Category Archives: Food

Randoms Rundown: Mayday Mayhem

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It would seem that everyone and their mom is going to be in Downtown this Saturday for the May Day march. I myself will also be there of course, but what about after the march is over. Then what ? Well, jump on board the Goldline and make your way East of the river and indulge in a night out in Boyle Heights. Marching, chanting and holding up signs can take its toll and work up a hunger. Well what better way to end a protest than by supporting the Boyle Heights Street Vendors Association. The street vendors are officially back. All the hard work from East Los Angeles Community Corporation’s Community Organizing Department will culminate into what is sure to be a great night of some of the best antojitos in L.A.

137 N. Soto (soto st. and Michigan Ave) between 6pm and 10pm.  Help us support street vendors who are struggling to make a living and fighting for the right to work in their own community. (Bring Cash, no credit cards accepted)

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The State Of The Torta

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The torta has got to be one of the most unappreciated cheap Mexican fast foods around, the lonely and homely half-sister to that king taco that gets all the attention.  How can a mere sandwich even begin to measure up to glory that is the taco? Still, little Miss Torta has her own charms. Sometimes the Torta is exactly the one you want to do. I have a few favorite spots where the torta is the only item I want to put in my mouth. (Hmm, that sounds funny.) But I figured it was time to venture away from the known and try a few other places, see how their so-called tortas stack up. Someone needs to start the Great Torta Hunt to kick off an appreciation of our most favorite utilitarian sandwich.

I took a few notes and pics of some recent examples across our city, for what little its worth. Click ahead to see the State of the Modern Torta in Los Angeles.

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Boyle Heights Open Air Market: Coming Soon

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I am ecstatic to report that Boyle Heights is in the process of finally getting a place for food vendors to share their fabulous foods with the people once again. Harmony between the vendors, police and people calling the police on the vendors is one of the key problems that the food vendors faced when they were doing it alacart on Breed and Chavez. East Los Angeles Community Corporation and it’s amazing organizers have done an amazing job in helping the vendors get this market going, meeting requirements that will give it the final ok from the L.A. City Council. Can I have my pancakes with cajeta now ?

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Open Air Market community forum

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Last time I reported on the Breed Street Food Vendors, I was telling everyone to show their support by signing the petition to get an evening farmers market going here in Boyle Heights. Well I’m ecstatic to report that not only were there enough petitions turned in, but the L.A. City council approved the motion to get this farmers market up and running. Whether you agree with this move or not, it doesn’t really matter because you aren’t the one’s that are struggling to make ends meat, hiding from police and wonder when you will be able to make a living selling your home made dishes and sharing them with everyone else. So, come to Corazon del Pueblo and find out what the future holds for street vendors.

Raspados

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Little known random fact about me, I use to be a raspado vendor. I kid you not. This was when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life after graduating high school. You know, taking a year off or three from school to get my head on straight.  I worked as a street vendor and I learned some life lessons that cannot be learned anywhere else. Even when I was a kid, the raspado man would be a sight for sore eyes when school let out. My favorite all time flavors are  rompope, vanilla, strawberry, then all three combined with some lechera on top Mmmm, mmmm.

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Guelaguetza Oaxacan Resturant

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The Guelaguetza (from the zapotec word “guendalizaa”) between the villages in Oaxaca means “mutual help” or “Shared Offering”


I first went to this spot last year,  my homie knew that I really liked mole, so he recommended Guelaguetza because he said the mole there was really good. I am used to more pipian style mole because it is spicier, so I wasn’t sure how I would like a sweeter Oaxacan style mole. To my surprise the mole, and everything else was delicious.

More juice after the jump!

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Cafecito Organico

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Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction may hold world titles in hipster density and most trafficked trendy businesses but who wants to gamble with parking enforcement and wait in twenty-minute lines for a freakin’ cup of coffee just to sport Intelligentsia’s logo?


Gamble not and wait not for Cafecito Organico has arrived next door, literally. Well, at least for those who do live next door and in walking distance from the cafe in the mostly residential area of Silver Lake. Nestled on the corner of Hoover and Bellvue, Cafecito Organico is the newest cafe in the area and only a two-minute drive from the hip Sunset Junction block. Reminiscent of a typical Italian coffee bar, the cafe struts a standing counter inside for those customers in for a quick espresso stop. The backdoor patio lets the loungers sip on lattes and check their email.
A relaxed and welcoming atmosphere, Cafecito offers quite the opposite experience from neighboring often-overcrowded gourmet coffee shops. Customers will usually be greeted by the owners, Mitch Hale and Angel Orozco – both awesome baristas and the nicest, most humble people on the planet – and their friendly staff. Mitch, Angel and their staff can also be found at the Silver Lake and Hollywood Farmers Markets on Saturdays and Sundays, where their business started two years ago and has become so successful that they had to open a shop to supply the demand of their loyal customers.
Cafecito’s menu is traditionally simple with a couple of house originals – the Cafecito (hot drink) and Global Warming (cold drink), both made with Cafecito’s orignial espresso blend, choice of milk and raw sugar cane juice. Their coffee, all hand-roasted by Angel and staff near downtown, is ground and brewed one cup at a time.
Cafecito Organico has raised the bar in quality coffee, excellent service and a most genuine welcoming environment. It is soon to be a stop Angelenos will not be able to live without.
Cafecito Organico
534 N. Hoover Street (corner of Bellevue)
Los Angeles, 90004

Macy’s Throws it’s Sombrero into the ELA Market!

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Macy’s Department store has acquired a small department store which had been struggling for many years and finally closed its doors in December of 2007. The First Street Store aka La Primera at 3640 East First Street, was the only department store in East LA for 70 years and (according to business sources) way over due for a make over.  Xavier von Dido, Regional VP of Marketing for the Macy’s stores, was quoted as saying, “I am so proud to be part of the team initiating this mega deal for the community of East LA.”

Macy's of ELA will be a beautiful contribution to the community. Architect's rendering above.

According to von Dido, Macy’s is planning a fresh array of Hispanic feeling products that will have mass appeal to the forward looking East LA consumer. “If these products go well in East LA,” von Dido said, “we will look towards a national and international saturation campaign of similar products.”
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Moco Flavor?

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I saw this sign in El Sereno the other day, for some fake flavor coffee additives. Kind of a weird choice, but I was still a bit impressed by their forward thinking approach. You know, the flavors of the really young urban youth. I imagine the taste profile is going to skew to salty, but maybe this will encourage me  to create my own self blown flavor lattes.

To the Kleenex!

A Little Taste of Home On The Road

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My brother is on a cross country tour with the band: “GREEN JELLO“. During their current stop in South Carolina, he visited the local supermarket (FOOD LION). He writes: :”Thank goodness they have a Mexican section, so I can feel at home!” He points out that the Mexican section consists of Mexican beer and 9 packs of cheese….

(photo & quote courtesy of Ego Plum, ebolamusic.com)

Random’s Rundown: Chicano/a socialites unite

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It gets harder and harder each week to keep up with everything that’s going on sometimes you know. I gotta deal with student life at taco tech, activism work with the team I’m a part of and of course keeping up with my community reporting. Then some how in between all that I gotta make time to earn some cash here and there moonlighting.  Such is the life and I am forever thankful for it. Idle hands are the devils play things you know. In fact, a friend commented to me that I was dropping the ball on my reporting, which is kinda true. So, with that being said, here’s a list of things to do with weekend East of the river. I’ll catch up on here when I’m on spring break next week. In fact, I should be studying rather than blogging. Fuck it.

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