Hey Boo, Do I Have a Cheesesteak for You!

 Boo's Philly Cheesesteaks and Hoagies

4501 Fountain Ave. 

Los Angeles, CA 90029

Since our trip to Philadelphia a year and a half ago, I've been searching for a cheesesteak to rival the ones we had on that trip. It's not easy. So far, my favorite spot in OC is John's Philly Grill, but I have not explored the LA cheesesteak scene much. I went to my trusted source on all things food in Los Angeles, LA Eater, and found a best-of cheesesteak map. I found one which would be convenient on our way home, and that's how we tried Boo's Cheesesteaks and Hoagies. 

It just so happens that Boo's is mentioned on almost all of the best cheesesteak lists in LA. Andrew Ahn, a Philadelphia native, had the notion of starting this business when he moved to LA in 2002, but he could not find a good cheesesteak anywhere in town. That got the ball rolling, and he and his family decided to bring an authentic cheesesteak to the people of LA. 

That meant Amoroso rolls, deli meats from Dietz and Watson for their hoagies, and Wise Chips posted by the register. Andrews's biggest goal was to have fellow Philadelphians come here and claim that this was a legit cheesesteak served at Boo's. His vision is working, as they have this original location in Silverlake, which opened for business in 2011, and then added their Koreatown spot two years later. Both places have a 4-star rating on Yelp, with well over 2300 reviews between them. 

We were leaving Burbank on a Monday afternoon at half past 4, so we knew we would be in for a long haul back to OC. I ordered online, and when we arrived at the Boo's in Silverlake, our food was packaged up and ready for us at the promised time. This location does not appear to have any indoor seating, but there were a small number of picnic tables out in front of the restaurant. We grabbed our two sandwiches and began the two-hour trip home. 

Katie will almost always pick a hoagie over a cheesesteak. Yes, and I'm still married to her. At Boo's, they have four hoagies to choose from; two veggie sandwiches, an Italian hoagie, and this Turkey Hoagie ($13.95). This sandwich started with sliced turkey breast, then lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, oregano, hoagie dressing, banana peppers, and provolone cheese were added. As you can see from the pictures above, they really added plenty of toppings to this sandwich. It reminded me of a Chicago hot dog, but in turkey sandwich form. The turkey was fresh and clean tasting, and I enjoyed including the hoagie dressing, an oil and vinegar combo that adds a nice tang to any sandwich. My only complaint about this sandwich was that I expected more turkey to be included, but Katie found this sandwich manageable. She would not hesitate to get this again. 

Hoagies are fine and everything, but they are not as epic as a cheesesteak. Boo's has five beef cheesesteaks and six chicken versions to pick from. Predictably, I went the beef route by selecting the Boo's Mushroom Pepper Cheesesteak ($15.95). My first reaction to this was that I thought it would be longer, but they really stuffed the inside with steak, sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms, and my choice of cheese. They offered American, Cheez Whiz, or provolone. I never get American, but I split evenly between the provolone and Cheez Whiz. Today, the provolone won out. The mellowness of the provolone accentuates the other parts of the sandwich, which were excellent. The steak was tender, plentiful, and not as greasy as other cheesesteaks. The sweetness from the peppers cut the richness of the meat and cheese. The mushrooms got a little lost here, but I enjoyed the bites where they were present. This cheesesteak was made well, with minimal spillage of its contents. Even though it sat with us in traffic for two hours, it was not a soggy mess when we got home. Very well done. 

This is the leader of cheesesteaks in LA at the moment, in my opinion. I have a list of places that have come highly recommended for cheesesteaks that I still need to try, though; South Philly Experience, Philadelphia Steak and Hoagie, and West Coast Cheesesteak are among the most highly regarded. The cheesesteak from Boo's was not as massive as the ones we experienced in Philadelphia, but it was well crafted and was the closest in flavor to what we had there a year and a half ago. Luckily, Katie often works in this area, so she will be able to bring me one of these with some regularity. Right now, Boo's has my heart as far as LA cheesesteaks go. 

Out of five taxicabs (because the origin story of the cheesesteak involves a taxi driver seeing a hot dog cart guy making a cheesesteak sandwich for his own lunch, and suggested that he sell them), five being best to zero being worst, Boo's Cheesesteaks and Hoagies gets 3.5 taxicabs. 

