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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

"EATING L.A. with Arturo" by Arturo A



      
            As we begin going to college, see more of the world, and generally start moving around a lot more some important questions are going to come up: When is Lunch? What is there to eat around here? WHERE DA FOOD AT? Well don’t you worry…. YA BOY ARTURO'S GOT YOU. I know grub spots, nice restaurants to take your girlfriend, and sweet places to hang , so sit back and read further…  you might just learn something Los Angeles is a pretty diverse place so you are going to be in for a different kind of treat no matter where you go.  From Olvera St. to Little Tokyo I got you covered.. Also don’t take this guide as an end all to eating in the area, walk around near the restaurants I mention and you could find something good that I didn’t even see! This is just a starting place ( a good one at that)

         El Cochinito: 3493 Sunset Blvd. (L.A.)
A Cuban restaurant located in a mini-mall in Silverlake. Ive been going to this place for a long time and all of its food is really good. If you are going there I recommend you get the following, A plate of rice and black beans (the stuff is to die for) on the side with either the Cubano, Pan con Bistec, or Bistec Empanizado as your main course. If you get a sandwich be sure to get the mariquitas on the side as well as the rice and beans. Not a very good area to hang around outside of the restaurant, I've never had any problems but I've also never walked around much. In the day time It's alright but once the Sun starts going down only proceed if you are ok with being possibly being robbed, shot or stabbed.

            Cielito Lindo: 23 Olvera St. (L.A.)
A taquito stand located in the Historic Olvera St. if you’ve never been to Olvera I recommend you go there and eat here. The taquitos covered in the green sauce are the best in SoCal and when I say that I mean it. Get the standard two (or three) taquito plate with the green sauce, and rice+beans. There are other taco stands and stuff on Olvera st but if you are looking for something really good Cielito Lindo is your stop. Olvera st is a really cool little area to walk around but is generally pretty touristy, Union Station is right across the street so if you are taking the Metro-Link into L.A. this is your first stop.

            Orochon Ramen: 134 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St.(L.A.)
Ramen Shop right on the third level of a multi-level shopping center in Little Tokyo, and Home to supposedly the spiciest bowl of ramen on the west coast. This place serves ramen, but not baby cup of noodle ramen portions, im talkin big freakin Naruto bowls of ramen. You get to choose your spice level, soup stock, and choice of topping when you order here and there's not really much other than ramen to order (no duh). Little Tokyo is a cool place and I highly recommend walking around with some friends or something.

           
            Original Tommy's : 2575 Beverly blvd. (L.A.)
This place is legendary for its Chili Burgers, if you don’t like chili burgers go slam your head in a car door then go to Original Tommy's and get yourself a chili burger you idiot. While Tommy's technically has a small chain of restaurants, were in L.A. so you might as well go to the original one. Everything on the menu is good but never get the chili fries, instead get regular fries and eat your chili burger over the fries… BOOM free chili fries. Not really an area to be walking around (nothing there) but if you are going anywhere near Original Tommy's  GO.

            Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles: 1514 N. Gower st. (L.A.)
If you haven't heard of this place you're pretty dumb. If you can't figure out what to order on the menu I would have to repeat that you're pretty dumb. Really I shouldn’t even have to put this place on the list except for listing the address. Roscoe's is good. Go eat there. Also not really an area to be walking around (nothing that I can remember around there).

            Grand Central Market:317 Broadway (L.A.)
Not really a food place but it has lots of food places in it SO SHUT UP. There's a little bit of everything in this place from kebabs, to ice cream, to traditional Mexican candies. A really nice place to walk around with friends and within walking distance of Union Station. I highly recommend checking it out.

            San Antonio Winery: 737 Lamar St. (L.A.)
If you're looking for a fancy place to take your girl (or have a girl's night out), look no further than the San Antonio Winery. A better attraction for those 21 and up it is still a really fancy place for those under the legal drinking age. Entrées are traditional Italian fare cooked up by the resident Italian-born chef, the place also has really good wine (or so I've been told). Wine and Dine is what this place was born for. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T WALK AROUND NEAR THIS PLACE, don’t attempt to walk to it from any other part of L.A. either! This place is in the middle of the projects AND I MEAN THE PROJECTS. Why is there a winery in the projects?  Well the winery was built before L.A. was a big city in the 1800's so I guess the real question is why they built projects around the Winery. The place gets really packed during the lunch hours, but not so much during dinner so be sure to reserve a table if you are going for lunch.

