Highland Park's Elsa's Bakery LOVE

One good thing about moving into a new neighborhood is when you finally find that place that makes you feel at ease, taken care of, maybe even a little bit nurtured.

Elsa's Bakery during the Highland Park Art Walk

That place for me is Elsa's Bakery. Elsa's is beyond cheerful; small, intimate, and they remember you. I'm the Norm, they're the Sam and Woody. But they don't tease me. They treat me (and everyone else) like royalty.



Inside are tons of classic Mexican baked goods. It's their specialty. They're famous for their sweet bread (not organs) both Vanilla and Chocolate...

Pan Dulce

Delicious and fresh breakfast pastries...


And they have a rockin breakfast. My favorite thus far is the Desayuno Chapin described as a Traditional Guatemalan breakfast: scrambled eggs with tomato and onions, black beans, plaintains, cream and cheese.

My favorite breakfast: the Traditional Guatamalen

Everything is fresh, even the tortillas...

Handmade Tortillas at Elsa's

And they have two for one tacos on Wednesday nights. That's two delicious tacos for $2.50.

But my absolute favorite thing in the whole wide world - the thing that turned it all around for me was:

Frida's Mocha with Polborones

To me, Frida's Mocha is one of the best, calmest coffee drinks ever. And yet it's still strong enough to give you the goose. Spicy, cinnamon-y, perfecto. It was adapted, maybe perfectly, from Frida Kahlo's very own Mocha drink which she had most mornings in her Mexico City home, La Casa Azul, located in Coyoacan. The owners brought the recipe back with them. She might have had it to counterbalance the alcohol and cigs from the night before.

That's my girl

I have it because it's delicious. And let's face it, I think of her every time.

This place is the real deal. In fact they found their chef who's from Puebla, Rosario, who will spend 14 hours making mole so that it's right. Those cookies you saw? Simple, satisfying, not too sweet but man, a hockey puck of goodness, those are Mexican Wedding Cookies and they're FIFTY CENTS A POP. Perfect with a Frida's Mocha.

If you're going, give me a call. I'm probably already there. In fact I'm here right now, typing this, and am supposed to be somewhere else.

That's how much I love this place.

Elsa's Bakery (Pan y Cafe) is at 5102 York Blvd., Highland Park, CA 90042. Tel. is: 323.256.9455. They serve breakfast and Lunch Monday thru Saturday from 7:00am to 2:30pm but most nights they're open 'til 10. Street parking. Always check the meters.

Enjoy!

Slow Down and Drink Your Coffee: 2 Cafes I Love

Me without coffee

There are a tremendous amount of cafes to choose from in Los Angeles and anyone who is writing a screenplay, novel or television spec (or is pretending to) has spent endless hours nursing the dying foam of an hour old cappuccino at any one of those ever-so-tolerant establishments. So if you're from out of town and are wondering Who are all those people sitting around those wobbly wooden tables? That's who they are. They're the working writers, the want-to-be working writers, and the everyone else who make up LA's cafe population. Some swear by the familiarity of Starbucks while others insist on something a little more lauded and hoighty toighty (ie.: LA Mill or Intelligentsia). One thing they all have in common: They need their joe.

Fincas Cafe Ruiz, Tierra Mia

For me, when I go to a cafe, I often find myself close to home. I live in Highland Park and I tend towards either Cafe de Leche (they have Stumptown coffee. Nothing wrong with that) and The Highland Cafe, both located on York in the happenin' block of Avenue 50. My favorite of the two happens to be The Highland because not only do they offer good coffee (they serve Handsome) but there are three factors that really push it over the edge for me:

-  I like the interior which I find comfortable and relaxed.

- I feel a little cooler just by frequenting an establishment that sells Mexican Wrestling Masks...

- And they have these outrageously delicious homemade fruit danishes in the morning that will BA-LOW YOUR FREAKIN MIND. They make them in-house, they're called the Noname Pastries or Danishes, I think they're around 4-and-change and oh my God. Seriously. This morning I had a little bit of a strawberry one and a little bit of a mango one. They were still warm. RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN and into MY MEMORY BANK AS ONE OF THE MOST DELICIOUS THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN. 

This is the "It's worth the trip" pastry.

 WORTH. THE. TRIP.

