Every day, Ted Delgado pulls down a small dry erase board hanging above his register and lists the day's specials at Teddys Cafe in West L.A.'s Sawtelle neighborhood.
There are items that rotate in and out. And others, like the robust huevos con chorizo, that are always available from the kitchen. Less favored recipes go on long hiatuses.
But one day, Delgado wrote down a special that his customers have successfully nagged him back into serving every Friday for the last twenty-seven years; a plate of thick, crispy, golden, beer-battered fish and chips. And to this day, every Friday, his community knows that the fish will be frying.
These fish and chips didn't turn into a tradition solely due to their rich, brass-plated batter and meaty cod. Even if the generous portions and generous crunch still have a lot to do with their success.