welcome to october the beginning of summer
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Lil midnight snack after a bang-bang?
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Where this?
found oyster steak tartare slider before osteria mozza bang
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El Sazon de Doña Gloria in Azusa/Irwindale. Small Colombian place, the steak (mostly obscured here) was the standout. Other people ordered fried fish that looked pretty good.
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Bread head. I feel like the bread js a little less puffy but still outstanding in both taste and texture.
Used an Inkind reward. Felt like a steal
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Lunch at Langer’s Deli.
No pics, but you’ve all seen it before.
Split a #19 and a Super Dog on an onion roll. It still reigns supreme over the other local delis, with Brent’s a close second imo (and Brent’s has a better parking lot). We waited outside for a spell, but they had the outdoor portable a/c running and brought everyone a little bottle of cold water. Sat at the counter, had great service.
Sandwich, hot dog, coffee, iced tea: $67 after tax & tip.
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Anyone been to bianca Sicilian trattoria?
Recent eats:
A TĂ (Echo Park): standouts were the tuna tostada, kanpachi tostada, scallop aguachile, & squash tamal 
will definitely be back!
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Catching up on some recent meals, roughly in order of best to worst 
Tire Shop (Hollywood) - Cahuenga near Hollywood Blvd, I think opened recently? On that night, the carne asada was probably 80% of OG Tire Shop, but chorizo was spot on. Either way, it’s amazing to have them closer to me. The biggest surprise - super easy parking in such a terrible stretch of Hollywood. They’re in a big lot used for what I guess is nearby nightlife, but at least in the early evening, I pulled in and parked right next to them.
Midori Matcha Cafe (Little Tokyo) - Hojicha soft serve, smooth, creamy, and enough hojicha flavor for me although my companion (who loves hojicha) said she could’ve used more. Matcha is everywhere now, but I’d love to see more hojicha. They also serve a matcha/hojicha swirl.
Msho Bakery (Glendale) - Happened to drive by this tiny little bakery on my way to Zhengyalov Hatz. Puri was piping hot, simple yet tasty. Cheese turnover (dunno what they call it, I just pointed) has a super flaky puff pastry and tangy cream cheese filling. Sweet pastry (that’s what they called it, dunno the name!) was lightly nutty, not too sweet, buttery layers. I’d order them again and also try more next time. 627 S Glendale Ave, near Colorado.
Monroe Place (Hollywood) - Tried their new-ish location near me and enjoyed all the different sandwiches. Very good quality ingredients, decent portion. For the sandwiches with manchego, though, there’s a crazy amount of cheese. In the top right of the pic (turkey, alfalfa, manchego, romesco), you can see the thick layer of manchego (some of it’s orange from the romesco) under the turkey - too much.
Palette Dim Sum (Tustin) - Everything was prepared well, but I was disappointed at how small the actual dim sum portion of the menu was. We were a big group, so we wanted to try more dim sum but ended up having to order more of their bigger format dishes, which were hit or miss. I worried the multi-color XLB (complete with black vinegar pearls) would be gimmicky, but they were all distinct and tasty! My favorite was the mala XLB.
Andre’s - Had never been, but what an interesting LA institution. Cafeteria-style Italian with mostly Latino and Korean clientele in quite a charming, comfy dining room. The price and portions are great, the food not so much - it’s not bad, just mediocre and inoffensive. Eggplant parm, sausage, and meatballs in the pics.
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I hit the Cahuenga Tire Shop location as well and was shocked to find stand-adjacent parking on a Friday night. Asada is the standout (the thin-ness is reminiscent of cecina and a strong argument for less is more against the maximalist Tacos Royal) but the pollo was strong as well. Glad to have it a location closer than the original on Avalon. A family got there before me and ordered over two dozen tacos, plus tortas and aquas frescas, so there was a considerable wait as the staff had to basically start from scratch grilling new batches of meat. It wound up being something of a plus, though, as I had maximum freshness!
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Roasted Duck by Pa Ord. Completely euphoric. Can’t stop thinking about the Spicy Basil Duck over Rice 
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Guelaguetza is such an institution. Cynically, I assume most restaurants that’ve been around this long would be phoning it in and coasting off reputation. This well-oiled machine still hits its marks. The menu’s notably less ambitious than I remember it just a couple years ago. But it’s a fantastic introduction to oaxacan food I can count on bringing first-timers and out of towners too.
The mole negro (no pic!) is better than I remember and a top-mole contender for me. The profundity and laundry-list of ingredients in mole booms through it. Many moles, in my experience, are disappointingly shallow.
I remember the chivo (goat) being a soup, rather than a taco. Ah well, this is what I meant. It’s still juicy and carries that spice of the dried chile.
Tlayuda vegetariana a solid crunchy treat for the table.
I didn’t think much of the fried fish. I’m not a fan of mojarra frita in general, since tilapia is such an eh fish, but the garlic really wafted in it. This was the highlight for my friend. It’s one of the best feelings when a restaurant you bring someone out to becomes one of their favorite food experiences.
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Looks like cheese boreg and the pastry is Gata. Lots of different Gata recipes, some with nuts, cinnamon, etc…. In the same business park as Topline, there’s a pastry shop that has/had really good versions. Haven’t been in a while so not sure if it’s still operating.
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Delicious take out lunch from Padi. Burbur Ayam (chicken rice porridge) and grilled pacu pacu. The porridge was one of the best rice porridges I’ve ever had. Rich, comforting and really flavorful. The rice is cooked down completely so it’s a very uniform thick texture, which I loved. Note you can only get it for lunch. I’m already dreaming about having it again. The grilled pacu pacu was quite tasty, although I enjoyed this dish more the last time I had it when they made it with yellowtail collar. I think the yellowtail collar matched up with the glaze better or maybe they just used more of the glaze. Nonetheless, the fish was still nice and fatty and cooked well.
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welcome
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Welcome to FTC!!!
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An aborted visit today to the brand new Borekas on Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills to see if it lives up the hype. Was on foot in Beverly Hills running errands in 105 degree weather and despite the heat, decided to detour to Borkas. 12:45 p.m. big fat sign on door “sold out.” Peeked in and the small space was jammed with people eating who I guess were able to order before the sold out sign went up on the door.
Detoured further to Van Leeuwen ice cream down the street. Mediocre and definitely not worth a detour. Would have been happier with the old Thrifty ice cream at the now closed Rite-Aid in Beverly Hills.
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Oh wow!!! I wasn’t aware that Borekas was opening there! Pro Tip, phone in your order. They are kind in answering and it’s really the best way to get it as they are always busy!
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Anyone see the Shanxi noodle stand by USC? I went by a few times during the past month and did not see her.
Also somewhat related but off topic. Anyone been to the new Lucas Museum?
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