As for coffee, pure and simple, we were recently up in San Francisco and I had a cup of coffee poured from the Papa November coffee truck in SoMa and holy caffeine, it was out of this world. I really thought We don't have coffee like this in LA. I am so glad to report I was completely and utterly wrong.

A cafe has popped up in Echo Park that is owned and operated by the hardest working coffee aficionado in the universe: Ulysses Romero. He is the proud creator of a small chain of cafes called Tierra Mia. There are now six Tierra Mias in Los Angeles and it's my understanding the most popular are in South Gate and Pico Rivera. He's also now ventured up north, recently opening a Tierra Mia in San Francisco between Bernal Heights and The Mission. Papa Bear, I send you my love but watch out because Tierra Mia makes a damn good cup of coffee.



Now if you're a cream and sugar person, I say this understanding your whole thing and I just want to let you know something: you can drink this mother black.



I do not lie, you can and will notice their taste descriptions are right on the money. If they say there are notes of Tamarind Orange or Honey, you can taste notes of Tamarind Orange or Honey. I'm serious. And impressed.

Menus change. This is from September 7, 2013

Their beans are all Latin American. Romero, who has fostered relationships with his growers, insures you're experiencing the highest quality, best tasting coffee. He is a true coffee snob and you benefit by his snobbery.

The place reflects the care and passion Romero feels for what he's doing. Tierra Mia has a sense to it that cleanliness is next to godliness and by God, I like my cafes clean. It's so rare! But it's also as if you've died and gone to Customer Service Heaven. I mean, come on. Just look at these guys!

I am an addict, but an addict with good taste who likes to be treated well. The people Romero employs are knowledgeable, professional and polite. They carry themselves with pride and you get the feeling it's an honor for them to serve you. Frankly, I love that so much, even if the coffee didn't taste so good, I'd probably go back to see that in someone's eyes.

But the coffee is that good. By the way, they're famous for their Horchatta Lattes & Frappes and you'll find pastries and such, many of which have a distinctive Mexican angle:

And yet I have rarely dipped my toe out of the cappuccino or cup of joe pool. Know that for the pour, they only offer it as an 8oz cup (which, by the way, will get you there). Also be aware you will have to wait like 4 or 5 minutes after you order since they take their time making your coffee just right. If you want a larger size cup of coffee they offer an Americano (espresso with hot water) but their espresso is so good you need not worry. No soupy, watery, acidic situation here. It will be delicious. I had one this morning.

As a result, I am now going to run around my block 70 times. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Highland Cafe is located at 5010 York Boulevard in Highland Park. 90042. Their hours are 9am-5pm, Mon thru Sun.
Tierra Mia is located at 1201 North Alvarado Street in Echo Park. 90026. It's open 7 days a week. 6:30am to 10:00pm.

Me after my first sip

ENJOY!

Galco's: The Best Soda Store Ever

Bold words in this post's title. And I'm sure I don't know every soda store in LA. But I do know this place is fun. It's cute. It's got charisma. It plays music from the 50's, 60's and 70's. And most importantly, it offers over 400 different sodas.

Did you know it was spelled like that? I totally thought it was Sasparilla.

Some people say it's over 500. Some say it's over 1000. Really, once you're over 250, is it really worth a debate?

At first when you walk in, it almost looks like a warehouse...

But then you turn to the left and you know, the Back in Time sensation begins. This is like where Richie Cunningham went to get his toy planes before he met The Fonz.

I mean come on! This stuff is great. And it gets a little greater. Because next stop is the candy. All old-fashioned labels. One makes you think of the 20's...

The other the 50's...

The other, the 70's...

Personally, I prefer the candy smokes:

And just look up. You'll find vintage tidbits just above eye level:

That there in that cut out is the owner John Nese. He'll answer any question you have. Super helpful.

I love all that stuff. It's fun, it's cool, I love labels. But what I come for, what I really want, is the soda.

You might be able to find some of the selection somewhere else, but not all of it. No way no how. They only feature smaller labels. No big mass soda hauls here. I LOVE THAT. I also love that it's a family owned and operated business which all the people in this hood know about. Especially the ones who grew up here. They'd come to Galco's all the time after games and such for good sammies. In fact for the longest time Galco's was primarily a grocery/deli type place. (And by the way, they still make fresh sandwiches which are supposed to be good. I simply haven't tried any yet). But about 17 years ago or so, the owner, John Nese, had an urge to sell soda, but only from little labels you may never have heard of or ones you weren't sure were still in business.