            Porto's Cuban Bakery & Café:
            315 North Brand Blvd. (Glendale)
            8382 Firestone Blvd. (Downey)
            3614 W. Magnolia Blvd. (Burbank)
This place is the best. A family owned operation centered in the L.A. area, Porto's is an LA EXCLUSIVE. The best Cuban pastries on the west coast GUARANTEED. Everything is good here, but my favorites are the Meat Pies, Potato balls and the Mango Smoothie. Like El Cochinito the Cubano and Pan con Bistec must be eaten with mariquitas. They also make cakes and stuff like a regular bakery and the one in Burbank has a party supply store upstairs. You gotta go to this place at least once, and I guarantee that you'll keep coming back.


            Well that’s it for my list of Places to eat in L.A., I could have technically included more but unless you want 7 pages of taco joints then I'm going to stop here. If requested I could also do lists for the general Inland Empire and San Diego. I wish the best of luck to you all in your future culinary endeavors.
Sincerely,
- Arturo D. Ayala



48 comments:

  1. WOW, this has to be one of my favorite blog submissions! The list of places to eat were very specific and I appreciate that you listed their addresses so when I go try one of these places out I won't end up at the wrong location. I thought your use of sarcasm was very clever and I much enjoyed it! When I go to Tommy's I will make sure to order the chilli burger with regular fries to save a few extra bucks. Thanks for the scoop!

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  2. Your title got me right from the start, with the keywords "EATING" and "L.A." I've heard that L.A. is an exciting city to be in, and according to this L.A. restaurant guide, it sure seems like it (with possible stabbings, mugging, and such)! L.A. is one of the cities I haven't had the chance to explore yet, and I hope I get to soon, especially with this helpful guide to help me plan my meals! Very informative and well organized! I will definitely come back to this guide when I plan on visiting L.A. to satisfy my taste-buds. Well done!

    -Ben Chang

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  3. Amazing piece! Everything was well organized and specific as far as structure goes. You used a lot of techniques within and it was a fun read!

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  4. Your blog submission is one of my favorites because it's funny and informative at the same time. I have been to alot of restaurants in L.A. but never to Orochon Ramen, so i'll make sure to try it out on my next visit.

    -Sabrina Rondero Per.5

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  5. Not only does this have the potential to be very useful, it was also a very entertaining piece... I could actually hear the humor and sarcasm; it naturally reads that way. And, although sarcasm is not something I eeevvveeeerrrrr partake in (wink wink..haha...), it is not difficult to appreciate the unexpected humor. I'll definitely refer to this guide if the need should ever arise...or if I have a craving for a good burger or a stabbing.

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  6. Arturo, this piece had me rolling! Anyone that knows me can tell you that I love food more than a girl probably should - so naturally I loved ever sentence of this submission. I love going to hole-in-the-wall restaurants that most people don't know about. As soon as I get a chance, I plan on checking out each of the restaurants you listed. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to mention the safety of each location; I would rather not die on my way out to lunch. Plus, your sarcasm made this piece all the better!

    -Christina Tapia

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  7. The title really captured my attention. I loved how you wrote also, it was very clear and informative. L.A. is somewhere I want to live! And food is definietly a must. Reading about these food joints really made my mouth water. I haven't been to any of these yet, because I many go to urth cafe when I do go to L.A., (really good btw) but next time I visit I will try one of these out. Thank you!
    -Leia S. period 6

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  8. This was great. There really is a lot of food diversity in L.A, and your mix of humor in the reviews was perfect. I also agree with all of your food preferences. I am also glad that i can walk around these areas as I have absolutely no problem with being potentially jumped or killed. However, I don't mean to sound dumb but can I get grilled chicken at Roscoe's? I'm sort of on a diet. Just kidding man great job all around!

