At long last, Highland/Glasell Park soccer-moms can get their ubiquitously bitter coffee without having to drive all the way to Eagle Rock.  Yes, Starbuck’s, with its 15,000 stores in 44 countries has finally deemed us worthy of their coffee.  Technically, I believe the address is in Glassell Park, but I wouldn’t have believed anyone who told me York Blvd. would have a Starbucks in the foreseeable future.  Let’s hope the new Cafe de Leche isn’t run out of town by the 1,000 lb gorilla that is Starbucks.

Beyond a coffee shop that I don’t plan on ever visiting as I’d rather give my money to Miguel at Antigua or the guys at Casa Blue (which isstill open), Occidental Plaza is also sporting a Long’s Drugs that is already open, and an L&L Hawaiian Plate Lunch joint that actually has potential of receiving my business.  Back in college, when I was a frequent visitor to our youngest state (for reasons I can’t disclose as I value my current relationship) Plate Lunch was a delicacy of the Hawaiian hoi polloi that I couldn’t find on the mainland.  Now, these places proliferate, but it’s still nice to have one nearby.  Personally, I’m looking forward to the Korean spare ribs, chicken katsu, and mac salad.  Based on a recent drive-by, it looks like L&L and the Starbucks are opening imminently.

The specialty of Antojitos Chilangos has to be their panbaso.  This large sandwich starts with a salty bolillo roll that is dipped in a mildly spicy red sauce.  The roll is then filled with potatoes, chorizo, lettuce, and cotija cheese.  Sprinkle a little salsa on top and gorge (with a fork and knife to keep your hands clean).

(Photo: ocfoodblogs.blogspot.com)

In true D.F. fashion, you can also grab some tacos de canasta filled with either beans, cheese, or chicharron.  I’m not sure if these are authentically cooked in a basket as they are in Mexico, but they are an excellent small appetizer, which is important here as they really take their time bringing out the panbasos.  If you’re so inclined, Antojitos Chilangos also serves a filling gordita, and some fruity liquidos with bananas and strawberries that make for a nice refreshment on these hot summer afternoons.

 Part three of the ‘Readers Write-in Article Ideas Trilogy’ is thanks in part to Karen B. who tipped us off to a new cafe that had leased the space at 5000 York Blvd. back in May.  While I don’t really have any information to give, the sign in the shop’s window promises a summer opening but based on the emptiness of the interior, and the fact that no one was working on it on a Tuesday morning, I’d be pleasantly surprised if this place opens in the next two months.  Since I can’t give you anything firm, let’s play have fun making speculations based on a hip picture of a hummingbird.  I’m hoping for something a little more exotic than just a straight coffee and pastry type of place.  A small but good breakfast menu is a must with hopefully at least a few items for lunch.  I’d hope for a few tables on the sidewalk, and wouldn’t roof access be cool?  Think a quaint version of Buster’s or Heirloom Bakery in South Pasadena.  Now if something other than Marty’s would just move in on the other side of York, we’d have a runaway renaissance on York.

The readers are really motivating me to get off my ass and do some posting on the neighborhood this week.  This time, Heather sent an email with the subject line “I Love Figueroa Produce” (It’s so nice to see proper capitalization in an Email…).  Well Heather, I love Figueroa Produce too.

Located on the NE corner of Figueroa and York, and right next to the best Spanglish named business in HP, “Wateria”, Fig Produce is a relatively small market in a space that used to house a Blockbuster Video.  The exterior is simple, clean, and unassuming, but the interior represents a microcosm of where much of Northeast is headed.  Think a smaller version of Trader Joe’s.  Chicken Fajita mixture ($1.99/lb) marinates next to ready-to-grill game hen.  Dried fruits and nuts share shelf space with wasabe peas ($2.29/lb) while European cookies offer a less healthy alternative.  The produce looked fresh and was priced decently (2 cantaloupes for $1).  They even sold the canned coconut milk for my next foray into Tom Kha Kai soup (The first batch turned out surprisingly well).  Part ethnic market and part specialty store, its biggest shortcoming is a paucity of baked goods.  One small shelf had a few types of bread in it.  Figueroa Market doesn’t have enough to be my only grocery stop, but it should save me the 10 minute drive to Von’s or Trader Joe’s in the future.