For more information about Boo's Cheesesteaks and Hoagies, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.boosphilly.com/

Some Really Fine Mexican Food at Casa Fina

 Casa Fina

1842 1st Street

Los Angeles, CA 90033

Usually, when we are driving up this way, it's a happy occasion. We leave OC to cruise up the 5 Freeway to Burbank for a family party, graduation, or baby shower. This was more of a somber trip, as Katie's uncle Jim passed away suddenly a month before, and we were up this way to lay him to rest and have a celebration of life. 

Uncle Jim would have loved a celebration. When I went to my first big family party in 2009, he was the first person I felt a real connection with. He was the life of the party, cracking jokes, making sure people were having an excellent time, and introducing me to people who would eventually become my family as the years passed.  

Katie and I had to leave a little later in the day than we would have liked, so we drove up around 5pm and headed straight to our hotel. We needed to grab dinner along the way, so I tried to find a freeway close spot with some good reviews. I checked out Eater LA, and they raved about the food at Casa Fina, also adjacent to the freeway, so we plugged it into our map app and were on our way.  

Casa Fina is one block from the historic Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights. The restaurant is conveniently located in a little swath of land between three freeways, the 5, 10, and 101, which makes it super convenient. Casa Fina opened in 2017 and took over the spot that La Serenata de Garibaldi had for 32 years. They moved to the West Side, and Casa Fina has thrived here. 

The Casa Fina menu includes appetizers, soups, salads, pasta (?), combo plates, house specialties, entrees, and seafood. Most plates hover around the $20 price point, with only the molcajetes eclipsing the $30 mark. Our server, Emily, quickly took our order, so let's take a look at what came out for us. 

Before our ordered food arrives, let's check out their chips and salsa setup. This was, for sure, the most neon-green salsa we've ever had during the course of this blog. I'm partial to red salsa, but this one was good, as it was not too acidic and had a good amount of heat. It was not an uncomfortable amount of heat, but enough so it was noticeable. We were not presented with any red salsa, even though their pictures on Yelp show it as being served here at Casa Fina. The chips were fresh and crispy, with just a few blue corn chips in our basket. 

Queso Fundido ($16.50) is one of our favorite starters in a Mexican restaurant, and this version at Casa Fina was a good representation of it. They give you the choice of having this with either chicken, steak, or chorizo, which we chose. The chorizo was in big hunks when it came out, but it broke up easily once we mixed it with the bubbling cheese. This might have been our first fundido with sour cream on top, which disappeared quickly because of the heat coming off the skillet. I liked this flavor; the contrast between the chorizo and the cheese was excellent, and the tortillas, which I did not snap a picture of, were delicious. A very comforting start to our meal here. 

After a big breakfast, Katie was less hungry, so she selected this Taquito Appetizer ($9.50) with a Side of Rice ($2.95). The plating looked odd, but the taquitos were good. They had a nice amount of crema and maybe an avocado salsa on top. They were crunchy, and the chicken inside was tender, which is not always true in Mexican restaurants. Katie really enjoyed the rice. 

When I'm eating in a Mexican restaurant for the first time, I'll get the Carnitas ($19.95), a plate that I can use as a barometer to judge how good a Mexican restaurant is. I enjoyed these carnitas. There was a good mix of fatty and lean pieces; the tips were crispy and had a good depth of flavor. All good signs when I'm eating carnitas. The beans were delicious and helped with the few bites of pork that were a little dry. I enjoyed the rice more than usual in most other Mexican restaurants. This was a very solid meal. 

Casa Fina was just what the doctor ordered this evening. The food here was delicious, and I had no complaints about anything we had. They passed my carnitas test, so I'd like to try one of their combo meals or the shrimp enchiladas on my next visit here. We received some outstanding service from our server, Emily, and everyone we encountered this evening was very friendly. It was a slow Sunday night, but parking might be tricky during peak times. We got lucky and found a spot right out front on the street after circling the block only once. For a sad reason, we were up this way, but Casa Fina was a sliver of sunshine in a rather dreary time. 

Out of five anchors (in honor of our Uncle Jim, who served proudly in the US Navy, and an anchor is included on the United States Navy Seal), five being best to zero being worst, Casa Fina gets 3.5 anchors. 

