A mural with hollywood celebrities in the Los Feliz neigh- bourhood, LA.
My twenties were roaring - right after graduation, gripped by a euphoric sense of freedom, I wanted to go as far as a pair of metal wings could take me. I landed up booking my first trip to Los Angeles in 2006. I mapped California, scratching off blissful towns and sunny locales through road trips all the way to the neighbouring cities - from San Diegoto Vegas, San Francisco to Napa, eventually setting my heart on the City of Angels for the years to follow.
With every visit, I discover a strange attraction to an otherwise slow-paced but friendly city, which absorbs me deeper into its realms. The Angelenos (LA’s multifaceted citizens) live a snug, suburban life, hard to resist. My initial years were restricted to touristy experiences - from Disneyland (the joy), the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Universal Studios to dining at the chic Beverly Hills / West Hollywood restaurants. I steered headlong into a fantasy world. Hollywood is an unavoidable attraction, but glitz and glamour can be found in the most obscure of places around LA. Angelenos love to eat out and the dining culture is palpable within all communities, be it celebrities, artistes, homebodies or professionals. There are certain hotspots in LA’s restaurant landscape, apart from the fashionable Beverly Boulevard.
Californian fare is largely produce centric, given that the state has one of the larg- est agricultural focuses in USA. Food trends are rife with American and Mexican cuisine with the likes of burgers, tacos, doughnuts and a massive variety of fast food. The spectrum of health food, vegan and organic tailored fare equally match up. I crave LA’s nativedrive-through burger joint In-N-Out, which serves up classic beef burgers, fries and shakes. They have been around since 1948 and have over three hundred locations in sixstates. The real deal was discovering a hole-in-the-wall, 60’s burger spot Bill & Hiroko’s run by ninety three year old Bill Elwell. Bill flips seared meat patties onto the quintessential combination of mayo-lettuce-tomato-pickle-bun. While classics like these exist, it’s not long before they become a fading food destination and pass on without any branches or corporate takeovers, adding to their unique mystery and charm.
Tacos are a religion and taco trucks my saving grace. My street food senses are on an all time high the moment I leave our addictive street-fare back in India. Taco-gods such as ‘Wes Avila’ of Guerrilla Tacos and the original truck-whiz Roy Choi (Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Truck) introduced LA to the concept of taco trucks, setting a precedent for manyfour wheeler food joints. They are the Mecca for late night cravings; cheap and wholesome. Piping hot carnitas-al-pastor (pork roasted on a rotating spit) from Leo’s Taco Truck on Sunset Boulevard transport one to a different realm. The chefs deftly slice up meat on handmade corn tortillas with a wedge of pineapple. For a few dollars one can eat three of these with unlimited salsa and condiments. Similarly Carnitas El Momo, a popular food truck parked at a Mobil gas station in Boyle Heights whips up maciza (chopped porkshoulder), cuerito (velvety fronds of pork skin) and buche (supple and flavor bomb portions of pork stomach) onto larger than expected tacos.
Ethnic cuisine focused trucks are a majority. Traveling food truck Cafe Vietnam Truck dishes out Vietnamese staples such as Bahn Mi and luscious Pork Belly Fries and on a few date nights, I skip the fancy Mastros Steak House and stop by a truck in the artsy city of Venice (LA), run by Royalty - Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, the grandson of Umberto II - the last reigning king of Italy. Prince Emanuele has a few high-end food trucks - Prince of Venice dishing out classic Italian fare with menu items, which includetruffles, handmade pastas and imported cheese.
Echo Park Lake, the original filmmaking destination before Hollywood took centrestage.
A prelude to food truck escapades involves a definitive drinking session. While rooftop bars are private getaways for the elite, the underlying drinking trends sift out watering holes, which have been known to leave me in a tizzy. ‘Mezcal’ is big around the world; this smoky, funky alternative to the common tequila is winning hearts. Bar CaloÌ, a Mezcaleria in the heart of Echo Park (LA) has over seventy different bottles of this ubiquitous spirit, sourced from independent producers in Mexico. LA’s dramatic bar culture has something for everyone. I came across a hidden, eighteen seater whisky speakeasy called Bar Jackalope at the Seven Grand in Downtown LA, the foremost spot for the rebirth of great cocktails. It has one of the finest collections of whisky in the world and is known for their whisky flights.
