4th Annual L.A. Street Food Fest

Between navigating through traffic, fighting for parking spots, and hurdling over foodies and photographers, getting a bite to eat in the sprawl of LA can get to be a little troublesome. Asking yourself: "What's good around here?" The answer is: "Everything." The LA Street Food Fest returns for a fourth year at The Rose Bowl (Pasadena California), hosting over 100 vendors to feed your incredibly needy palate. As with each year, LA Street Food Fest presents us with a variety of culture through it's food vendors.  

This year's theme was "Taste of Mexico" highlighting LA's best tacos, taquitos, ceviche, and all your taqueria favorites. Casa Oaxaca brings LA a taste of Oaxaca with squash blossom quesadillas topped by spicy jalapeno & huitlacoche mole sauce. Ceviche Project wowed us with their sushi grade Tuna Ceviche with smoked nori, micro greens, and mango chutney. Easily, one of the best tastes of the day was brought to us by Javier Plascencia/ Erizo. His Tijuana Surf & Turf is a mixture of amazingly tender octopus and tripe coupled with cilantro and pickled radish stuffed into a crispity hard shell. Loteria Grill challenged the crowd and invited them to try some more "unconventional" meats.Their Birria taco, piled high with beef tongue, tendon, and tripe, chopped onions, cilantro, radish and a chile puya salsa, garnered my attention -- I am a man who loves the odds-and-ends of all animals. Loteria Grill brought out a second taco, Los Tres Cochinitos (The Three Little Pigs) again, piled high with bacon, carnitas, and chicharron, with a salsa Morita -- three ways to fry pork on a taco, what's not to love?

Loteria Grill: Los Tres Cochinitos

Loteria Grill: Birria Taco

Ceviche Project: Tuna Ceviche

Javier Plascencia/ Erizo: Tijuana Surf & Turf

Our stomachs now protruding with "The Taste of Mexico," we waddle to the other side of the map where we are amazed at the amount of food still waiting to be consumed. Our first stop, Luckdish Curry, where we sample the Chicken Curry with garbanzo beans over basmati rice. The chicken curry has a mild heat but is full of Indian flavor. Fred 62, a favorite of any drunkard wanting to sober up quickly, brings us the taste of America in a fried ball, Smoked Pork Belly Mac N' Cheese ball to be specific. Mama Musubi reintroduced me to musubis, a popular Hawaiian dish, and I am loving it. Mama's Musubi's Miso Chicken & Mama's Special Musubi, feel more like rice balls than pressed musubis -- regardless, delicious. Dog Haus Dogs' "The Reuben Dog" pastrami sausage with a Gruyere cheese sauce, haus slaw, Russian dressing, all overflowing in a grilled King's Hawaiian bun.

Mama Musubi: Mama's Special Musubi

Dog Haus Dogs' "The Reuben Dog" 

Time for dessert. The Ice Cream Social was a perfect treat to cool us from the summer heat. ICDC's smoked vanilla buttermilk glazed doughnuts are more addictive than Krispy Kreme. Where Krispy Kreme melts in your mouth on contact, ICDC's doughnuts not only melt, but leave an intense flavor that is not overly sweetened in your mouth. Currywurst created an impromptu dessert as their supplies were running low, Nutella Grilled Cheese, need I say more? A Nutella French toast, banana, and powder sugar to top, I was glad to have gotten one of the few served. Finally, Manhattan Beach Creamery unleashes its Cream'wiches. Sold. Manhattan Beach Creamery ice cream -- fantastic. Fresh baked cookies baked by Manhattan Beach Creamery -- Fantastic. Combine the two and create a fantastic dessert to sell in your local market.

LA Street Food Fest brought forward a great food experience showcasing the pure diversity Los Angeles has to offer Angelenoes and all traveling foodies. I am excited to see what menus these vendors have to offer their patrons this year. Whatever it is, I know I'll be in line to check it out.       

Photos by: Nina Semaun

Original post can be seen at: http://la.tasteterminal.com/2013/07/08/la-street-food-fest-2/

Cici's Cafe

18912 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, Ca. 91356
818.881.6704
$$($10-$20)

Some people consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. Let's be real -- Breakfast is, hands down, the best meal of the day. Whether that breakfast consist of: a medium rare steak, over easy eggs, bacon, and potatoes; Or, fluffy red velvet pancakes, topped with chocolate shavings, whipped cream, maple syrup, and strawberries; or a piece of fried chicken sitting on top of a tall stack of buttered-up waffles, all drowned in maple syrup. Breakfast may be the most "important" meal of the day, but, I prefer it when it's the most decadent.

Cici's menu is ridiculous. Their menu is as exhausting as reading "The Odyssey." I called upon the Gods to come to a decision... meaning, I dropped a pencil and picked whatever it landed next to -- very scientific.