Making John the most rad punk rock soda salesman in the country.

By the way, they have beer, too. Tons of it. And cool stuff which I imagine is not in every shop:

You can also get your sake on at Galco's...

As for me, I'm a Ginger Beer gal myself.

It's spicy, it's intense, and if you breathe in the fizzies, your eyes might water up. IT'S FANTASTIC.

So into this label.

Galco's Soda Pop Stop is located at 5702 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. The store's open from 9 to 6:30 Mon thru Saturday and 9 to 4 on Sundays. Parking is not a problem at all. They have their own lot. There's plenty of street parking as well.

ENJOY!

I Found My Favorite Sandwich, Mid-Century Modern Furniture on York and DEVO!

UPDATE: The Natural History Museum is closed Saturday (today) during the day in preparation for the event tonight and the Grand Centennial Event happening tomorrow. Sunday's is a kid-friendly event and sounds like A LOT is going on (Garden Tours, kid-friendly activities, food trucks, etc.). There's a day portion and an evening portion. Click on the link below for more details and ticket information:

NHM CENTENNIAL INFO FOR JUNE 9 INFO 

Now back to our regular programming...

Oh my GOD I have to post about Devo. Listen, we're going to get to the best sandwich I've had in LA since moving here in a minute. But the initial purpose of this post was I had totally wanted to announce an important, potentially life-changing experience, happening at The Natural History Museum this Saturday night...

Look at them, all lined up there, ready to clean out your intergalactic apartment. Devo. The boys from Planet Thank You will be performing this Saturday night at The Natural History Museum.

Tickets for Devo (a 6pm show) are only $25 and will sell out. But give it a go and CLICK HERE.

It's all to celebrate NHM's 100 year anniversary and the opening of the new Otis Booth Pavillion. I haven't been there so I can't tell you much about the pavilion but the little I've learned it's on the north side, there's some cool-ass pedestrian bridge that I believe connects the whole deal to Exposition Boulevard and it's a 3 story glass building with a 63 foot, long fin whale poised as if it were taking a dive inside of it. I LOVE that!

There'll also be what they're calling The After Party. Sounds like quite an event with a sound and light show happening, cocktails and tasty sweets, and you'll be amongst the first to get a look at the new pavilion. Cocktail Attire Required. Sounds like glammed out fun.

Tickets are $125. Here's how you get those: THE AFTER PARTY TICKETS.

But this whole thing - this cultural suggestion - was really interrupted because right before I wrote this post I went out to get a sandwich at Whole Foods.

On my way I somehow took a wrong turn where I ended up at a mid-century modern store on York in Highland Park and then apparently at my new favorite sandwich place in Eagle Rock on Colorado Boulevard.

It's usually when you go the wrong way that you find the right things.

Here's the deal: I am shocked SHOCKED that I didn't know about this place before. I've lived in LA a long time and in this neighborhood for almost a year. How come I never saw it? Why God, why were my eyes closed?

Well, who cares since now I've found the promised land. Here's why the importance: I never find a sandwich that is a slamdunk, homerun, you-got-it-you-know-where-I'm-from-and-you-know-how-to make-me-happy out here on the west coast. Never. It's hard to top my sandwich of origin. When I was growing up we used to go to some deli in Dobbs Ferry, New York. I think this guy named Chrissy would make us this sandwiches. They were simple and perfect and I believe in touch with the Divine. My order was Turkey on a roll with oil, vinegar, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. I don't think anything else. It was perfect - and Chrissy was a guy and he was REALLY cute so the whole experience was nothing short of fantastic. And a Coke. Had to have a coke. Maybe I got a large pickle, too. Why lie? I know I got the pickle.

So those are my buds. You know when you go into a restaurant and you ask the waiter what he likes? He might have really different tastebuds than you so I think I like to know what the waiter likes to eat before I trust his recommendation. These are my buds. These are my roots. This is the kind of sammy I like. So this might not be your cup of tea. If so, I'm shocked SHOCKED. But okay.