The city has managed to hold on to some iconic F&B spots too. A hundred year old Hollywood restaurant – Musso & Frank Grill has hosted many of Hollywood’s famed. It has its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is frequented by Hollywood’s afterlife. It is alleged that the ghosts of Errol Flynn and Jean Harlow have been sighted often andan uncannily loyal celebrity ghost of Charlie Chaplin finds his favorite plush booth to stop by on some nights.
Walking in DTLA (Downtown LA) is my favorite thing with myriad shades of people and places. Looming steel edifices juxtapose with old brick and mural covered buildings in a grid patterned city. Flanked by neo-modern architecture coupled with nos- talgia, crisp besuited business folks mingle with casual boho chic fashion influencers at quaint cafes or on the patios of some of DTLA’s finest restaurants. I tuck in a quick lunch at Faith & Flower (a vintage themed, new American cuisine restaurant) or for a casual family style dinner at the upscale Nightshade (California focused, Cantonese cuisine by ace chef Mei Lin), often.
The city is dotted with a number of craft micro breweries, nestled amongst local fashion boutiques selling vintage apparel. Situated in the street art heavy Arts District, my personal favorites are Angel City Brewery (the OG microbrewery recognised through its heavily photographed angel wings mural) and Barbara’s at the Brewery, which is righton a campus for artists and their live works. You’ll find creative minds painting murals on fading walls or parking lots quite often.
“The city has managed to hold on to some iconic F&B spots too. A hundred year old Hollywood restaurant - Musso & Frank Grill has hosted many of Hollywood’s famed.”
If you leave the buzzing city behind and want to absorb alternate cultures, just a few blocks off are LA’s most vibrant and ethnic neighborhoods. The best ways to weave through them are on foot or bike. Enterprising individuals like Bikes & Hikes LA and Handlebar Bike Tours run curated tours, but I resort to using a new breed of transport called micro-mobility. Rent electric scooters from app based services such as Bird, Lime or Jump for veritable options at a fraction of the cost of a normal ride share hire.
Once you are left on your own to wheel around, you can explore wholeheartedly. I have uncovered some cool spots at these neighborhoods spanning thirty square miles of authentic experiences revolving around food, entertainment and lifestyle. Chalk out a plan to start at Larchmont Village, a largely residential area with charming tree-lined sidewalks and boutique stores, evoking a small town feel. Their Sunday farmers’ markets are quaint and quirky, filled with a bouquet of fresh finds. It is also home to one of LA’s popular vegan haunts – Cafe Gratitude. Take a walk in the shaded Robert L. Burns Park or stop by for a quick relaxing massage at Larchmont Sanctuary Spa.
Move onwards to Little Tokyo, one of the fewer Japanese-American cultural centers remaining in USA with a dedicated National Museum, showcasing its history. All my Japanese cravings are met at Men Oh Tokushima Ramen, which has some exceptional ramen made with a sixteen hour cooked, richly flavored broth. Little Tokyo has Bluewhale, an excellent jazz club with a live performance space for local creative artistes, complete with a bar serving house cocktails, made with small batch bourbons.
LA is known for dressing down with cool grungy streetwear and a super casual demeanor. Little Tokyo has some fashionable stores like Popkiller - run by talented artistes making hand illustrated tees or modern street wear and accessories showcased at Japangeles.
Echo Park is another hotspot neighbourhood. Centered by a lake with its namesake, this place was the original filmmaking destination before Hollywood took centrestage. Established in 1892, it is known for its sweeping views of Downtown LA, through tabled vantage points, accessed by a maze of different staircases. Baxter Street Stairs will give you peek of the Hollywood sign and the iconic Griffith Observatory. Go to the southwest corner of this neighborhood and find yourself in Historic Filipino Town (locally known as HiFi) scattered with cultural medallions and quaint installations.
Finally finish off with Los Feliz, a creative neighborhood with a vibe independent of the typical LA landscape. It is home to some architectural masterpieces and its streets are lined with Indie boutiques, eclectic cafes and dive bars. A popular dive bar called The Drawing Room has an electric vibe and a loaded jukebox. It also houses an old school,single screen theater built in the 1920s called Vista, where you have a classic movie experience of a lifetime. One of my favorite Italian restaurants, Palermo has been around for the past forty four years, run by gregarious owner, Tony and his wife, who bustle around like they are in their twenties. I make a stop here often to get my slice of history and pizza. LA has its spot in the limelight, I would move here in a jiffy, if I could.
This is an exlcusive from our November Bookazine. To read more grab your copy here.
Text Nikhil Merchant
Date 13-03-2021