 86th)
(212) 452-0476
Shake Shack (burger and concrete)
154 East 86th (Lexington)
Papaya King (hot dogs)
179 East 86th Street (at 3rd Avenue)
OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY
Wafels and Dinges (Waffle Truck)
get speculoos spread—which is gingerbread cookie spread
the Liege waffle is not as crispy as the regular…
check schedule online for time and places which vary by day
Dylan’s Candy Bar
1011 Third Ave (at 60th street)
Times Square Hot Bagels
200 W. 44th (between 7th and 8th avenues)
Ess-a-Bagel
359 1 Avenue (21st and 22nd)
831 3 Avenue (51st)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BROOKLYN
Mile End Delicatessen (smoked meat sandwich and Ruth Wilensky sandwich)
97A Hoyt Street (Atlantic Avenue, 1 block E of Smith)
New York, NY 11217
Pies n Thighs (chicken biscuit—8am to 11am)
166 S. 4th Street (just E of Bedford, just N of Williamsburg bridge, at Driggs)
Peter Luger (burger)
178 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY (718) 387-7400
QUEENS
BZ Grill (Pork Gyro)
27-02 Astoria Blvd. (28th St.) [Astoria (Hoyt) Subway Stop]
Point Brazil (Acaraje—Blackeyed Pea Fritters)
38-01 31st Avenue (38th Street & Steinway)
LUNCH PRIX FIXE
Jean-Georges (2-course $32 prix-fixe + assorted items, $16 for additional course)
1 Central Park West (60th street) (212) 299-3900
Bouley (5-course $36 prix fixe lunch)
163 Duane St (Hudson, 2 blocks above Chamber) (212) 964-2525
Gotham Bar & Grill (2-course $24 prix fixe lunch, + $7 for dessert)
12 East 12th Street (east of 5th ave) (212) 620-4020
Picholine (2-course $28 prix fixe lunch, $12 for additional course)
35 W. 64th St. (just west Central Park West, east of Broadway) (212) 724-8585
Convivio (2-course $32 prix fixe lunch, $12 for additional course)
45 Tudor City Place (1st ave & 42nd street) (212) 599-5045
L’Ecole at French Culinary Institute (3-course $28 prix fixe lunch)
462 Broadway (south of Broome, north of Grand) (212) 219-3300
Lebanese food in West Hollywood, or perhaps close by
Carousel Restaurant in Little Armenian. It's technically Armenian but most of the flavors are basically Lebanese. Or Marouch on Santa Monica Blvd in Little Armenia.
5112 Hollywood Blvd, Hye Plaza Ste 107
Los Angeles, CA 90027
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Marouch Restaurant
4905 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029, USA
What are your favorite dives and cheap eats WORTH THE DRIVE?
No particular soda you need to buy at Galcos. The supply is limitless. Definitely talk to one of the workers over there and they can help guide you to something unique that you might like. Honestly, most of the fun is just trying something new and different (even if, I'll concede, it might not be the best tasting soda or something). Also, make sure to check out the regional/old-fashioned candies they have too...
mike
