My wife and I both enjoy live music and we especially like going to small intimate venues. Restaurants and jazz clubs aren’t as large as theaters and don’t require binoculars to see the musicians. For Valentine’s Day my wife gave me tickets to a jazz performance with Eric Marienthal and David Benoit at Spaghettini Grill. …
Donut Man opens in Grand Central Market
Donut Man is a popular donut shop located in Glendora and known throughout LA. They recently announced opening a new location within the Grand Central Market in downtown LA. Impatient fans kept inquiring about the opening and were eventually rewarded when they opened in Grand Central Market on June 26. Since Donut Man’s grand opening…
July 4 BBQ Take-Out in Los Angeles
Updated July 2, 2020 Due to the State of California prohibiting large social gatherings, most firework displays won’t take place this year. In addition, fireworks of any kind are illegal in Los Angeles County. Finally, with so many people cooking at home these days, why not take advantage of one of these July 4 BBQ…
Saffron Food Mart, a Great South Bay Find for Middle Eastern Cuisine
I drive by the Saffron Food Mart on a regular basis. The market is on the way to many stores I frequent. Because it does not have an entrance facing the street and it lacks visible windows, I think of it as a grocery store and not a restaurant. Seeing a recent social media review…
Swell Deli, an Artisan Sandwich Shop
It seems like Subway is almost as pervasive as Starbucks. They are located everywhere and sometimes attached to gas stations. If I find a new sandwich shop that isn’t named Subway, I automatically feel compelled to try it because I yearn for something different. My wife told me about Swell Deli and I told her…
Sandwich House, A Tasty Vietnamese Sandwich Shop
The banh mi sandwich is quite a remarkable Vietnamese creation. A baguette is typically the foundation and it is usually filled with proteins such as beef, chicken, pork or fish. Cilantro gives the sandwich a lot of aroma and flavor, the cucumbers add crunch and jalapenos provide heat. I recently visited Sandwich House, a popular…
Alma’s Cookies and Company Restaurant – Delicious Southern Cuisine
Given today’s times, I made a conscious decision to accomplish two objectives with a single post. The first was to select a black-owned business. The second was to continue my goal in supporting independently owned small restaurants. I decided to try Alma’s Cookies and Company Restaurant in Compton. Like most restaurants in LA County, Alma’s…
Week 11 – Coronavirus Dining in LA
On May 29, Mayor Eric Garcetti said that Los Angeles restaurants can reopen at 60% of their capacity and apply for outdoor dining permits, under social distancing guidelines. This caused many restaurants to scramble and figure out how to re-establish a new norm. In the meantime, many have elected to continue operating as “to go”…
Week 10 – Coronavirus Dining in LA
Thursday, May 28, was National Hamburger Day. As a result, I had a hankering for a good burger. I haven’t experienced Goldburger’s double cheeseburger and went for it this week. The other two stops were at Mariscos Jalisco and Din Tai Fung. Goldburger Allen Yelent started as an Instagram account showcasing great burgers that he…
Week 9 – Coronavirus Dining in LA
Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of health services for L.A. County, recently reported some good news suggesting that the effective transmission rate of the coronavirus is slightly decreasing. This is good news for all LA Country residents, but in particular, to small businesses that are weathering the storm. This week I am happy to report two…