Spot Check: Kalua Pig Tamales For Maui, Salvadoran Panes Chucos de Mortadella, and Braised Bison BBQ At Pico-Union’s Native Pop-Up
Mr. Charlie's, the plant-based restaurant that mocks McDonald's like the demon seed of Banksy and Hamburglar, is also now open in Venice. Plus, a new spot to try casarecce with lamb sausage in Downtown.
Chef Pyet DeSpain’s smoked tepary bean hummus with nopal, hominy, and fry bread
Spot Check! Welcome to L.A. TACO's latest column, where we bring you the latest and most exciting openings, pop-ups, and food events around all of Los Angeles to check out.
La Masita Fina and East Los Musubi will team up at Sunset Boulevard's legendary Tiki Ti to sell Kalua pig tamales and other classic and tiki-themed items from both businesses. The two vendors will also be collecting donations for Maui.
Sat. Aug.12, 6 pm, 4427 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 2 - “Sunset/Virgil” or Metro B Line - "Vermont/Sunset Station."
El Salvadoran panes chucos, in the style of the city of Santa Ana, will be prepared by the Santaneco-helmed El De Los Panes. A stand-out roll, toasted and stuffed with your choice of grilled beef or mortadella, and topped with curtido, can be in your hands starting at 2 PM on Sunday—DM for details.
Don Chamorrón will be selling bags of his Michoacán-style chicharrón de habanero y jalapeño and jars of his salsa macha, laced with crunchy slivers of tortilla chips, at Pico Rivera's Twilight Market this Saturday, from 4 to 9 PM, alongside over 60 other food, fashion, and crafts vendors, music, dance, and pet adoptions. The DM-only food operation will also be selling orders of carne apache, a hard-to-find Michoacán regional tostada between beef tartare and a beef ceviche. Send a message to find out more.
Free entry, 9155 Telegraph Rd. Pico Rivera, CA 90660. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 62 - “Telegraph/Serapis” or Bus Line 266 - "Lakewood/Telegraph."
Mr. Charlie's, the plant-based restaurant that mocks McDonald's like the demon seed of Banksy and Hamburglar, is now open on Venice's Ocean Front Walk for Impossible-assisted "Not a Cheeseburgers," "Double Nots," "Frowny" meals, and "Not Chicken Nuggets."
1827 Ocean Front Walk Venice, CA 90291. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - “Main/Grand (westbound)” or "Main/Venice Way (eastbound)."
Award-winning chef Pyet DeSpain is hosting an "Indigenous Fusion" pop-up inspired by her Native Prairie Band Potawatomi and Mexican heritage at the Red Room natural wine bar in Pico-Union tonight and tomorrow night. Dishes include braised bison with berry bbq sauce, sweet potato, and pickled berries, Three Sisters tostadas, smoked tepary bean hummus with hominy, nopal, maple chile oil, and fry bread, and pineapple empanadas. In addition, expect a dance performance by Jamaal-Isaac Jones of the Navajo Nation.
No reservations needed, 6:30 PM - 12 AM, 2580 W. Olympic Blvd. #2
Los Angeles, CA, 90006. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 28 - “Olympic/Elden” or Bus Line 603 - "Hoover/Olympic."
Devin Carlson's Mona Pasta Bar is now soft-open Downtown, serving regional Italian cuisine from chef Freylinlsai Morales Salazar (a vet of L&E Oyster Bar, All Time, and Cafe Stella), including housemade pasta. Expect burrata from Puglia, branzino stuffed with locally foraged herbs, casarecce with lamb sausage, hamachi crudo with beet vinaigrette and hazelnuts, spaghetti with clams and Aleppo chile, and dark rum tiramisu for dessert.
111 W. 9th St. Los Angeles, CA 90015. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 28, 30, 33, 40, 45, 48, 55, 66 or 92 - “Main/9th.”
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