Hash Benedict [$13.25]
Corn Beef Hash + 2 Poached Eggs + English Muffin + Hollandaise Sauce + Potatoes (side)

Let me first say, the picture above does not give justice to how big this plate is; how Cici's Cafe is able to turn a profit off of their insane portions is beyond me. Their dishes can easily serve two people -- I, on the other hand, am a fat ass and have no limitations or dignity to prevent myself from shoveling excessive amounts of food into my mouth. Cutting into the delicate poached egg, I am overjoyed to bear witness as the yolk and Hollandaise sauce join forces and engulf the corn-beef and English muffin. The Hollandaise sauce is rich and buttery and plays nicely with the saltiness of the tender corn-beef. This is a heavy breakfast, don't plan anything for the remainder of your day.

Cici's Cafe has variety... maybe a little too much variety. I suggest bringing a group of friends so you can pick off their plates. The food is decadent and not for those who are incredibly health conscious. Also, if you are on a budget, don't fret, an order is sufficient for two -- you'll just have to take your time in coming to a decision on what you will be ordering  -- I suggest bringing a pencil. Definitely, go to Cici's Cafe to get fat.

Tender Greens

201 Arizona Ave.
Santa Monica, CA. 90401
310.587.2777
http://www.TenderGreens.com/
$$($10-$20)

Driving to Santa Monica's Farmers Market on Saturdays always feels like surviving one round of Death Race. What's worse is -- I am always starving when I get there. I can never decide between Nectarines at $3.00/ lb., Strawberries at $13.00/ pint, or a small herb garden for $250.00. Good thing dogs aren't allowed and I was kicked out before depleting my bank account on delicious strawberries and herb gardens.

Just on the other side of the "No Dogs Allowed" sign, I spotted a line of people extending from a doorway. Above them it read: "Tender Greens." I had to see what all the hub-bub was about. Waiting in line is something I hate, but I guess that means the food is good -- right? The yoga class ahead of me is quickly taken care of, either these people knew what they wanted or their service is incredibly efficient, either way, I was at the front fumbling my order in no time at all. Inside I was immediately reminded of the Subway, Chipotle, Qdoba, set-up, just  a longer assembly line and happier employees. 

Mint Lemonade [$3]
Housemade Lemonade + Fresh Mint

 Nothing really settles you in on a hot day in Santa Monica like a tall glass of ice cold lemonade. The lemonade is made in-house and has a generous helping of macerated mint floating about. The drink is lightly sweetened and very refreshing, all it's missing is some vodka.     

Half Order: Rainbow Carrots [$3]
Half Order: Asparagus [$3]
Roasted Rainbow Carrots + Roasted Asparagus

Simple Roasted Asparagus and Rainbow Carrots. Veggies are perfectly firm and lightly salted. A perfect side.

Backyard Marinated Steak Sandwich [$11]Flank Steak[M. Rare] + Ciabatta + Roasted Peppers + Aioli + Kale Salad 

The Backyard Marinated Steak Sandwich is a hefty serving of steak on a ciabatta, with a light spread of sweet roasted peppers and aioli. Because Tender Greens is an assembly-line style fast food restaurant, all meats are pre-cooked and ready to be cut-up then served. The steak, is more medium than rare and retains a bit of chewiness. Though slightly chewy, the steak is still mighty tasty. The roasted peppers add a sweetness to the sandwich but doesn't detract from the steak. The ciabatta is toasted and absorbs the juices from the meat, roasted peppers, and aioli, successfully integrating and delivering these flavors.      

Tender Greens is an assembly line of fresh ingredients, everything is made to order -- kinda like Subway. Unlike Subway, Tenger Greens provides a delicious final product that is well worth the price. Tender Greens is definitely a place where you'd want to get fat.

Leo & Lily

22420 Ventura Blvd.

Woodland Hills, Ca. 91364

818.222.6622

http://www.leonlily.com/

$$($10-$20)

Leo & Lily is an eatery off of Ventura catering to those who want something "hearty, filling, healthy, and affordable." Though off of Ventura and the 101, porch side dining is free of the sounds of traffic. Unfortunately, Leo & Lily have terrible taste in music, and should seriously consider turning the generic music off and accept the sound of silence. The menu is short making ordering simple. Right off the bat I saw something that interested me without question.     

Turkey Meatloaf Panini [$9.95]
Turkey Meatloaf + Whole Grain Mustard + Ciabatta

Why do I insist on playing Russian Roulette? Why? I am well aware of my abysmal track record for scoring the rare satisfying meatloaf sandwich. Call me Ahab, when I see "meatloaf" I am looking at my White Whale. Leo & Lily make the attempt, but they fall short. 