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  9. THIS MADE ME SO HUNGRY! As someone who is a foodie as well, I will be DEFINITELY using this guide on my next trip to LA. I love how you used your own personal experiences for this guide, it definitely made it more credible knowing that you had actually tried these restaurants out yourself! PLEASE do Inland Empire and San Diego! It would be great to get more of your expertise. :) Your funny comments made this piece even more interesting. I want to go and try every one of these restaurants now!

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  10. Nice combination of humor and advice. I'm definitely going to go check out some of these restaurants next time I go to LA. I've heard of Orochon Ramen and I really wanna go now. Good job!

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  11. Nice combination of humor and advice. I'm definitely going to go check out some of these restaurants next time I go to LA. I've heard of Orochon Ramen and I really wanna go now. Good job!

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  12. Well, well! I am wondering as to how you even know so many restaurants in the L.A. area! Being from there, I definitely recognize some of those names and commend you on your taste! Nonetheless, you provided a great variety and organized your recommendations in an easy-to-follow manner. I could definitely hear your voice and that made your post was humorously helpful!

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  13. Haha If I'm ever at a great loss for where to go eat when I'm in Los Angeles, I'll be sure to check out the places that you recommended. I think this peice is very unique since I haven't seen something like this on the blogspot before and I commend you for that :) SI also like how you interjected in many of your descriptions with insights of your own experience and helpful tips on what to do once at the restaurant.

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  14. I really enjoyed reading your critique over these locations and of course of their unique entrees. I felt it very helpful the way in which you organized each review making sure to include the addresses and the main dishes to order. I also liked that they were all based off of your experiences. I love going to Olvera St. as well and I agree that its a great place to find lots of great taco stands. I like that for each location you explained the qualities that made the places unique and interesting to you because they made me curious to go check them out. I practically live in Pasadena being that a lot of my family is out there so your recommendations might really come in handy next time we go to L.A. Great Job!
    -Lucia Gonzalez

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  15. I really enjoyed reading your critique over these locations and of course of their unique entrees. I felt it very helpful the way in which you organized each review making sure to include the addresses and the main dishes to order. I also liked that they were all based off of your experiences. I love going to Olvera St. as well and I agree that its a great place to find lots of great taco stands. I like that for each location you explained the qualities that made the places unique and interesting to you because they made me curious to go check them out. I practically live in Pasadena being that a lot of my family is out there so your recommendations might really come in handy next time we go to L.A. Great Job!
    -Lucia Gonzalez

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  16. This was a great and interesting article. Your descriptions of each restaurant was entertaining and made me want to eat at each location to try different foods. You did a good job of informing the reader of what they could/should order at each food place. Overall good job.

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  17. This was a great and interesting article. Your descriptions of each restaurant was entertaining and made me want to eat at each location to try different foods. You did a good job of informing the reader of what they could/should order at each food place. Overall good job.

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  18. I LAUGHED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE ENTRY. You sold every single location to me with your mini review and menu recommendations. I've actually been to a few of these places as well and can vouch for you on how AMAZING they are. I loved that you chose LA as your main location, seeing as LA is famous for having some of the most elaborate food joints in Southern California. Really looking forward to a list of local places! And I'm extremely willing to get stabbed or robbed for some Pan Con Bistec from El Cochinito.

    - Karel Eusoof

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  19. This was one of the best blog submission I've read. I loved how you were giving us great advice and you were able to keep it casual and not as formal so we can understand. I've been to the taco stand called Cielito Ranchero. I have to agree that it is one of the best places to eat because of that green sauce. I will definitely take your advice in trying El Cochinito for lunch because it sounded great.

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  20. Arturo! These places all sound great! You displayed this imagery of delicious food everywhere! It makes me want to try it all in one day!!! I love going to Olvera St. they have the best food around that area! Well displayed!

