Recent Episodes

 

Dwight Furrow, the author of American Foodie: Taste, Art, and the Cultural Revolution, talks about the philosophy of food. We discuss everything the impact of everything from automobile to Alice Waters to the Slow Food movement have shaped the way Americans think about food.
 
 
 
 

 

Inbal Baum, the Founder of Delicious Israel, joins us to talk about where foodies should eat when they travel to her country.

• Shakshouka is a popular dish in Israel
• Israeli Breakfast is a distinct and important meal
• The modern cherry tomato has roots in Israel
• Tel Aviv and Jerusalem top the list of cities you should visit
• Beach season runs from April to October
• Rosh Hashana is a great time to visit Israel
• When you visit Tel Aviv, go to the Carmel Market, the Levinsky Market
• Try the date syrup, Silan

 

 

Food for Thought

• Q: After pita bread, what is the most common food used to “wipe” humus?
• A: Raw onion.

 
 

Out of the Frying Pan

• Favorite Spot for Outdoor Dining: Milgo & Milbar
• Favorite Place to Buy Spices: Cafe Arma in Levinsky Market
• Herbs to Try: Za’atar and Hawaij (in Yemenite Coffee)
• Favorite Winery: Sphera
• Favorite Place for Dessert: The Malabia
• Favorite Food Experience for Kids: Max Brenner
• Chef to Watch: Eyal Shani
• Dish to Try at Different Places: Shakshouka and sabich

Bennet Jacobstein, author of The Joy of Ballpark Food: From Hot Dogs to Haute Cuisine, talks to us about what foodies can find at different baseball stadiums around the country.

• Hot dogs and sausages are not the same thing.
• The quality of ballpark food was elevated in the 90s as new stadiums were built and food television shows took off.
• Stadiums have highlighted regional foods.
• Gordon Biersch‘s founder Dan Gordon introduced garlic fries at Candlestick Park in 1994.
• The song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” was written in 1908.
• The Yankees replaced Cracker Jacks at one point, but brought it back after a public outcry.
• 

  San Francisco Giant Gordon Biersch Garlic Fries

  Veggie Happy spearheaded the movement to get veggie dogs sold at ballpark stadiums.

• Andrew Zimmern has a stand in the Minnesota ballpark.
• Rocky Mountain Oysters are bull testicles.
• “The Big Six” are the food companies that service the major ballparks.
• As you go from ballpark to ballpark, try the hot dogs at each to see how they’re done differently.
• Proceeds from Bennett’s book go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

 

Food for Thought

• Q: In what year were Cracker Jacks first served at a baseball game?
• A: 1896 in Atlantic City.

 

Out of the Frying Pan

Here’s what Bennet recommends you try at each ballpark:

• Yankees Stadium in New York City: Chicken and Waffles.
• Fenway Park in Boston: Lobster Roll and a cuban sandwich.
• Wrigley Field in Chicago: Chicago-style hot dog with Vienna beef.
• Turner Field in Atlanta: Boiled peanuts.
• Marlins Park in Miami: Cuban dishes.
• Safeco Field in Seattle: The Ivar’s hot dog (with fish) and cream cheese hot dog.
• Nationals Park in Washington D.C.: A cauliflower hot dog and presidential cupcakes.
• 

  Chicago White Sox Chicago-Style Hot Dog

  Busch Stadium in St. Louis: The BBQ.

• Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles: Tommy Lasorda Spumoni ice cream.
• AT&T Park in San Francisco: Crab salad, lamb sausages, and Gordon Biersch garlic fries.

Try a Food Tour

More in this City

*Give or take.
 

 

When you find yourself in Los Angeles with only a fin in your pocket, here is the list of the top 5 places to get the most bang for less bucks! The Los Angeles dining scene is hot on the heels of New York City and Chicago, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot to get a great meal! These 5 restaurants are where you can taste the essence of multicultural L.A. for less than it costs for the cab ride there.
 
 

1. Chego

Only the father of the food truck movement, Roi Choi, could bring us such Korean goodness and for such little money! His beer battered ooey gooey fries for $6 will keep you coming back!
 

727 North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA

http://eatchego.com

 

 
 

2. Pink’s Hot Dog

An L.A. Institution since 1939 that began with a couple of Pink’s selling hot dogs on the corner, and morphed into an L.A. Landmark! Pink’s Hot Dogs is still a place you can go and have an original chili dog for $3.85. Plus with an ever changing menu of “super star dogs” you can keep coming back to Pink’s to taste the celebrity dujour!
 