It's definition time. Panini is derived from the Italian "panino" which refers to any sandwich made from bread that isn't "sliced-bread." Traditionally speaking, we are looking at ciabatta, rosetta, or baguettes. "Panino's" are NOT toasted or pressed. The United States, United Kingdom, & Canada, define "Panini's" as pressed and toasted sandwiches. Considering this sandwich has no grill marks and shows no signs of being pressed, it's obviously the former, meaning Leo & Lily should rename their sandwich.

Let's talk bread. Ciabatta is thick and crusty. I like ciabatta. Sliced vertically, brushed with some herbed butter, and pressed, I can definitely use it for a panini. Cut horizontally, that's a lot of bread, even if pressed. 

If you have read any of my other entries you know how I feel about any condiment placed on the side of my plate -- they're worthless and tend to over-power the original experience of any food it's served with. If the condiment is beneficial toward the enjoyment of the meal, it would be part of its original construction. Get the condiments off the table.

Now, the star, Moby Dick. I was unimpressed looking at the sandwich put infront of me. I should have known, it's a turkey meatloaf, not exactly a bird known for its fat content. Biting into the Panino I tasted an overabundance of whole-grain mustard (a little bit goes a long way -- something to take into consideration for next time) and a great deal of breadiness. Between the ciabatta and mustard, the taste of meatloaf escaped me. I picked out one of the two slices. The meatloaf felt like pressed firm tofu and tasted bland, almost synthetic.         

Portobello Fries [$5.95]
Deep Fried Portobello Mushroom Slices

I had a great experience with Portobello Fries at King's Row and thought I would give it another go... not as satisfying this time around. Leo & Lily uses a panko dredge, assuming these fries are housemade and not mass produced, flash frozen, and then sold in the freezer section of your local mega mart. Biting into the fry, the shell falls apart without even a satisfying crunch. The mushroom is sliced, dredged, and deep fried, unfortunately nothing shields the mushroom from absorbing the oils it was fried in; resulting in soggy oily slices of portobello mushrooms incased in thick breading. I guess that's why you are given a heaping side of garlic aioli.

Leo & Lily, as they claim, serve food that can be construed as "hearty, filling, healthy, and affordable." Unfortunately the food is not something I would recommend getting fat with. 

Kings Row: Gastropub

20 E. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena, Ca. 91105

626.793.3010

http://www.kingsrowpub.com/

$$($10-$20)

What is a "gastropub?" Originally, pubs in the UK were places where you could drink, but in terms of food you'd only be getting bread, cheese and chutney, cooking is for your wife. Considering our new obsession with being fat, pubs understand that people want something to eat while getting drunk on tasty beverages... Let's be honest, a gastropub is a pub where you are paying a premium for eating and drinking at a place pretentiously self-titled and self-aware. 

Next on the list of words I feel need to be defined is "cicerone." A cicerone is a certified expert on beer, they are trained and tested on storage, styles, cultures, flavors, brewing ingredients and processes, and pairings with foods. Something else you are paying a premium for. 

Now that we can put the dictionary away let's talk about Kings Row. Kings Row is a great place for a date. The ambience is intimate, comfortable and romantic. You order at the bar and soon after food comes out to you. I really enjoyed that the bar tender was knowledgable about the menu and the drinks. But what I loved was the fact that the bar tender wasn't dicking around; if you didn't have any questions or didn't look ready she continued attending to people who had questions or knew what they wanted and would get to you once you were ready to say something other than "uhm."Also, the drinks are wonderfully strong and not watered down.

Bubble & Squeak [$11]
smoked salmon + fingerling potatoes + asparagus + créme fraiche + dill + fried egg

 The Bubble & Squeak was served to us on a hot skillet. The dill flavor is very prominent and pairs nicely with the smoked salmon. The créme fraiche is incredibly rich and filling and starts to over power you once you are nearing the bottom of the skillet. There are pieces of asparagus scattered with the potatoes, but, aside for, maybe color, they don't bring anything extra to the dish. The "bubble" is the fried egg(sunny-side-up) which is perfect but there is no squeak, unless Salmons squeak... do they?

Crispy Portobello Fries [$9]
house-battered portobello mushrooms + pesto aioli

The crispy portobello fries were hands down my favorite dish on the table. The pesto aioli was... I just don't like condiments, I can't understand why I need to alter the flavors of a dish with an overpowering condiment -- but, considering they are placed on the side, they aren't required to enjoy the dish. I tried the aioli, and yes, as I suspected, it completely overpowered the fries.

Portobello fries were lightly battered, firm, and slightly crispy. The meatiness of the portobello mushroom fries were not compromised by the oils in which they were fried. This is something I would definitely come back for.