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  21. Arturo! I can't help but laugh at this blog submission of yours. I mean, I really enjoyed it! The title really did catch my attention. I mean "Eating L.A." haha. Anything in relation to food I will most definitely read! This food guide around L.A is extremely helpful, especially since I plan on moving to L.A in the future. I love how you brought some humor into this instructional guide, instead of just listing the restaurants one by one (that would have been boring). The fact that you were straight up in calling us "idiots" and telling us to "shut up" is funny. One of my favorite blogs! Great Job! (:
    - Tia Basa

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  22. Well then. Interesting Arturo the churro. A very helpful guide to have as a wait for my UCLA letter to come. This also just sounds like you. Very nice personality.
    -Kevin McCondichie

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  23. Oh Churromeister this is perhaps the only food blog i have seen with this much sarcasm in it. its very nearly to the point where i could do my satire paper on it *nervous laugh*. the variety of the places you mentioned was quite extensive and i like that about the blog. also in the beginning you mentions walking around the places for more food places. then it seemed as though half of the food joints you told us not to walk around, i don't know if that was purposeful or accidental but either way very humorous

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  24. I'm definitely bookmarking this list because I plan on trying some of these out. But I really laughed at certain parts lol. Usually reviews are fairly boring but your humor made it easier to read and it also made it easier to trust your opinion because the writing isn't super stiff or forma

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  25. Im going to have to refer back to this list when I'm in the city and I'm looking for food.The way you incorporated the humor into your reviews definitely made this article more appealing! -Araybia B.

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  26. Eating in L.A. sounds like an adventure, good food and the possibility of going home with my very own souvenir gun wound, very exciting. I've been to Cielito Lindo a couple of time and I haven't ever tried the taquitos with green sauce, but now I know what to try next time! Overall this is a really cool guide to great places to eat in L.A. and I think I might end up taking a couple of trips down there to eat at some of these restaurants. Thanks for adding the addresses too, it was a nice touch and will make it so much easier to enjoy some great food.

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  27. Arturo your piece was especially insightful, truthful, and delicious. I loved that you put your voice into your writing and i look forward to trying all of these restaurants eventually. Thank you again!
    Jack McDonald

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  28. My favorite one was about Roscoes ! lol That place is just amazing and if you're right if you don't know what to order then you're pretty dumb. This was a very creative blog. I go to La all the time and have only heard of half these places. I definitely need to try some out the next time I go

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  29. I really enjoyed this piece. The humor and sarcasm was great. Well organized and I liked the way you personalized each restraint. Well organized overall good job!
    - Cody Molla p.4

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  30. Dang Boy!!! you know I love DAT FOOD ;). this was a very informative piece and I am very tempted to try these establishments since tongue desires variety. very well written and witty. you done did good son.
    - Justin Myers

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  31. i liked the combination of your expertise and humor to make it a more interesting guide. i will deffinately have to go down and tsake a look at some of these restaurants to see if your advice was worth taking. good job i thought it was very interesting.

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  32. I really enjoyed reading your dining in L.A. tutorial. Apart from being informational, it was very entertaining as well. And you mentioned food, which is always a plus. I also really liked how you organized your piece. It was easy to follow and understand. It was very reminiscent of professional restaurant review articles. Nice job!

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  33. Wow, I did not know L.A. had so many great choices for my appetite! Next time I am in L.A. I will definitely try one of the variety of restaurants you have recommended. I really enjoyed reading through your recommendations due to your hilarious and sarcastic commentary! Count me in on your next trip to L.A. because now I know that my stomach will be satisfied!

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  34. i am starving now haha !!!!! So i really liked how you put addresses because it heps us know where all those places are in la so good job !! -abigail rich

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  35. Oh my gosh! This is awesome!
    I love LA, so this just adds to the list of great food places I MUST try when I visit again!
    "What is there to eat around here? WHERE DA FOOD AT? Well don’t you worry…. YA BOY ARTURO'S GOT YOU."
    YOU TOTES GOT ME, BOY. THANKS.
    I really enjoyed the amount of personality you put into this piece.
    It draws in the audience's attention to read attentively to connect to what you're trying to tell them, including a punch of humor.
    The Naruto reference, classic for the Orochon Ramen joint.
    I'm definitely intrigued by what good places there are to eat in the Inland Empire (since it seems like such a dull place) that you know about.
    Good job!