Enjoy the photos:

“Elbows up side to side”

What a color!

The rug really ties the car together…

‘Scarface’ Trim

Second best paint job of the day

El numero uno

(LAWeekly) 

Not an import in sight

Finding a good plumber/electrician/damn-near-anything in LA can be a real challenge.  If you happen to find a Yellow Pages that fits your area code (I have 818 and 626, no 323), you might be able to flip through the hundreds listed and get lucky with one.  If you try to Google “Highland Park Plumber” you get 200,000 results, the first of which are in Highland Park, IL.  Of course, you can use online Yellow Pages or Google Local, but it’s all still a crapshoot.

So I did it the old fashioned way.

Several months ago when I was buying my first Highland Park house (I rented before that), I needed a plumber to checkout a house that I was only thinking of buying.  There was a leak up front, and I needed some hard numbers to negotiate in the sale of the house.  Instead of Google or the phonebook, I called the numbers on the sides of buildings that I drive by everyday in our neighborhood.  First I tried Connor’s Plumbing on Eagle Rock Blvd.  Mr. Connor himself (I forget the first name) picked up the phone and was pretty abrupt.  Not rude, but not real helpful.  He wasn’t about to take a look at a house that I didn’t own, at least not for $50-100 bucks up front. 

“Maybe I’d do it for free,” he said, “if there was a 90% chance I’d get the job to fix it.”

“Hmmm, I thought, well now you have a zero percent chance of getting the job…”

Next I tried Clairville Plumbing on Colorado.

Mike Clairville was the exact opposite of abrupt.  In fact I learned early on to plan a good 10-20 minutes for a phone call with Mike.  Full of information (which may or may not be entirely useful), Mike has a lot to say about plumbing.  Eventually he told me, time permitting, he was more than happy to swing by and checkout the house, even though I wasn’t going to be there, or despite not owning it.  A few phone calls and a couple days later, Mike had a full, line item quote ready for me.

Fast-forward a few months and I’ve bought the house and the leak is, of course, still a problem, and even a new one had sprung up.  Without hesitation I called Clairville back.  The next day I had a plumber at my door, ready to take a look.  He fixed the new leak no problem and then took a look at the old.  As predicted before, the water main for the house was leaking and needed to be replaced.  This was going to require trenching, cutting across the cement driveway, and lots and lots of copper piping.

“It’s not worth it to have me do this,” the plumber told me.  Estimating around $5000, it made no sense to pay the labor for him or his company to do it.  Instead, he took the time to explain everything that needed doing, how I could do a lot of the non-plumbing related stuff myself, then even gave me a few ideas to try to fix the leak myself without having to replace the whole main.

So here was this plumber, talking to a guy who knows next to nothing about it, looking at a huge pay-day, and instead he takes the time to explain how I can do it cheaper and easier.  Awesome.  Thank you Clairville.

 Clairville Plumbing

1655 Colorado Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90041

(323) 256-5556

The “Great Taco Truck War of ‘08″, the end of the school year, and international travel (first Thailand, next Spain and Morocco) have taken the wind out of our sails here at YorkBlvd.  Still, we’re committed to posting up our thoughts, or at least pictures of our trips for our parents to see.  In keeping with our street food theme of the past few months, we’re happy to bring a special review to the site today:  A taco truck beloved by a Pulitzer Prize winning food critic, Jonathan Gold.

