Los Angeles
5 days in LA was not enough to eat and do everything I wanted but at least I was able to squeeze in a quick photo shoot with Bootleg Pizza. Kyle Lambert, the man behind Bootleg Pizza, started Bootleg Pizza early this year. When I caught up with him and his crew, he was making pizza in his brand new pizza truck. It was only their 2nd night out with the truck. If you’re in LA be sure to check them out!
Check out some of the photos below.
I recently went home to Los Angeles and did a photo shoot with Lucky Bird at Grand Central Market. You know I can’t stay away from fried chicken. Lucky Bird opened in Aug 2018 by Chef Chris Dane and Christine Dane. While they are the new kids of the current wave of new fried chicken restaurants opening in LA, Chef Dane has been planning and building out Lucky Bird since 2016.
- My 2015 FavoritesManhattan Inn
If I had to pick the ONE fried chicken that just totally blew me away, this would be it. I can't believe none of the food media people wrote about this. Forget fuku, forget Root & Bone, forget everything...just go here.
*For more info on any of these places, check out my fried chicken project website
- Places Food Media People Are Not Talking About But Really Should All of these places serve EXCELLENT fried chicken yet I have never seen any of these places in any fried chicken lists. Manhattan Inn - See above J'eatjet? - I hate sausage gravy but the one served at J'eatjet? changed my mind. Egg - Looking for something simple and delicious and just a solid plate of fried chicken? Ma Peche - Yes, the food media loves David Chang and gets load of press but people mostly talk about the fried chicken dinner at the noodle bar and fuku. The habanero fried chicken at Ma Peche is crazy good and should be getting a lot more press. 44 & X - I had low expectation for this place but it surprised me. Marietta - Peaches HotHouse, the sister restaurant, gets most of the love because of their Nashville inspired hot chicken but Marietta does a better job. Yafa Deli - Anyone that loves fried chicken, knows about Yafa Deli but I rarely see it on any "Best Of" lists. Broadway Bakery - Feeling nostalgia? The fried chicken here tastes just like old school Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sidecar - A solid plate of fried chicken at this local Park Slope spot.
- Favorite Sandwiches Cheeky Sandwiches Wilfie & Nell Parson's Chicken and Fish Delaney Chicken The Commodore The Meat Hook Sandwich
- All The Places I've Been In 2015 -Manhattan The Breslin Hudson Common Maharlika Filipino Moderno Ma Peche Mighty Quinn's Barbeque Delaney Chicken The Smith 44 & X Wilfie & Nell Root & Bone Egg Shop Cheeky Sandwiches Birds & Bubbles Spitzer's Corner Bian Dang Pies N Thighs Seoul Chicken fuku+
-Brooklyn J'eatjet? The Commodore Wilma Jean Egg Yafa Deli Pies N Thighs Red Star Sandwich Shop Abilene Manhattan Inn Shake Shack Wangs Marietta Beehive Oven Esme Mayfield Endless Summer Sidecar Fawkner Keg and Lantern
-Queens Broadway Bakery Queens Comfort Sweet Afton Mister Chicken to Go BocBoc Chicken Delicious Engeline's Restaurant and Bakeshop
-Los Angeles Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. Ledlow Howlin Ray's Gentry Chicken
-Philly Federal Donuts
-Chicago Parson's Chicken and Fish Honey Butter Fried Chicken Longman and Eagle
Not sure if it was because I haven't been home for a long time or I wasn't as lazy to trek out but this time in LA, I definitely ate a lot of stuff....a lot of great stuff. Here's everything I ate in the 7 days I was home. Picture above, an early lunch at Madcapra, a falafel place inside Grand Central Market opened by Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson.
Right after I landed in LAX and picked up my rental, I drove straight to In-N-Out (obviously). The next morning, had dim sum with the family at Five Star Seafood Restaurant. It was less than $18 for 4 people.
When I found out, about a month ago, that LA was getting their own Nashville style hot chicken truck, I quickly emailed the people at Howlin' Ray's. I saw that they were doing tasting events so I wanted to check if I can get a sneak taste! They said yes and that's how I ended up at the home of chef and owner, Johnny Zone. Afterward, I visited my friends, Chris and Katy, and we walked over to Churro Borough for some ice cream.
Took my parents to get dumplings at Luscious Dumplings in Monrovia for lunch and then had fried chicken happy hour at Tokyo Fried Chicken in Monterey Park before driving out to Mid-City for tacos.
Met up with my sister in Mid-City for Leo's Tacos Truck. This truck is parked in a gas station all day but to get their famous tacos al pastor that are freshly made, you gotta visit them at night.
I spent the majority of Friday doing my taco crawl/Instagram takeover for Saveur. I started the crawl with 2 crispy shrimp tacos at Mariscos Jalisco, a Jonathan Gold approved taco truck. Then it was steak and uni with smoked soy sauce taco at the Guerrilla Tacos truck in front of Blacktop Coffee.
Then tacos at Guisados in DTLA, followed by a half shrimp/half fish taco from Ricky's Fish Tacos.
I took a break from taco crawling to eat a quesadilla stuffed with cheese and chicharron from the Blue Corn Quesadilla Lady near Echo Park. On Sunday, I drove down to Irvine cause I promised my friends I take their family portraits. We met up at the Great Park and there was a farmer's market where I ate a bacon wrapped dog topped with fries.
Going back to Saturday, I met up with my two sisters to eat at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. It was my first time! Also, they have chicken and waffle so of course I got it.
Sunday night the whole family went to Ji Rong Restaurant for their popular Peking Duck and pork belly with mustard green.
On Monday night, the whole family went to Ledlow in DTLA for their fried chicken dinner, which is only served on Monday nights. Besides fried chicken, we also ordered the corn bread with bacon and the duck confit with Brussels sprouts salad.