For more information about Casa Fina, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.casafinarestaurant.com/

Want a Great Sandwich? Grab a Seat at Jeff’s Table

 Jeff's Table

5900 North Figueroa Street

Los Angeles, CA 90042

Predictably, it was a late night/very early morning for us up in Burbank at a family party. We scrambled to make ourselves somewhat presentable before our checkout time of 11 a.m. We gathered our things hastily, Katie scrambled to place her Starbucks order, and I quickly searched for somewhere to eat on the way home. 

I was in the mood for sandwiches, and LA is a great sandwich town. I checked out Eater LA's Best Sandwich list and looked for something close to the freeway that would not be too out of the way. A half dozen filled the bill, but some were eliminated because they were vegan or closed on Sundays. When I saw the picture of the Pastrami Reuben at Jeff's Table, I knew we'd be making a beeline to Highland Park. 

The Jeff behind Jeff's Table is Jeff Strauss. He grew up in the delis of New York and moved to LA for a career writing and producing hit TV shows. Tired of the showbiz scene, he opened this place in the back of Flask Fine Wine and Whiskey in late 2019. His love of smoked meats and the cuisine of Los Angeles is apparent when you glance at the menu here. A potato salad that features Wasabi, a ham sandwich paired with kimchi, and a gruyere crisp inserted into the Reuben show that these are not just your run-of-the-mill sandwiches. This uniqueness has made Jeff's Table one of the most talked about sandwiches in all of LA. 

We were ready to get home after the rowdy weekend in Burbank, so we ordered our sandwiches to go. The Jeff's Table website was easy to navigate, and ordering was a snap. Our food was ready and waiting near the front door at the promised time. For those ordering here, step inside Flask Fine Wine and walk to the back of the store, where you'll find Jeff's behind the beer cooler. There's no seating inside, but I spied a couple of two-seat tables out front. We picked up our bag and returned to OC to prepare for the upcoming workweek and enjoy our sandwiches. 

Katie and I got two sandwiches each since we did not know when the next time we'd be up this way would be. The first of Katie's sandwiches was the Dirty Baby on Rye ($17.45 with avocado added). This one starts with a chicken salad that is equal parts smoky and spicy and is not like your mom's ho-hum chicken salad you grew up with. This is a flavor bomb that also includes both fontal and gouda cheeses, crispy shallots, a chili crisp, and pickled red onion on a very sturdy rye. The textures and flavors that are included here are amazing. I loved the crispy shallots and chili crisp as they added texture that contrasted with the creamy avocado and the cheeses. The chicken salad added a punch of spice, but not in an uncomfortable way. Even those sensitive to heat could eat this with no problem. The rye did not fall apart as expected; it held its integrity. A really excellent sandwich. 

Katie's second sandwich was the Big Brekkie ($15.95 with avocado added). We had skipped breakfast because we were scrambling to exit our hotel room before checkout, so Katie got this to remedy that. The sesame-studded roll included a folded chive egg, crispy ham, manchego cheese, a little bit of aioli, and arugula. This was the most straightforward of our sandwiches, but it hit the spot for breakfast-loving Katie. She liked the egg's creaminess and the sandwich's lightness, but she mostly appreciated that this was a unique breakfast sandwich.  

I'm enticed by Cuban sandwiches, and I almost always order one when I spy it on a menu. I definitely had to try the version at Jeff's Table, which is called the Jubano ($14.95). No surprise, but this version is not your traditional Cuban. Sliced pork is joined by not ham but pastrami, while the Swiss cheese is swapped out in favor of comte cheese, which is very melty. Pickle slices, mustard, and aioli round out this sandwich. I really enjoyed this sandwich. It had the balanced feel of a Cuban, but the pastrami provided a big flavor boost. Maybe too much mustard and not enough of the aioli for my taste, but it's an excellent version of one of my favorite sandwiches. 

I really enjoyed my Jubano sandwich above, but the must-get one visiting Jeff's Table is The "Jeff's Special"  Reuben ($14.95). Again, this is not a traditional Reuben, but this could be my sandwich of the year. Hand-sliced pastrami on griddled rye bread with Comte cheese, sauerkraut, a slightly spicy Russian dressing, and, just for good measure, a piece of crispy Gruyere cheese placed in the middle of it. Wow, this thing was good. A great crunch to the bread, the savoriness of the pastrami, and the melty, creamy cheese was a winning combination.  I had planned on eating only half, but I could not stop and ended up eating the whole thing in one sitting. 