A little background information may be necessary here.  You see, over a month ago, I was invited to participate in a panel discussion with Zocalo LA regarding the new Taco Truck legislation (which incidentally will be airing on KPCC this Sunday night).   Mr. Gold was also on the panel and as we exchanged notes on our favorite neighborhood haunts.  He promised me that he had arranged for one of his favorite trucks in LA, Gorditas Lupitas, to serve free huaraches after the panel.  90 minutes later, I ran outside ready to do some serious culinary damage, only to be disappointed by a stale huarache, bland beef, and flavorless nopales.

However, since Mr. Gold has one more Pulitzer for food writing than I do, (for now at least) I decided to give Gorditas Lupitas another chance with the hopes that the poor quality was a result of cooking for so many people at once.  We ordered one carne asada gordita, six desevrada (shredded beef) gorditas, one quesadilla, and two tacos al pastor as they were clean out of carnitas.  A good ten minutes later, our food came out with a generous side of what would turn out to be deceptively spicy salsa.  While the food was much better than my first encounter with these ladies, but I doubt I’ll be driving that far down the Boulevard again for their food for a couple of reasons.  First, the asada and pastor just wasn’t as tasty as the trucks closer to home.  Second, the wait was pretty significant considering there were only 2-3 other orders at the same time.  Tacos are about speed.  They should be served fast and eaten faster.  The quesadilla though might be worth another trip.  I didn’t order it, but it looked basically like a miniature calzone, stuffed with cheese and fried.  Mix in some salsa and it’s pretty hard to make that taste bad.

Despite these drawbacks, Gorditas Lupitas isn’t without its charms.  For one, they make the tortillas and gorditas with fresh masa that they pound out onto the grill, which may partially explain the long wait.  Second, the desevrada was very good.  Also, for only $1 per gordita, you’ll be stuffed to the gills for about $3.

First was El Mercadito in East Los Angeles.  The girlfriend and I had such a good time that first Sunday, we returned again the following weekend with friends.  The shops are pretty much what you can get on Figueroa, but the restaurant on the top floor has two stages with Mariachis.  In our visits, we tried the Shrimp Cocktail, Mole Burrito, Carnitas Burrito, Birria Gordita, and Camarones al Diablo.  The burritos were large and tasty but not really worth the trip, the Camarones al Diablo were tasty with a spiciness that slowly built until it had to be put out with a cold Bohemia, and the Gordita was delicious with the fried masa exterior and filling of shredded goat meat.  The culinary highlight though had to be the shrimp cocktail.  Loaded with shrimp, avocado, and cucumber, we could hardly finish it.  Probably the most enjoyable aspect of the day was the music.  Seven Mariachis belted out songs while staying away from the cliches that you tend to hear when you’re in a tourist trap (Rancho Grande, La Bamba, Cielito Lindo, etc.)  For a tip, customers could even come on stage and sing a few of their own favorites.

The following weekend brought a Verdugo-caused hangover that Antigua’s chilaquiles weren’t going to solve.  My girlfriend and I cruised down to Cypress Park for pozole at the original King Taco.  The large steaming bowl of hominy, pork, onions, and cilantro warmed me up and helped with my headache.  We also had a couple of delicious pork tamales and one tasty taco al pastor.  Seeing as the York has brought back the Orange Grove Ale, I think I’ll be heading back sooner rather than later.

Maybe the most apropos aspect of these trips was that we passed numerous Taco Trucks in order to get to the restaurants.    Our argument from the beginning is that the two eating establishments are in about as much  competition as Jack in the Box and El Arco Iris.  One is quick and cheap, the other provides a nicer and more expensive experience.  We also shouldn’t forget that King Taco began as a converted ice-cream truck.

Northeast notables that may interest only me:

1.  La Arca de Noe was featured in an NCIS episode titled “Iced”.  A Pretty terrible episode of a pretty terrible show had the restaurant as the headquarters of the “Vida Mala” Salvadoran gang based in Fairfax, Virginia.  I’m guessing some producer’s only contact with Hispanic culture was Ricky Martin, and he then confused the word “mala” with “mara”.  Still, it was fun to see the Jesus mural on the side of the Highland Theater.