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  36. Oh my gosh! This is awesome!
    I love LA, so this just adds to the list of great food places I MUST try when I visit again!
    "What is there to eat around here? WHERE DA FOOD AT? Well don’t you worry…. YA BOY ARTURO'S GOT YOU."
    YOU TOTES GOT ME, BOY. THANKS.
    I really enjoyed the amount of personality you put into this piece.
    It draws in the audience's attention to read attentively and connect to what you're trying to tell them, including a punch of humor.
    The Naruto reference, classic for the Orochon Ramen joint.
    I'm definitely intrigued by what good places there are to eat in the Inland Empire (since it seems like such a dull place) that you know about.
    Good job!

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  37. Thank you for this list! I'm definitely going to keep this in mind the next time I visit L.A.! I never knew that such a variety of places I could visit existed because I only wander around Korea Town everytime I go! Your description about each location was extremely comedic, and it was what kept me to continue to read on! I could really get a sense of your funny personality through this piece. The humor in this piece really helped me laugh and forget momentarily about my surroundings!!

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  38. This is just a perfect blog. You include my two loves--food and LA. I liked how you incorporated your tone into each review. You also didn't only talk of the eateries, but also of their environments. You made it funny and interesting. I was entertained.

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  39. This list is very detailed and can be helpful if I was in the L.A. area and wanted to have a good meal. Just having this variety of restaurants is astounding for you to give detailed descriptions for each one. You even added comedy to the list which definitely made it enjoyable just to read it.

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  40. Hmm... You did exceptionally well in explaining what each location is good for. I also like how you incorporated what you should and should not do. I will most likely visit a place or two from this list. Even though I did not recognize many of the names or areas, it really helped me open my mind to know what is out there. Great Job Arturo and Thank you!
    - Jay Moritz

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  41. I seriously can hear you tell me this as I read it... I love food and this is a fantastic reference if I ever go to L.A.! Porto's was a good addition because that place has so many items in their bakery. I really loved the subject matter of the list, really hits home with everyone. Um, the only suggestion I would make is to watch the punctuations. Organization was really good and I like that you added safety precautions.

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  42. Absolutely fascinating! After reading this, I'm certain that I heard my stomach grumble. I like how you incorporated some very familiar places, such as Roscoe's and Orochon Ramen, with less known places. It increased your credibility now that we know that all these wonderful sounding places aren't fictional or parts of your imagination! Additionally, your humour added a nice glimmer to the piece. Great job!

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  43. I absolutely loved your piece! (not only because it mentioned one of my favorite places, Olvera street) First of, the title captured my attention! It made me want to read your piece immediately. Also, I loved the whole set up of your piece, in which you separated by food place then description. Your imagery of the chili dogs and taquitos automatically made me imagine how good the food would be. Lastly, my absolute favorite thing was the incorporation of your own opinion which added comedy to your piece. Such as the phrase, "WHERE DA FOOD AT?" and "FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON’T WALK AROUND NEAR THIS PLACE" honestly made me laugh out loud. Your piece was great! I definitely have to check out some of those places you suggested soon!

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  44. Thanks for this list! I will keep it in mind for my future culinary endeavors. I have actually gone to three of these and can vouch for the validity of this list. Although the humor doesn't cater (sorry for the pun, I couldn't resist) to all, it helps the list feel a lot more human and increases the ethos of the piece.

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  45. I seriously loved this blog post, you were like Yelp but probably even more useful lol. Dude, thanks to you, now whenever I go to LA I can walk in and order everything you recommended and not sound completely awkward and new to these restaurants. Your humor literally made me LOL as I was reading it and I truly enjoyed this. It was also different from all the other things i've seen. Your use of slang really made this personal and that's what I love most about it. I kind of saw it in my head like you were some food show critic that you would see on the Food Network or the Travel Channel, if that was what you were going for, you certainly nailed it. :)
    - Alyssa Che

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  46. Your guide to fine dining in the City of Angles will definitely bring those establishment more business while at the same time satisfying your fellow classmates. Your review were both serious and comedic, your transition between each tone flowed smoothly and were adequate. All of these places seem to be great places to grab a bite. I enjoyed your piece because it has given me new places to go to for lunch.

    -Alan Medina

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  47. This made me really hungry especially when you mentioned Orochon Ramen because that place is freaking bomb! This was a really great idea Arturo, thanks for sharing with us these fantastic sounding places to eat at, I will make sure to try all of them. Good job!

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