The sides, like the sandwiches, are not your standard deli sides. We tried two of the three available. The JT Slaw ($5.95) and the Wasabi Tobiko Potato Salad ($6.95). I was not excited about the slaw, a combo of cabbage, fennel, and red onion mixed with a black pepper/bread and butter dressing. The fennel threw me off, and the dressing was used too sparingly, so all I tasted was cabbage and fennel. I was much happier with the potato salad. The wasabi flavor was present but not as intense as in sushi restaurants. I was hesitant about the tobiko, which is flying fish roe, but they were so small that I did not even notice them. The creamy potato texture and the dill made this side a pleasant surprise.  

It was an absolute pleasure having the sandwiches from Jeff's Table. Their uniqueness, fantastic textural elements, and flavor profiles make these some of the best sandwiches we've encountered in LA. There was not a dud in the four that we tried. Even though it's not a convenient location for us, the ease of ordering online and the promptness of the order being ready, when promised, helped ease the burden of getting to Highland Park, an area we want to explore even further in the future. A great last-second choice by me, but next time, we won't be able to dig into these sandwiches before heading back to OC.  

Out of five puppets (because Highland Park is not only home to this deli but also to the world-famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater, where puppets have entertained over a million people in the last sixty-one years), five being best to zero being worst, Jeff's Table gets 4 puppets.   

For more information about Jeff's Table, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.jeffstablela.com/

Welcome to the West Coast Levain Bakery

 Levain Bakery

227 North Larchmont Blvd. 

Los Angeles, CA 90004

Wrapping up our day trip to LA, we needed something sweet to end our adventures in the City of Angels. Los Angeles has some iconic desserts to choose from; Churros from Olvera Street, Hot Fudge Cake from Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, a slice of pie from either Pie N' Burger or Apple Pan, or a scoop of ice cream from Fosselman's. So naturally, with all these great options, we decided to try an NYC transplant, Levain Bakery. 

Levain is an iconic bakery in New York and across the country. They have so many accolades that this could quickly become one of my longest posts if I listed them all. They have been named the best cookie in the US numerous times. Almost all the food people I follow on Instagram have made a pilgrimage to their bakery when visiting the Big Apple. 

Two friends started this business by selling bread to some of the best restaurants in New York City. They opened their first storefront on West 74th Street in 1995, which is still open for business. At first, they sold just their bread, rolls, and loaves. They made a chocolate walnut cookie as a test batch, and they flew off the shelf. People began talking, and soon, they had lines outside waiting for their cookies. They now have nine locations in NYC, along with storefronts in Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Chicago, and their first on the West Coast, in Larchmont Village. 

We arrived just before 4 p.m. and were met by a small line of about three people. When they first opened almost a year ago, people waited for hours. Luckily, the lines have diminished, and we were in and out within 15 minutes. Parking can be tricky around here, but we parked in the Wells Fargo lot next to the bakery and told the security guard, Reggie, that we were just getting cookies, and he allowed us to park there. We got him a cookie for letting us park there. He probably goes home with a dozen cookies every day. A good gig. 

Before we got to the cookies, Katie wanted to sample their Sour Cream Coffee Cake ($4.75) and Blueberry Muffin ($4.75) first. I liked both of these. They were both sweet but not overly so. I believe the sour cream in the coffee cake suppressed the usual sweetness you would get with a typical coffee cake. I would have liked the cinnamon crumble to be more distributed throughout instead of concentrated on the bottom of the slice. 

The blueberry muffin was studded with plenty of fresh blueberries throughout the muffin. It had a nice crystalized sugar top and was buttery and flavorful at its base. It was way better than any muffin we have had in recent memory. 

For the main event, most people visit Levain Bakery because of the cookies. We got the Two-Chip Chocolate Chip Cookie ($5) and the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie ($5). These hefty cookies are probably best to share, so you can try more than one variety. The two-chip cookie was loaded with chocolate chips, so you get a lot of chocolate in each bite. The outer cookie had a good crunch, while the inside portion was a tad underbaked for my liking. Still, it was terrific, and I microwaved this for about ten seconds to replicate that fresh, out-of-the-oven feel. 

The chocolate peanut butter cookie was my jam. It was delicious. Again, this cookie had a nice crunchy outer shell, but this one was baked a bit more inside, which I appreciated. It had the consistency of a gooey brownie, and the numerous peanut butter chips added a nice savoriness to the cookie. Really, well done, and writing this has got my mouth watering. 