2.  The front page of the Boulevard Sentinel had articles on Debs Park and the Highland Park Transit Village.  Looks like we have a fan in the local media.

To celebrate this year’s May Day we’re announcing Taco Truck Night. Take your family, your friends, or anybody else who loves tacos. Go out, get some carne asada or al pastor and support your local hard working taco vendor.

While you’re there be sure to hand out some posters and tell your fellow Angelenos what’s happening to our beloved Taco Trucks.

If you’re unsure where to go, or just want to try something new, check out The Great Taco Hunt for suggestions.   And of course, check out SaveOurTacoTrucks.org for more information.

(Photo courtesy Luis E. Cerezo)

Thank you for contacting my office to express your views regarding the
proposed changes to the Los Angeles County peddling ordinance. Please be
aware that this ordinance is effective only in the unincorporated areas
of Los Angeles County. The proposed changes to the ordinance allow peddlers to remain in one location in a commercial zone for one hour. The current ordinance permits 30 minutes in one location. For your information, vending from a sidewalk has never been permitted in Los Angeles County. Our ordinance will protect the health and welfare of our residents and respect the needs of our business community.

If you require additional assistance with a County-related matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (323) 881-4601.

Thank you.

Sincerely, GLORIA MOLINA
Supervisor, First District

Dear Supervisor Molina,

Thank you for responding to our concerns regarding your recent ordinance affecting taco trucks in Los Angeles County. As residents of Northeast Los Angeles, we wholeheartedly support a thriving business community that includes “brick and mortar” restaurants. While we understand there are many conflicting interests involved, we are concerned the measures passed by the board of supervisors do not best promote the health and welfare of our community. Forcing hard working men and women, who we object to being classified as “peddlers,” to move too frequently to earn a sustainable income is not an effective means of addressing the health needs of the community. If the aim of this ordinance is the health of the community, you might consider stepping up inspections and more diligent enforcement of existing health codes. If the aim is to improve the welfare of the community, find a compromise that allows more established businesses to reasonably coexist with nascent restaurateurs and other local business owners. Criminalizing these vendors, for what previously was essentially a parking violation, fails to acknowledge the reality that these vendors are an established institution of Los Angeles County and provide an affordable option for families unable to afford sit-down restaurants. Additionally, the culture and community created by taco trucks is enormously beneficial to a neighborhood’s welfare, as it brings people out on otherwise abandoned streets.

Furthermore, the fact that this ordinance only affects trucks in unincorporated Los Angeles County is of no comfort, as we fear this legislation will open the door for similar ordinances that affect us more directly in the future.

If you truly feel that the honest and hardworking families who work in these taco trucks are detrimental to the community under current regulations, we would urge you to find a compromise that better serves your constituents as well as your business interests. A healthy compromise, that allows restaurants to compete without eliminating taco trucks from the landscape, could include preventing the trucks from parking within a specific distance of an open restaurant. Please consider how this ordinance will affect all of your constituents before removing something so loved in our neighborhoods.

Fortunately, I was able to meet Antonio Bermudez, a project manager for MBS, at Antigua and chat with him a little about the project. Mr. Bermudez seemed genuinely excited by Highland Park’s potential. He promised a certain amount of affordable housing, a continued presence managing the property to avoid some of the pitfalls of affordable housing, and underground public parking. Obvious benefits could include a renaissance in the somewhat blighted “Paseo Figueroa” district, increased property value, and increased investment in the community. Still, there is valid community tension here. Rumors are spreading that the development will be 4 stories tall (twice as tall as any nearby building save the Highland Theatre), not fit into the architectural aesthetic of Highland Park, and that increased density could exacerbate crime, making it more difficult for police to patrol. We’ve sent an email requesting an email Q&A with Mr. Bermudez but if you want more personal answers, MBS will be hosting a community forum on the development Wednesday, April 30th at the Ebell Club (131 S. Ave 57 90042) at 6:00 PM.  Neither of us may be able to attend because of work commitments but if someone wanted to let us know how it goes, we’d love a first hand report.