709 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
(323) 931-4223
http://pinkshollywood.com

 

 

 RELATED: Where to Eat in Los Angeles.

 
 

3. Ink Sack

Surprising low prices for such a hot chef, Michael Voltaggio’s Ink Sack feeds the masses with his well priced “sandos” My personal favorite is the Jose Andres aka “the spanish godfather” made with ham, tomato, chorizo and manchego for $6 dollars. Another great find is the cold fried chicken, and with a $5 price tag you can afford to have 2.
 

8360 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA

http://mvink.com

 

 
 

4. Porto’s Bakery

Although this restaurant is technically in the valley, it’s worth the drive for some of the best Cuban food in the city (and as a Cuban girl I should know!) A freshly pressed “Medianoche” will only cost you $4.25…possibly less than the cost of the gas it took to get you to Glendale!
 

315 N Brand Blvd, Glendale, CA
(818)956-5996
http://portosbakery.com

 

 

 RELATED: The inside scoop on the Los Angeles food scene.

 
 

5. In-N-Out Burger

No list of affordable LA eats would ever be complete without a nod to the food that has kept it classy since the beginning. Even with a recent 10 cent price hike, you can still get a cheeseburger “animal style” off the not so secret menu for less than $4.
 

7009 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California

http://www.in-n-out.com

 

 
 

 

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About Caroline Gelabert-Noh

Caroline Gelabert-Noh is a cultural anthropologist who enjoys the finer things in life while still finding frugal ways to do it. Read more from her at EatDrinkLA.com.

Trish Procetto and her husband Matt launched TOURific Escapes in August 2010 as a way to creatively get back in the workforce after both losing their jobs in the recession. Trish now combines her love for people, food and travel as a Professional Tour Guide after enjoying careers in education, consumer research and the cruise industry.
 

1. If we’re a foodie coming to Los Angeles for the first time, what neighborhoods should we check out?

 
My first suggestion is to rent a car as you’ll need it to get from one part of town to another. There are so many restaurants opening all over this city, but if I had to narrow it down I would say Downtown LA (DTLA) , Culver City and a little stretch of Sawtelle Boulevard in West Los Angeles that’s known as Little Osaka. And of course Hollywood, but for that experience I invite you to join our Hollywood Sites & Bites Tour!
 

RELATED: What you need to know about food tours.

 

2. Who are some of the big name chefs we should know?

 

Susan Feniger is my favorite female chef. She’s the name behind Border Grill, STREET and her newly opened Mud Hen Tavern. Roy Choi, the creator of the gourmet Korean taco truck, Kogi, who now has several popular restaurants from DTLA to Culver City and of course the Kogi food truck still going strong. Ricardo Zarate, who brings Peru to Los Angeles by way of Mo-Chica, Picca and Paiche.
 

3. Where should we go to find great food trucks? Any recommendations?

 
Twitter is probably the best place to track the location of our constantly moving food trucks. However, there are several organized events such as First Fridays on Abbot Kinney in Venice and the Santa Monica Food Truck Lot on Main Street on Tuesday evenings.
 
Many special events in LA are centered around food trucks, so it’s not too hard to find them. A few that I’m partial to are the Buttermilk Truck (red velvet pancakes!), The Grilled Cheese Truck and Coolhaus for some of the best ice cream and cookie sandwich combinations!
 

4. Tell us about some of your food tours.

 

Our original tour that launched our company is Hollywood Sites & Bites, which is really three tours in one combining a walking tour, driving tour and food tasting! This 4-hour tour covers all the historic and popular landmarks that visitors to LA want to see plus takes them to restaurants unique to the Hollywood neighborhoods to sample sweet and savory food items and some fun beverages!
 
I created the Chocolate Indulgence as a themed tour for Valentine’s Day because of my love for chocolate and sweets! This has become popular for chocolate fans of all ages and is offered around the chocolate holidays (Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day) and of course is available for private parties too. Now we have two different chocolate tours, one in Hollywood and the newest one that highlights 5 female entrepreneurs on the Westside.
 

RELATED: What is food tourism?

 

5. Are there any great food events we should plan our trip around?

 

In September, there’s The Taste Food & Wine Festival sponsored by the LA Times at Paramount Pictures Studios. Each day has a different theme and different speakers/demos so you get to have a fun foodie experience on a famous movie studio lot.
 
And the LA Bacon Fest held in February at the Petersen Automotive Museum, sponsored by Drink Eat Play is a bacon-filled afternoon with bacon infused in every imaginable sweet and savory, and a few drinks too!
 