Levain Bakery really lived up to the hype. Their baked goods are top-notch; hopefully, they will come to OC someday. I can't help but compare these cookies to my favorite OC bakery, Paderia Bakehouse. I'd give the nod to Paderia for their chocolate chip cookie, but the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie is better at Levain. In my opinion, these two bakeries are on par with each other. I'm happy we got to try Levain and did not have to travel all the way to NYC. They fit right in with the other great desserts available in LA.   

Out of five streetcars (because this spot is in Larchmont Village, which became a streetcar suburb of Los Angeles in the 1920s), five being best to zero being worst, Levain Bakery gets 4 streetcars. 

For more information about Levain Bakery, head to their website by clicking here: https://levainbakery.com/

Checking into Lodge Bread Company

 Lodge Bread Company

8532 West Pico

Los Angeles, CA 90035

The holidays were over, and it was time to take a week off. Katie could only take a few days off because she's been slammed at work, so we decided to make one of those days an LA day. I had the bright idea of visiting The Getty, which I had never been to. Katie had to drop some plans off at Children's Hospital LA, after which the rest of the day was ours. We left OC at 8 a.m. and reached LA an hour later, taking advantage of lighter-than-average traffic conditions. I picked Lodge Bread Company as our first food stop of the day. 

Lodge Bread Company came across my radar when I saw a picture of their cinnamon roll in a magazine. One glance was all it took for me to place them on my restaurant wishlist. That was a few years ago, and I waited for the perfect opportunity to finally make my pilgrimage to experience the colossal cinnamon rolls for myself. 

Lodge Bread Company, started in 2015, operates three locations, including this one on Pico Boulevard, Culver City, and Woodland Hills. It was started by Alex Phaneuf and Or Amsalam, who also ran the popular Hasiba, a hummus restaurant, out of this location before converting it into its current conceptualization. They also had the wildly beloved Full Proof Pizza, which had two spots operating but closed suddenly last year. 

We arrived at this tiny storefront at half past 10 on a Tuesday morning. There was plenty of street parking, and only a smattering of people wandered in during our stay. We ordered at the counter, and the food was brought to our table. There's enough seating for 12 people inside. They used to have a small patio in front, but it was not there when we visited. 

The one-page menu is divided into toasts, sandwiches, salads, and other items. The other items include the hummus and pita that were available when this used to be Hasiba. Prices here are modest, with only the Cobb salad going over the $20 price point. There's also a large selection of coffee, beverages, bread, and other baked goods for sale. Let's see what we had on part one of our LA day. 

First up, the Cinnamon Roll ($12.50) that brought us here. The first two pictures are of the one standing proudly on the counter. This massive brick of a cinnamon roll was much larger than any you could get at your local county fair. When we ordered this, they asked if we wanted the whole thing or half of it boxed up for later. I could have eaten all this, but we had a full day ahead of us and didn't want to crash while at The Getty. It was boxed up, and they also included plenty of the icing to be eaten the next few days at home. 

This was a very well-made cinnamon roll. The roll was sturdy, and the top had a good amount of cinnamon, which turned crunchy when heated. I wish the roll had more cinnamon running through it, which would have made it gooey. The abundance of the cream cheese frosting was a remedy for this. It was a light cream cheese frosting with a citrus tinge to it. It was delicious and elevated this cinnamon roll to even greater heights. 

Katie started her LA day with a light meal. The Avocado Toast ($14.50 plus $3 for an egg added) is one of five toast options on the Lodge Bread company menu. They use their country loaf bread as the base and then add a good amount of avocado, lemon, radish, extra virgin olive oil, and some cracked black pepper. Katie got her egg over hard, as she's not a fan of runny yolk. She feels this is the gold standard of avocado toasts she has consumed. Plenty of chunky avocado was seasoned just enough, and she enjoyed the inclusion of the radish, which gave this a little bite. 

Wanting something different, I got the Shakshuka ($15.50). This skillet dish came with stewed tomatoes, two eggs, herbs, salt, pepper, and bread for dipping. It came to the table scaldingly hot, so it took tremendous willpower for me to wait for it to cool down before digging in. Once cooled a bit, it was delicious. Online reviewers have commented that they felt this version was too sweet, but I found it mildly spicy, and I could detect the paprika rather clearly. The eggs were a great binding agent with the tomatoes. This came with plenty of their delicious bread, which almost had me buy a loaf immediately. The bread was an excellent tool for sopping up the rest of the shakshuka. 