According to today’s Times, last night the Board of Supervisors passed the ridiculous new restrictions on Taco Trucks.

Go to SaveOurTacoTrucks.org and sign our new online petition, and help us spread the word.

Thanks!

It should be mentioned, that though tempted, we managed to refrain from parking on the neighbors lawn, discarding used hypodermic needles and condoms in the street or puking in any mailboxes—despite the prior predictions that opening a new bar in the neighborhood would bring just that. Maybe next time.

To begin, the Lounge sports a fantastic selection of brews—over 100 in fact. 16 on tap, 90+ bottles and a good selection of “big boys” (bottles16oz or more). The bartenders gladly poured us a couple of taster shots of the lesser-known verities, such as the Leinenkugles Wheat (which, by the way, is misspelled on their menu). Our server hit the nail on the head describing it as “fruity,” and after one taste I promptly ordered my old favorite, Racer 5 IPA. Without a doubt, the beer at Lounge rocks.

And then there’s everything else. Walking in was something of a sensory overload—either I can’t remember what hit me first, or I’m just trying to block it out. The “booths” are bright blue, padded rails that look like they were stolen from the old American Gladiator set, and the stools are tall, bright red leather chairs. Meanwhile the lighting seems to be an attempt at dark mood-lighting, but it’s thrown off terribly by the large amount of open space and also the light coming off two giant LCD TVs on the wall and a HUGE screen taking up the back wall, currently showing a Lakers game. On the whole, the place feels like Chuck E. Cheese mixed with a bad disco club, with a sports bar in the back corner.

Ah, maybe sports could be a redeeming quality of the place. Add in satellite with some good sports programming and who can resist an MLB season ticket on a 200-inch screen. But it turns out they only have standard cable and no sports packages. So much for that.

So maybe the food could save the Lounge. The menu offers a few things not available next door, such as a Kobe beef hotdog, a Lounge Burger and gourmet tacos.

Wait, Kobe beef hotdog? Well, apparently after slicing off the prime steaks and grinding up the chuck for burgers, they still have the same undesirable parts of a Kobe cow left over that every other butcher is stuck with, and somebody figured out to do the same old trick. Make a hotdog, don’t tell anybody what part of the cow they’re eating, and now, since it’s Kobe beef, you can charge 8 bucks for it. In other words, a Kobe beef hotdog is an overpriced Ballpark frank, and actually not as good.

Then there’s the Lounge Burger. This varies oh-so-slightly from the standard burger in that it has avocado and bacon. That’s really it. That’s the special burger that you can only get at the Lounge. A bacon, avocado cheeseburger. Decent for a meal, but nothing to write home about, and nothing worth a special trip into the Thunderdome for.

Finally, the gourmet tacos. They come in “a la carte” plates of two, for a whopping $5.50. Considering a family of 4 can eat for that much at nearby taco trucks, we skipped them altogether. I don’t pay 5 bucks for two tacos, “Tuscan Pesto with Portabello Mushrooms” be damned.

So the bottom line: The Coffee Table Lounge is a full-on, straight-up bust. The entire time I sat in my uncomfortable, blue booth staring across the street at the Oinkster, wishing I had eaten there instead. Besides the beer, the only real entertainment of the evening came from watching people walk in the door, stop in utter shock, and walk back out. It happened at least 4 times in an hour. If only I had know better, I could have made it five.

