LA Eastside

I don’t know why I care. It actually makes me look bad, a so-called vegetarian succumbing to eating ground up shrimp powder? I mean, why not just go for some dolphin or tuna or shark or lobster instead of the roach of the sea? Cuz I’m an idiot, that’s why.

Yet here I am once again excitedly reminding you that during these few weeks of cuaresma you might consider trying that odd and irrelevant plate of Tortas de Camaron, a dish that will disappear for another year once the zombie Jesus squirms his way out of that tomb. It’s a strange seasonal option: the dish consists of tortas (or tortitas) which are fried shrimp-powder infused egg batter, topped with nopalitos and doused with a red chile sauce. Its the poor persons way of not eating land animals as an act of sacrifice (oh please!) meant to appease some Catholic tradition or other. I used to know, now I don’t care. It’s just a time of year with much more food options at Mexican restaurants for vegetarians. And bad vegetarians as well.

There’s something satisfying about the simplicity of this plate, its humble origins, and the pleasing contrast of textures. It just works.

(more…)

Comments(3)

I don’t know how many times I’ve passed by this spot either walking or on the bus and saying to myself, “self, you gotta go try that Japanese Taco place in Little Tokyo. And pick up some manga from the anime shop down the street. You know, the one with the 4 ft tall Zaku from Mobile Suit Gundam. Char’s Red Comet. Yeah that one.” I was in the hood this past Saturday night because I went to go see my friends band play. The lead singer was a former Power Ranger. Like I’m gonna pass that up.

(more…)

Comments(7)

This morning I shuffled out of the house in my chànclas to bring in the morning newspaper and to bring a bite of breakfast to my favorite pet squirrel, Frank. As I bent to grab the paper, I happened to glance down on the sidewalk where I discovered a ghastly sight that filled me with disgust and horror…

WARNING! WARNING! The following images depict extreme carnage and gore of the: “ALARMA!” magazine kind. If any readers are prone to àsco and revulsion at such sights, STOP NOW! PLEASE DO NOT CLICK TO CONTINUE WITH THE REST OF THIS POST! You have been warned! proceed at your own risk…….ahi de ti!!………. (more…)

Comments(5)

For the second year in a row Self Help Graphics auctioned off some of the most eligible bachelors this side of the river. Can you believe that someone was bought off for $600 !?!?!? Yeah, $600 and I’m not talking about monopoly money here folks. Never in my life have I seen to women out bid each other like that. It was madness I tell ya, but all for a good cause, SHG. Here’s a few pics I took of the day and a quick rundown.

(more…)

Comments(1)

This Saturday a bunch of food trucks are gathering in a parking lot en el centro, setting up shop, and hoping you’ll wait in line to order some of their food items. According to the website, there will be all kinds of trucks, from normal taco trucks to those fancy “mobile gourmets” that seem to be all the rage on the Westside. And it will cost you $5 just to get near these trucks. I feel obligated to share this information with you, but I certainly can’t condone it.

I feel like a dick for writing this: I hope you don’t go.

(more…)

Comments(27)

On Saturday morning I had coffee with a Los Angeles city worker, who (among other of his colleagues), is disturbed at the direction city leadership is laying out the LA Game-‘o-Life board. This week Mayor Villaraigosa said regarding the economic crisis fueled job cuts, “I don’t do this because I want to, I do this because I must.” Within this “a man must do what a man must do” blanket statement are also choices. In a city of approximately 40,000 city workers, there are 10,000 police and between 5,000 & 6,000 in the fire department, making them 40% of the city workforce. LA city workers have been appraised that Villaraigosa wants to focus on public safety first, translated means that other services in the city will suffer, but not the police forces.

Across my desk this week were dialogues about student actions being planned regarding the cuts in education, the closing of more parks in the city, the dissolution of the city’s Cultural Affairs Department (I got somewhere around 50 email petitions, which helped overturned this plan—gracias artistas!), an alarming price increase menu on traffic tickets with added rules (drivers beware!), gentrification plans to mow down more eastside historic buildings, and Pearl Art Store selling everything at 75% off (looks like they are going down).

As the students have noted in their various cries for continued funding, this city spends more on prisons and those who can imprison us, than things that can uplift us as a humanity, such as community spaces, art and education. I cringe to think what sort of summer we are headed for in LA. More negative places to be pushed into, armed monitors of humans to catch you erring, climbing prices on everything, mom and pops closing all around us, polluted city drinking water, no jobs, gas that cost more than a blood transfusion and no light at the end of the tunnel. My free-thinking art friends say “let the whole thing crash, we have survived worse.” I am starting to picture myself teaching an impromptu class to eager students on the street corner where they have been locked out of their schools.

Go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Comments(38)

Earlier today, a friend noted that there was nothing sexier than a man who makes good waffles. I scoffed. Waffles are overrated. Find me a man who makes excellent chilaquiles and I’ll fall in love. Yes, chilaquiles are that awesome. They’re simple yet so tasty, the perfect example of what I grew up calling “poor people’s food.”

A couple of years ago I started a project on my blog to review chilaquiles at local Mexican restaurants. (Yes, I was copying El Chavo’s huevos rancheros series.) I did one review and then let the project go, but continued to eat my fair share of my favorite breakfast dish. The problem with reviewing food is that a photo is necessary, but I often forget to stop and take a picture.

On Friday morning, I was patient… at least for a minute.

(more…)

Comments(5)

World famous Mexican sandwich indeed. There are only soo many ways you can make a torta before you end up repeating yourself over and over and over again. When it comes to making delicious tortas, it’s the little things that go a long way. It’s soo good, no one can deny its glory.

(more…)

Comments(6)

You know what I hate about vegetarian/vegan restaurants? They’re expensive. For some stupid reason, the fact that you want a meatless option triggers a gouging response where they are allowed to shake you down for extra change. Yeah, maybe its a specialty, but it ain’t that special anymore. I’ll get into that some other time, I’m not here to fix this issue at the moment. Instead I want to point you towards a place that takes a different approach, providing delicious veggie food at reasonable prices. And as you’ll soon see, sometimes incredibly reasonable prices! Click ahead  if you want to see why I think you should take a lunch break over in the charming city of Rosemead.

(more…)

Comments(5)

Some friends come to visit us these weekend, they came from Chi Town, so being the good friend that I am, I took them out for dinner. When I was in Chicago visiting them, they took me to a Thai Cuisine place, claiming that it was the best Thai place on earth. I have to admit that it was pretty damn good, but nothing compares to Chuan Chim.

You can bring your own beer/wine with you, so we brought some Negra Modelo with us. The Thai tea is awesome, I’ve had it in many places, but their version is by far the best.

(more…)

Comments(7)