Lodge Bread Company was all that it was cracked up to be. I'm thankful for that picture of the giant cinnamon roll I spied in the magazine that got us here. Our breakfast items were top-notch, and we wondered how great their sandwiches would be. I have my eye on the BLT and Pastrami Melt the next time we are here around lunchtime. We experienced good service this late morning and a very welcoming atmosphere. Lodge Bread Company was an excellent start to what we'd hoped would be a great day in Los Angeles. 

Out of five ranchos (because this restaurant sits on Pico Boulevard, which is named Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California before the US took over, and he had over half a million acres of ranchos in the mid-to-late 18th century), five being best and zero being worst, Lodge Bread Company gets 3.5 ranchos. 

For more information about Lodge Bread Company, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.lodgebread.com/

A Slice of NYC in LA

 Prince Street Pizza

827 East 3rd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90013

Some of NYC's most famous restaurants and foods have ventured out west in the past few months. LA is now home to several locations of the ever-popular Shake Shack, Grimaldi's Pizza, Magnolia Bakery is hawking its baked goods and famous banana pudding to us left-coasters, and Levain Bakery, which sells the best cookie on the planet, just opened on the day I am writing this review. We were going to be in LA for a White Coat Ceremony, so we tried another Big Apple export, Prince Street Pizza. 

My Instagram feed has shown me plenty of slices of pizza recently. Most are from other parts of the country, but one has consistently been featured, and upon closer inspection, I found out that Prince Street Pizza had opened in LA. In fact, four locations are currently operating in LA: Venice, West Hollywood, West LA, and the one we were visiting in Downtown LA. That makes four places to get a slice in LA and only one in NYC. It's more than likely due to the urban sprawl of LA. 

Prince Street Pizza opened for business in 2012 in the Nolita section of Manhattan. They are most known for their Sicilian-style pizza slices, which are closely related to Detroit-style pizza, served as squares, but the Sicilian style has a lighter, more airy crust that is more bread-like. PSP also offers Neopolitan pizza, the polar opposite of their Sicilian. It has a very thin crust baked in a round pan and cut into triangular slices, which is what people expect when eating pizza. 

Both pizza styles are available by the slice, but most people opt for the Sicilian-style slices. We arrived at the Arts District just before 5pm on a Saturday. We found some parking about a block away and entered PSP. Ordering is done from behind the glass case housing the pizzas available. After selecting the slices you want, the pizza is whisked into the awaiting oven to be finished off while you pay at the register and then wait for your slices. The whole process took less than five minutes. We then found some seating at the communal tables in front of the restaurant and settled in to eat our bounty. 

Yes, we were more than likely going to be having food after the White Coat ceremony we were in LA for, but we had no idea when we would be back up this way, and we felt a duty to you to try as many types of PSP pizza as we could. We went with the Meat Lovers ($6.50), Spicy Spring ($6.50), Four Cheese ($6.25), and the Mercer Margherita ($6.25). 

The slices featured a crispy, spongy crust that melded nicely with the pizza toppings and cheese. Predictably, my favorite of this quartet was the Meat Lovers, which came with spicy pepperoni cups, sausage, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and romano cheeses, with a touch of garlic. Our slice also appeared to have a sprinkle of crumbled bacon, which is not listed as an option on their menu. The pepperoni cups crisped up nicely, providing a crunch, while the sauce and cheese were delightful. A killer slice that had me going back for more to take home. 

My second favorite was the spicy spring, with pepperoni, a fra diavolo sauce, and mozzarella. The sauce had a little kick, but it was not over-the-top spicy. The heat hung out on the back end of each bite but did not overwhelm me. The end crust was good, but with four slices to finish, I discarded it as I ate more. The four-cheese slice was good, but it should be renamed three cheese because they count fresh mozzarella and shredded mozzarella as two of the cheeses, which joins whipped ricotta and pecorino romano to make up this slice. This is an excellent option for people who prefer something other than meat on their pizza. The Margherita pizza was Katie's choice, and I found it okay, but it lacked the flavor punch of the other three. Katie liked it way more than I did, so maybe it's just that I'm not that into Margherita pizza. 