It appears our County Supervisor, Gloria Molina is out to (this time metaphorically) whitewash our neighborhoods. Today the Times reported that she is pushing for increased regulation of our venerable neighborhood taco trucks, which would marginalize them and ultimately eliminate them from the cityscape. The article’s focus is mostly on East LA, but presumably, the proposal would affect taco trucks throughout the county. Remember, this is the same Gloria Molina who took offense at some graffiti art murals in the Arroyo Seco a few months ago, which were subsequently painted over. No one ever took responsibility for the murals’ removal, probably because a sizable group of residents were upset that the works had been removed despite prior authorization by the county.

So, Supervisor Molina doesn’t like seeing graffiti art from her Mt. Washington home and she apparently doesn’t like eating at taco trucks either. Currently, the trucks are supposed to move every 30 minutes or face a $60 fine. As we all know, this rule is scarcely followed as the same trucks are in the same location every night. (How can you find Mariscos Estilo D.F. or Takitaco if it’s in a different location every half hour?) Molina aims to make staying in the same location for an hour a misdemeanor punishable by $1,000 and/or 6 months in jail. You read right: Jail. I’m not sure what part of District 1 Molina is working for, but I sure as hell want to move there as the top legislative priority seems to be driving out of business and imprisoning carne asada “dealers”. (Mt. Washington perhaps?) Her defense largely seems to be based around helping local brick and mortar restaurants succeed but I really fail to see the parallel. Eagle Rock seems to be doing just fine despite the presence of several trucks, some of which have been there for decades. Supervisor Molina’s actions would serve to eliminate a fundamental part of Angeleno culture to what benefit? Those who eat at taco trucks because of their affordability will simply eat out less often, and those who like the quality will not suddenly embrace Taco Bell. But why stop there Supervisor? You could round up the mariachis in Boyle Heights who make it hard for “brick and mortar” mariachis to compete. Maybe the Sherriff’s Department can be used to break up church car washes that undercut local businessmen. You know, the ice cream man doesn’t have as much overhead as Coldstone. Can’t we put him in lockup? With frivolous proposals like this being debated in our local government, is it any wonder nothing of substance gets solved? If you feel like we do, that Supervisor Molina should focus more on issues like crime, transportation, and pollution, please send her an email at molina@bos.lacounty.gov

Feel free to cut and paste the following letter, and add any additional thoughts you may have:

Dear Supervisor Molina,

I am writing to express serious concern regarding the actions you have taken against the taco trucks in our neighborhoods. As a member of the Eastside community, I greatly value our local street vendors–for their food, service, and especially culture.
Taco trucks fill many voids left by traditional restaurants, whether it is more authentic, better food, better hours, or cheaper prices. Furthermore, taco trucks create a sense of community on the streets that enclosed, “brick-and-mortar” stores cannot.
Taco trucks are a special and unique facet of East Los Angeles, and something that I cherish about my neighborhood.

I urge you to withdraw your proposal, and instead focus on the more pressing and detrimental issues that are facing our community.

We’d love to hear what responses you get (if any).

Today I rousted my girlfriend out of bed before noon, a minor miracle, with the intention of getting my car worked on.  It being Sunday and the mechanic apparently taking the day off, we decided instead to grab a hearty Mexican breakfast followed by a little bit of culture.  Word on the street was that La Abeja made a good Menudo, and we were not disappointed.  The broth was delicious and the perfect cure for a hangover (they don’t have chilaquiles unfortunately).  The topping of tripas (tripe) was too rubbery for my taste and we passed on the optional patas (pork hooves).  The dish is served with limes, onions, and cilantro on the side.  Just to try a sampling, I had the Juevos Rancheros.  Pretty standard fare, but the refried beans were particularly good and for less than $5, I have no complaints about standard fare.  The restaurant’s decor resembles a hardware store/filling station heavy on Three Stooges memorabilia and Mexican kitsch but the service is excellent.  The owner and his family seem to make up the staff, and they never let my coffee cup get below half full without offering me a refill.  They also offer a lunch menu of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc. but don’t serve chicken because, “the old man doesn’t like it” according to our waiter.  One large Menudo, Juevos Rancheros, and two coffees came out to less than $15.