Keep your eye out for any food or drink event sponsored by Los Angeles Magazine. The last event we attended was held in January in the very cool Helms Bakery space in Culver City and was a celebration of their selected Best Restaurants of 2013. All that talent and deliciousness under one roof was awesome!

To me, coffee is more than just a ritual to wake in the morning, it is an experience. Every coffee shop has a unique personality, sense of style and craft to making the perfect cup of coffee. As a Los Angeles native and passionate lover of gourmet coffee I am very jubilant to share with you my most adored coffee shops in the area.
 
 

1. Go Get Em Tiger

Located on the quaint picturesque street of Larchmont is my absolute favorite coffee spot Go Get Em Tiger! Apart from is delightfully playful name, it is the perfect place to escape to have a sumptuous cup of joe. The decor is clean and modern with a large bar. Instead of waiting in line you walk up to the bar and order your coffee. You can stand European style and have your coffee at the bar or sit at their small geometric shaped tables. My favorite is their Iced Almond Macadamia Latte that are served in glass mason jars. They make their almond milk in house and its absolutely rapturous! They also have a great happy hour from 4-8pm everyday with a delectable assortment of pies like their Black Plum Pie ,Salted Caramel Appel Pecan or Kabocha Squash.
 

$$
230 N Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

http://ggetla.com

 
 

2. Sqirl

A tiny gem tucked among the eclectic streets of Silver Lake is my absolute favorite coffee and brunch spot Squirl. The shop is always bustling with stylish hipsters and innovative dishes to tantalize the pallet. Don’t be deterred by the line, this coffee shop and restaurant is worth the wait. While very small the menu is quiet large. My coffee favorites are “The 1 & 1 4” which is a single shot espresso and a single shot of macchiato served side by side, their “Lait ‘N’ Egg” which is a Vietnamese stye iced Cortado shaken with egg whites or the “Al Puccino,”a sweetened iced cappuccino. If your stopping in for coffee you should definitely take a look at the menu as well. Their Brown Rice Porridge with traditional Kokuho Rose Brown Rice , Straus milk, toasted hazelnuts and choice of home made Jam is positively sinful.
 

$$
720 Virgil Ave #4, Los Angeles, CA

http://sqirlla.com/about/

 

RELATED: Top 5 Places to Eat for Less Than $5 in Los Angeles

 
 

3. Coffee + Food

If you love Chi Tea Latte’s then Coffee+ Food has one of the best. Their Chi Tea Latte is the perfect blend of sweetness and tea. I also love their black coffee. Coffee + Food uses a medium roast from Central America, South America and Indo Pacific. The taste is smokey caramel and molasses.
 

$$
5630 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA

https://coffeeplusfood.wordpress.com

 
 

4. Bullet Proof Coffee

Health nuts will be the first to sing the praises of Bullet Proof Coffee. Known for its ability to enhance performance and focus coffee drinking is taken to the next level. Bullet Proof Coffee is thoughtfully crafted with organic hand picked coffee beans in Central America, the strict Bulletproof Process™ minimizes performance-robbing mold, bacteria and toxins and XCT and Brain Octane which is high quality fat. If you have to get your game face on this is the coffee you want to drink. They also have a small food menu there that serves Non Gmo, No gluten, No sugar, Grass-fed, Local! Its such a treat to find a place that features quality products, without even having to study the menu!
 

$$
3110 Main St, Santa Monica, CA

https://www.bulletproofexec.com/bulletproof-coffee-shop/

 
 

5. Sycamore Kitchen

On the trendy LA Brea Avenue, home to many of LA’s trendiest and most unique restaurants , take a trip to Tuscany with Sycamore Kitchen’s Tuscany Latte. Their Tuscan latte is simply delectable. It is made with fresh rosemary, maple syrup and creamy milk. I also love their Iced Cubano with espresso, creamy milk and cinnamon! Sip these sweet savory coffees while listening to hollywood most elite directors, writers pitch movies and tv shows an ear shot away. Its scrumptious and entertaining!
 

$$
143 South La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA

http://thesycamorekitchen.com

 
 

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About Alexandra Catalano

Alexandra is an author, blogger and lifestyle expert in the field of health and wellness. She has been a guest on Good Day LA, WGN Chicago News, CW San Diego, Women’s Forum television Lifetime Network’s Supermarket Superstar with her blog Eat Cute!

http://www.eat-cute.com