Foodie Friday is a chance for a guest foodie to take the reigns and shout out to some of their favorite eats around the LA area. This week I chatted with writer, Anna Keizer.
Anna is a freelance copywriter and blog writer. Her blog is thechicagodispLAcement where she writes comical and thoughtful musings about what it’s like to be a Chicago-LA transplant navigating her way “through this foreign land of smog and movie stars.”
The thing I love most about her blog is that it’s so relatable. Especially so for mid-westerners who find themselves feeling a bit of that all too familiar LA culture shock.
Anna and I talked about where she goes to get that warm and fuzzy “Chicago feeling,” what inspires her around her local Culver City hood and where she goes to satisfy her vegetarian food cravings.
Anna and I compared notes over dinner…
Backyard Bite: Anna, you suggested that we dine tonight at Rush Street in Culver City. Why Rush?
Anna: It feels very much like a Chicago Bar. This is by far is the bar/restaurant I have frequented the most. It’s probably a psychological thing, just the connection… the name. Whether the food or the ambiance really is “Chicago-like” it’s a matter of opinion, but it has a mid-west essence. Honestly, I don’t think that there are any truly authentic Chicago-style places in LA because well, LA is so LA. I don’t mean that as a slam. Chicago is just Chicago and LA is just LA. They are very different. I will say that I do love that Rush lacks the pretentiousness of most LA gastropubs. The ambiance, the exposed brick walls, the heartiness of the meals – it just feels very “Chicago” to me.
BYB: When I first moved here, I ate at a bunch of places that “claimed” to have authentic Chicago-style deep dish. Have you had a good deep dish out here that you think comes close?
Anna: I like Masa in Echo Park for deep dish. I find the dough a little sweeter in taste than say, Lou Malnati’s or Giordanos, but it’s good. The ambiance there is a little grittier, more blue-collar maybe. As far as pizza places in general, I love Village Pizza in Larchmont. It’s more thin, New York style.
BYB: Any other quintessential Chicago spots?
Anna: I actually love that there’s a Portillo’s in Buena Park. It’s not that close, but I like that there’s one nearby.
BYB: Good choice! They are so classic to Illinois. It’s pretty random actually that they are out here in California, but I feel lucky to get to have one (sort-of) nearby. I’ve actually trekked out to Buena Park a few times just to get my Chicago dog fix. Took about an hour to drive from LA, but it was worth it… Wait a sec, aren’t you vegetarian?
Anna: Yes, I am! Back in the day, I loved their Italian beef sandwiches. Now I can only enjoy the fries and glorious smell (of the food).
BYB: Where do you like to veg-out around here?
Anna: I highly recommend Vardo in Venice. It’s a wine bistro and gypsy café. I went with a friend recently and I loved it. It has some great vegetarian options and beautiful décor.
BYB: Oooh, that sounds interesting. Where else?
Anna: Hmmm… I also love Thai food in general. One of my favorite places to go is Bulan Thai on Melrose. I like their sate, summer rolls and pad woon sen, which I get with veggie shrimp.
They recently replaced the M Café in Culver City with a Native Foods Café, I liked the M Café, but Native Foods also has great vegan food too.
BYB: I go to the M Café on Melrose just up the street from me in West Hollywood! They’ve got good macrobiotic food. I love their Salmon wrap!
Anna: Okay, I should also mention that I LOVE sushi! The Yen Sushi up the street on Pico is probably the location I frequent the most. The outside doesn’t look like much. It’s kinda divey but it’s very comfortable, low lighting and casual; A good local gem.
BYB: Thanks for the tips Anna!
Anna recommends:
Bulan Thai (West Hollywood)
Masa (Echo Park)
M Café (Culver City)
Native Foods Café (Culver City)
Portillo’s (Buena Park)
Rush Street (Culver City)
Vardo (Venice)
Yen Sushi (Culver City)
Subscribe to Anna’s hilarious blog thechicagodispLAcement where she posts weekly! She’s also available for hire for freelance writing gigs and copywriting assignments. Go writers!
445 S Figueroa St · Los Angeles, CA 90071 · Neighborhood: Downtown
As Summer 2012 reaches the midway point, quite a few restaurants are luring guests in with special happy hour menus and fresh cocktails. I was invited by fellow foodie and blogger, Cathy Chaplin to sample some of the latest eats off the Border Grill happy hour menu which began serving to the public last Thursday!
Just in time for Dine LA (some Happy Hour items are also featured on the Dine LA lunch or dinner menu), you can stop in and enjoy appetizers like Mushroom Ceviche, Peanut Mole Chicken Sopes and my favorites; Quinoa Fritters and Green Corn Tamales!
It had been a while since I last came to visit this area of downtown when the space used to be Cuidad. For those of you who don’t like change, you’ll be happy to find that the restaurant art is virtually identical to its Border Grill sister restaurant in Santa Monica. London artists, Su Huntley and Donna Muir as always do a clever job of embodying the fun, colorful personalities of Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken through their art. The cartoon-like murals have a loud and in-your-face style. They are a great visual representation of Border Grill’s bold, cultural food.
On to the cocktails! The Gas·tron·o·mer and I pose with our drinkies.
One of my favorite cocktails of the evening was the Andean Stallion (2nd pic down). It is made with pisco, fernet branca, lime, agave and angostura bitters. It’s a strong drink that goes down smooth.
