Welcome back to L.A. TACO's weekly dining roundup!
We've noticed a massive uptick in Colombian street food in Los Angeles over the last few months. It feels like every week we're seeing a new spot for bandeja paisa, arepas rellenas, and mazorcada out there. We have two this week, including a specialist in barrel-smoked Colombian meats in the Valley and a place for Colombian rib stew and loaded hot dogs in Koreatown.
Read on for the latest finds from Hadley Tomicki, and have an excellent Labor Day weekend from all of us at L.A. TACO.
BALBOA PARK
Get a look at the jaw-dropping, barrel-smoked meats of Asados To Go, which will be set up Saturday and Sunday in Lake Balboa Park, where the 405 meets the 101.
An unholy alliance of smoked, Colombian-style proteins are offered here in its large and small cajas de asado (asado boxes), including chorizo, chicharron, morcilla, steak, and pork ribs, served with potatoes, smoked pineapple, guacamole, and aji picante salsa.
You'll also find steak sandwiches, a la carte sausages, plantains with cheese and bocadillo (guava jelly), and Colombian sodas.
At the Balboa entrance to the park, which is located at 6300 Balboa Blvd. Lake Balboa, CA 91406
SANTA MONICA
Impressive things abound at Edgemar Restaurant + Lounge, which just opened in the back of Santa Monica's historic Frank Gehry-designed complex.
In a breathtaking space under an exposed, arched truss ceiling, executive chef Jared Dowling and chef Jonathan Thomas are blending culinary influences in unique and delicious ways.
Dinner items include housemade stracciatella drizzled in chile diablo and wildflower honey, served with house-baked bread; epic shrimp toast made with Japanese milk bread and ikura that reminds one of an everything bagel with lox; tempura oysters; housemade spaghetti with Santa Barbara uni; rack of halibut with Jimmy Nardello peppers; smoked, bakken-spiced lamb shoulder with sumac onion salad; Caledonian prawns in Ruby Murray curry; and a pho-inspired tomahawk steak served with Vietnamese fish sauce.
A "Big Kids Menu" offers the chefs' take on fare like fish tacos, burgers, and chicken tenders, which can be made in kid- and adult-friendly versions.
2435 Main St. Santa Monica, CA 90405
HAWTHORNE
The grand opening of The Artist Tree's Hawthorne dispensary will be held from 12-6 p.m. this Saturday. In addition to music, penny gift bags, merch giveaways, food, and a consumption lounge, expect cannabis cocktails with THC-infused drinks like the "Artist Tree Agua Fresca" with passionfruit, pineapple, cucumber, lime, and a chamoy-and-Tajín rim, and the "South Bay Mai Tai" with pineapple, almond, triple sec, bitters, and lime. The THC drinks will be served both at the opening and beyond.
This new Artist Tree dispensary is just a five-minute drive from the manifold glories of Coni'Seafood and its Nayarit-style seafood. We felt we needed to mention it.
4756 Hawthorne Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90304
LONG BEACH
Long Beach's recently opened La Condesa de Oaxaca is quickly accumulating raves for its Oaxacan-style cooking, which hasn't had much representation in the city for a while.
Burritos with chapulines (grasshoppers), lamb barbacoa and tasajo plates, tlayudas, moles, cecina enchiladas abound on the menu, alongside tacos with options like lengua, birria de chivo (goat), cecina, and tripas, chorizo with huevos, chilaquiles verdes, and chiles rellenos with mole amarillio de res (yellow mole with beef).
146 W. 10th St. Ste. B Long Beach, CA 90813
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
It's that time of year again. Halloween Horror Nights returns to Universal Studios Hollywood next Thursday. And beyond all the terrifying mazes, roving ghouls, and Chucky cameos, we always look forward to the clever, film-inspired takes on food and drink that the park creates.
This year, you'll find such treats as short rib flatbreads shaped like buzzsaw blades with "bloody" tomato sauce edges, Stay Puft s'mores, chocolate mousse eclairs that resemble stake-impaled caskets, Dia de Los Muertos-inspired rum horchatas and cold micheladas, and brisket sandwiches with Coca-Cola-infused barbecue sauce from Leatherface's BBQ, among the many choices.
Sept. 5 - Nov. 3rd, Universal Studios Hollywood
KOREATOWN
Grand Pits is open in Koreatown for Colombian "comidas tipicas."
This means bacon-and-cheese-loaded perros calientes (hot dogs) with pineapple salsa, salchipapas, stacked burgers, meaty fritanga plates with blood sausage and tripas, long lengths of chicharron, patacon loco (fried plantain sandwiches), papas rellenas, pasteles de yuca, mazorcada, caldo de costilla (rib stew). Just to name a few.
3401 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, California 90020