Proper Fish N' Chips [$14]
IPA beer-battered fresh alaskan cod + kennebec french fries + house tartar

I have never had a "proper fish n' chips." Either the chips are unimpressive or the fish -- in this case it was the former. Looking at the short bucket before us I made note of the large pieces of (Alaskan cod) and their seemingly crisp exterior sitting on french fries. On the side we have ketchup, house tartar sauce, and half a lemon. Immediately I drained each quarter of lemon equally on both pieces of fried cod.

Cutting into the cod, I noticed the batter wasn't crisp and the fish easily broke apart. The fish is fresh and perfectly cooked, there is no fishy after taste or oily flavor in the least. The fries on the other hand were saturated in oil and are very lackluster in comparison to the portobello fries.    

Kings Row: Gastropub -- "A Noted House For Fine Food & Ales." If the titles don't give it away, I am sure the cicerones will give you that pretentious hipster vibe. Kings Row has a fantastic ambience for hanging out with friends or going on a date. It's pub food done up nicely and can easily be shared as tapas. It's an interesting place with plenty of variety, I would recommend gathering your friends for some drinks and getting fat here. 

King's Burgers

9345 Reseda Blvd.
Northridge, Ca 91324
(818) 885-6456
$($8 - $10)

King's Burgers is dive burger joint walking distance from CSUN. As far as I can remember, King's has been here since the early 90's and I am assuming they haven't had a remodel since their opening. But I am not going into the particulars on how I would update their restaurant... because, as you would imagine, I am being solicited on a daily basis by the owner.

Bleu Cheese Arugula Burger ($8.99)

The Bleu Cheese Arugula Burger is a quarter pounder topped with mozzarella, seasoned sautéed green apple slices, unwashed arugula, tomatoes, lettuce, and a thin layer of bleu cheese dressing.  I love the salty and tangy flavor bleu cheese crumbles add to burgers, the texture becomes cohesive with the burger patty in a magical way. Unfortunately, there were no crumbles of bleu cheese on this burger, rather, a questionable spread that may have been bleu cheese dressing. The arugula gave a peppery flavor paired well with sour green apples. 

The burger patty itself was thin, pressed, and charred. All the natural juices which should have coated the paper beneath the burger were as absent as the bleu cheese. The addition of the mozzarella would have made sense, had I ordered a Mozzarella Arugula Burger... maybe I am just bitter about the absence of bleu cheese crumbles. 

One corner of the cheese had accidentally met the grill giving it a wonderful crispy texture, kinda like a well done slice of pizza, making me wish the mozzarella was bruled instead of slightly melted. Finally, there was the addition of tomatoes, lettuce and mayonaise, three components which seemed to be have thrown on to the burger "just because." All burgers don't need lettuce and tomatoes, and neither did this. 

King's Burgers is an affordable burger dive near CSUN. The menu is large and, I can only imagine, expanding. Though the ambiance is dated, it's inviting and comfortable. Unfortunately the flavors are uneven and muddled by unnecessary flavors. Their burger was over-done, charred, and, I suspect, originally frozen. An entire meal can be successfully composed between two buns, but there is nothing wrong with simplicity. King's isn't bad, but there are better places to get fat.  

The Picnic Basket

125 Beach Street
Santa Cruz, California
(831) 427-9946
http://thepicnicbasketsc.com/
$$($10-$15)

The Picnic Basket

"The Picnic Basket is dedicated to simple, delicious food and treats, seasoned with lots of love. Local farmers, foragers, and artisans, including Penny Ice Creamery, are the cornerstone of our seasonal menu."  --The Picnic Basket

The Picnic Basket is a recent addition to Santa Cruz's beachfront. It promotes “artisanal” food produced using fresh local ingredients from "Local farmers, foragers and artisans" making me get the feeling that this is a gimmicky over-priced hipster eatery.

Meatloaf Sandwich

Going down the list of “off-menu” specials on the chalkboard next to the register “Meatloaf Sandwich” catches my eye. I am no stranger to the ruse of a "meatloaf special" and I have had my share of disappointedly chewing on dry, burnt, overly-sauced, bland, thinly sliced "meatloaf specials" barely covering the surface area between two pieces of bread. Still, the craving and curiosity is never silenced.

The sandwich delivered to me, was barely contained by its basket. The bread was firm with a crunchy crust and smeared with a smoky mildly spicy mayo. The “smoked” component was continued with the Swiss cheese, which melted nicely on top of the meatloaf, which was glazed with sweet and smoky ketchup. Finally, a few leaves of arugula gave it a certain fresh crispiness.

The Picnic Basket doesn't skimp on portions; the slice was thicker than both pieces of bread combined, quite a bit of meat. Biting into the sandwich the meat crumbled and melted in my mouth. On the side we have a PICKLED CARROT, which worked better with the sandwich than your standard pickle (the one made from cucumbers).

Aside from its annoying hipster first impressions, The Picnic Basket is a brilliant place to have something fresh, tasty, and get fat.