The other cocktail I can’t seem to get out my memory is the Fire/Water/Melon or “fiery water.” Oh man, this drink has got some delicious kick! It’s got pisco, watermelon, lemon and serrano chiles which make for a sexy burn. I loved it. (sorry no pic of this one, but it looks a lot like the Summer Santa – middle drink, below)
BYB Tip: If you find yourself in the downtown area this week, be sure to stop by Border Grill for Dine LA. After that, check them out for Happy Hour, lunch or dinner. It’s a great spot to chill and take to the edge off after work or entertain your family and out of town guests. PS- My mom approves.
Special shout out and thanks to Cathy Chaplin, Leah Ross and Megan Plaskow for inviting me to this fantastic sampling!
Some of the best restaurant suggestions I get are from my eating-partner-in-crime, my boyfriend, artist Jorge Oswaldo. (Yes, I know I’ve already written about his fantastic artwork in a previous post), but for reals yo, the guy truly inspires me! He is not only close to my heart, but close to my stomach as well– he knows what I like to eat!
Plus, seeing as how this weekly series, Foodie Friday is just getting started on the blog, I figure it would be a good idea to begin close to home.
Jorge’s recent artwork ironically, features a few food and beverage inspired influences. I hung out with him at his studio as we chatted about his art and local favorite food spots in the downtown Arts District and beyond.
Backyard Bite: Jorge, to start, can you tell us a little bit about your newest works and what they are about?
Jorge: The stuff I’ve been working on lately focuses on identity as its core theme. I first started with a “portrait” painting depicting the brands of products that I like to eat, wear and use [pictured above on right]. From there I started investigating what logos or brands my circle of friends and family were closely related with. People often reveal a big piece of who they are through the brands that they associate with, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously. I wanted to fuse those brands together and create unique juxtapositions that might inspire people to look at these familiar symbols in a different way. Pretty much every American can instantly identify these logos, which are essentially just shapes and lines.
BYB: One of my favorite new pieces you’ve done involves two of my guilty pleasures. Why did you use In-and-Out and Chick-fil-A as the subjects of your painting?
Jorge: This one was inspired by my friend James. I’ve been on this Americana kick lately and these are two very iconic restaurants that people have come to love, especially in LA. I noticed that oftentimes two competing companies, though they try to be different from each other, are essentially really pretty similar in many ways. In this case, two “healthy-ish” fast food chains are combined. I also did one with Coca Cola and Pepsi.
BYB: You spend A LOT of time in your art studio in downtown, Los Angeles. What are some of favorite places to go when you’re there?
Jorge: A lot of my friends had been telling me about this one taco joint in Boyle Heights, Guisados. Once I learned how close it was to my studio, I’ve pretty much been going there once a week. The décor is cool because they have a rotating wall of artists. It’s nothing fancy but it’s cool that they do that. The owners are not scared to write on their walls and get a little creative.
BYB: I agree! Quite possibly the best tacos I’ve had EVER. The place is so beloved by the community that it feels like it has been there forever (even though it’s only two years old). I don’t know anyone who’s tried it and didn’t like it. What do you like to get off the menu?
Jorge: I get the Mole taco and the Chicken Tinga taco. The Sampler Plate is also good if you’ve never eaten there and want to try a variety.
BYB: What’s your favorite coffee place downtown?
Jorge: Oh man, there are so many. Even though Urth Café is the neighborhood favorite, I try to venture out. I like to get my iced coffee at Handsome.
BYB: Heh! Coffee purists. No sugar or flavorings or anything! I got scolded there once because I asked them if they had soy milk.
Jorge: Yeah, those guys don’t F*ck around. It’s good coffee, you don’t need to add anything.
BYB: Okay, so you’ve finished working on a piece and it’s late at night and you’re starved… Where do you go?
Jorge: I like Baco Mercat – they have both good food and cocktails. The Toron and The Original are my favorite sandwiches. Their Burrata comes with these really good, crunchy pita chips. At least, I think they are pita chips. Whatever they are, they are good.
BYB: Baco is also a great spot for lunch. They serve Stumptown coffee there too, don’t they? I think that’s what you told me once…
Jorge: Yeah, that’s good coffee too. I usually get the house made soda though; Baco Pop. I like the Ginger one.
BYB: Is there anyplace that has really great art on the wall that you like?
Jorge: I like Bottega Louie – ironically for its lack of art. The walls are pristine, white… and from an artist standpoint, I can actually appreciate that. There is so much visual stimulation everywhere you go, but here, you are forced to look at the the architecture, the building, the people or simply what’s on your plate in front of you. There was a lot of thought that went into the design of that place.
BYB: Haha, Bottega Louie was also mentioned in a previous Foodie Friday post as well! That place sure gets a lot of love.
Thanks for sharing some of your Foodie Friday finds with my readers, Jorge!
Jorge recommends:
Guisados (Boyle Heights, Los Angeles)
Handsome Coffee Roasters (Downtown, Los Angeles)
Baco Mercat (Downtown, Los Angeles)
Bottega Louie, (Downtown, Los Angeles)
Jorge has been selected to be part of the 2012 Baker’s Dozen show at the Torrance Museum of Art. His works will be on view there from July 21st to September 1st.
To check out more of Jorge’s work, visit his website www.jorgeoswaldo.com