I am into Prince Street Pizza, though. Their pizza was less greasy and heavy than I was expecting. It still had a good flavor profile and satisfied us through the white coat ceremony we were going to next. It's easy to see why they are so popular, and I'd like to try their round pizza the next time we are up this way. The $6 price point was not awful, and the guys behind the counter were all pretty cool. It's another success story for an NYC restaurant moving to LA. 

Out of five duels (because also on Prince Street in NYC is the former site of the estate of Aaron Burr, who had a famous duel with Alexander Hamilton), five being best to zero being worst, Prince Street Pizza gets 3.5 duels. 

For more information about Prince Street Pizza, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.princestreetpizza.com/

Some Food for the Road

 Carnitas Michoacan

1901 North Broadway

Los Angeles, CA 90031

We try to hit up as many restaurants as possible when we visit LA. We had just had a big barbecue lunch up the street but could not let the chance to try another spot pass us by. Since Katie and I were both full, we decided to take our food to go and eat it once we got home. We were facing an hour-and-a-half trip back to OC, so we'd have time to digest some of the excellent barbecued meats and sides we partook in at Moo's Craft BBQ. 

Less than a mile away, just west of the 5 Freeway, is the original Carnitas Michoacan. This 24-hour spot is a favorite of baseball fans before and after the games at nearby Dodger Stadium. Located on the corner of 19th Avenue and Broadway, the yellow building with red awnings is almost impossible to miss. Their sign states proudly that they have been in business since 1977, and their website is adamant that this is their only location, even though a quick Yelp search yields six other restaurants with their exact name spread far and wide through LA County. So, be aware of the copycats. 

There's a small parking lot behind the restaurant entrance off 19th Avenue. However, I'd imagine there is little chance of snagging one of the coveted 8 parking stalls in the cramped lot during mealtimes. So street parking might be your best bet. Ordering is done at the window alongside Broadway. Once you place your order, you pick up your food in the covered eating area to the right of where you placed your order. The lady who called the order numbers out was pretty quiet, so stay alert and close to the pickup window, so you don't miss getting your food. 

The menu at Carnitas Michoacan is straightforward. There are 11 kinds of tacos and a taco sampler that includes 5 of their most popular tacos for less than $9. Burritos, tortas, sopes, quesadillas, and nachos dot the rest of the menu. Numerous combination meals include the meat of your choice with beans and rice. Most combos are under $10, tacos will set you back on average $2, and only the lengua, tripas, and wet burritos will cost you more than $10. Grabbing our well-packaged food, we returned to OC during the afternoon rush hour.

Since Michoacan is the birthplace of carnitas, and this dish is in the name of this restaurant, it was a no-brainer that I'd be getting this Carnitas Combination  Plate ($8.50). First off, this to-go container was stuffed to the gills with food. Well worth the money for the amount of food that you get. The carnitas had a good flavor and were moist without being too wet. The drawback for me was that it was chopped too finely. I like variety in my carnitas, some big and little pieces and fatty and lean slivers. This was all chopped the same size and was mostly all lean pieces. Both the rice and refried beans were, and I enjoyed switching forkfuls with all the shredded pork.  

Taco Time! After eating up the street, I only ordered two tacos for later, which was a big mistake. I should have tried more than just their Pastor ($1.85) and Carne Asada ($1.85). These were bigger than regular street tacos and full of meat, like the carnitas plate above. The pastor taco was the better of the two. Little chunks of pineapple studded the delicious pork, while the faintly added red salsa added another layer to this taco. The double corn tortilla did an admirable job of keeping everything together. One of the better corn tortillas I have had in a while. The asada taco was decent too. The beef was nicely done and dressed simply with red salsa, onions, and cilantro. An excellent asada taco that has tempted me to try an asada burrito on my next visit. 

Even though we didn't get to enjoy our food from Carnitas Michoacan until we battled the freeway on our way home, I found their food to be quite good, especially when you factor in how little everything costs. It's not only their modest prices, but they also give you lots of food, and their meats are nicely done, especially their pastor and asada. Since they are so close to the freeway, I can see us stopping here frequently on our way home from LA. I'm glad we took the tie to stop on this trip, even though we were full from our meal up the street. 

Out of five avocados (because Michoacan is the only location in the world where avocados can bloom any day f the year, thus making Michoacan the avocado capital of the world), five being best to zero being worst, Carnitas Michoacan gets 3 avocados. 

For more information about Carnitas Michoacan, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.ogcarnitasmichoacan.com/