 Our bellies full, we headed south to check out the biannual Mission Brewery Art Walk in Lincoln Heights.  Located in the old PBR brewery, the art walk is a free tour of the artists colony that currently inhabits the property.  To be honest the art (mixed media, fashion, sculpture, photography, etc.) wasn’t anything I’d hang on my wall (or could afford to with the hefty price tags) but the spaces were impressive as were the grounds which have largely been transformed into gardens and private patios.  I did enjoy Chilean artist Guillermo Bert’s “Bar-Code / Branding America” series, which “reflects […] his perspective on the consumerism that permeates the core of American society”.  The idea isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but I enjoyed the execution.  A great find that will warrant further exploration is Barbara’s at the Brewery.  The restaurant/bar boasted a nicely decorated interior, good beer selection (including my favorite, Craftsman’s 1903), and an appetizing menu.  Maybe next weekend, I can find something more in my price range at Highland Park’s art walk.

Upon returning home from my week in and around Isla Mujeres, Mexico, I was hoping to find Highland Park’s gang problem solved, extra money discovered for LA Unified, and a subway to the sea.  Unfortunately, some gunrunners made news barricading themselves indoors so all of you worrying that Northeast is being overrun with winebars and Starbucks can sleep easy.   (How disappointed does the anchor sound when the reporter confirms that despite all the “weapons”, there hasn’t been a shot fired?)

Well, at least I knew I could go drown my socioeconomic sorrows in some solid seafood at Via-Mar.  I’ve sampled quite a bit of the menu here and I won’t blow sunshine up your ass by claiming everything is always good for every mood you may be in.  For example: I’m not a fan of the carne asada, and I think the fish in the ceviche tastes too fishy (although my girlfriend is a huge fan).  Still, the shrimp cocktail here is excellent and the lobster and shrimp burritos are the best on the planet.  The tortillas are packed to the point of exploding with crisply fried meat, rice, cabbage, and sweet Mexican cream.    It speaks volumes that I came here for my first meal out after a week eating Mexican seafood.  The final plus is the nice outdoor patio they have.  On hot summer days you can cool out under the misters, catch Chivas on the TV, some banda on the stereo, and pretend you’re in Mexico for a few minutes.  Don’t forget to drop a little tip in the waiter’s jar on your way out.

Birds chirping, grass sprouting a flowers blooming can only mean one thing: Allergy Season Spring Break! With that, of course, meant vacation for us over at YORK BLVD.

We apologize for the lack of posts, but were thrilled to see many people continue to check in and post comments!

Check back again soon for new articles, anecdotes and anything else fit to print.

Cheers,  YORK BLVD.

Every time I hear this though, I actually can’t help but think of everything that I love about Highland Park and the surrounding area. Our neighborhood has so much personality, culture and vibrancy I often find it difficult to see anything else. We post these things constantly, but sometimes it’s nice to see them all together.

So here’s some of what we love about Northeast L.A.
-Taco Trucks at 3am
-Conversations at the York sink
-500 beers at Galcos
-Tacos La Estrella red sauce
-French fries and aioli at The Oinkster
-The Gold Line
-The view from the 134 (between Figueroa and Harvey)
-Pho at Lemongrass
-Beer on tap and to go at The Verdugo
-Street parking
-Oinkster pastrami
-Being able to buy a house in L.A.
-Going for coffee and getting beer while listening to live music at La Casa Blue
-Chillin’ and Grillin’ with Dave and his sandwiches
-Second Saturday NELA art walks
-Quick commutes to Downtown
-Ugly nudes at Footsies
-Classic cars at Pete’s Blue Chip
-Oxy sports
-Up-and-coming bands at Mr. Ts
-Dog walks at Debs Park
-LA’s best pizza at Casa Bianca

We know all you have lots of reasons too. Sound off and add them to the list!