And just so I can get it out there before I laud my new find I must give a major nod to Bay Cities in Santa Monica as being a total true contender for the type of sandwich that makes me happy. It's great. And it's so much fun to go there. What a scene. That being said, I can't lie, Dave's sammy supercedes Bay Cities. It just does. And it's 10 minutes from my house so YAY!

So if you happen to be out in Eagle Rock anyway, may I recommend Dave's Chillin & Grillin on Colorado Boulevard.

Dave the owner is from Brockton, Massachusetts. You kind of know it the second he says anything.

Dave

A total character with a gap in between his teeth, he's got lots of stories. He dreamt of this sandwich place for a long, long time and worked his ass off to make it happen. And I admit it, something about talking to him, I sort of felt like if I was Mark Cuban I'd say Dave, I want to give you a million dollars. But instead I gave him 8 something for my sandwich. I just love how into it he is. It's not just the inspiring tale of writing the business plan in '94 and opening the business in 2005 - never giving up. I think it was his passion for healthy, fresh, simple ingredients. It all seemed the more prescient the moment I got home and bit into my sandwich:

Hello, Sammy

Deliciousness. It was called a Turkulese which is supposed to come with Feta but they were out so it came with Avocado. It was made up of turkey, tomato, lettuce, hummus (next time I'll skip that), oil, vinegar -- and no cheese because of the feta shortage. If there was anything else in there, I don't remember it. It was supposed to come with pepperocinis but I skipped it because I was scared of them. I think I made the right choice. In fact, I know I made the right choice. This baby was heaven.

Here's what he what he said about his food beforehand:

•Dave's is what he called 3rd Trimester Friendly. Is that something? I didn't know that was something. But then he explained this part of the equation...

•Their feta's made from sheepsmilk. And it also happens to be imported from Israel but I think the sheepsmilk makes it safe for expecting moms.

•They use no processed meats.

•That was real turkey on my sandwich.

•They use fresh baked bread. No bread is older than 14 hours.

•He even tries to get healthier salami. The salami has only 1 nitrate.

There was more! He told me more! I can't remember it all. This was all I was able to write down. Dave was going for a ride on his bike and I was starving. Time was of the essence.

This man, right here, right above this sentence, this is the man that conceived of and built my sandwich and was the one to sign off on my avocado. Let us all say Thanks.

Dave's Chillin & Grillin is at 2152 Colorado Boulevard. Nearest cross-street is Eagle Rock Blvd. Their website is currently under construction but I will post it when it's back up.

Lunch has meaning again!

That's why you shouldn't panic when you get lost or take a wrong turn. Something might just catch your eye and you'll find your new favorite sandwich or best friend or mid-century modern furniture store.

I truly want to do a bigger piece on Shopclass that's located right here in Highland Park on York and Avenue 52. So this mention of it, happening now, is just a little taste - a blog amuse-bouche, of what hopefully will be a bigger blog feast some day.

(is "feast" bouche in French? Somebody look that up)

Regardless, we're here right now and the most important thing for you to know is if you're in Highland Park, you should go to Shopclass! It's worth the visit! It's only been open since February but was already mentioned in Martha Stewart's Living (this month's) and it's no wonder. They have some really wonderful pieces in the store.

I just LOVED Lucy & Ethel up there. Truly I'm no mid-century furniture expert but maybe you are (Nancy, Brian, Mark & Adco) and I would not steer you wrong. I kinda think this spot is the real deal.

One of the owners, Ellen LeComte is founder of Amsterdam Modern and one of the visionaries behind Mohawk in Silverlake (I did a post on Mohawk here back in May). 

She's since left Mohawk and paired up with Sally Breer and Jeff Garbs.

Sally, from Paris, is an up and coming interior designer and Jeff, a recent transplant from Texas, is a furniture bloodhound - searching near and far for all the right pieces.

Get your tuchus over here! This place is chockfull of good stuff. And listen, sorry for the salty language and crass, non-artsy photo display. I might be in need of a nap (this was a lot of writing!) and when I was at Shopclass, I was very VERY hungry and couldn't dedicate the time to getting really the great photos this store cries out for!

And like I said I promise a bigger post in the future. In the meantime, if you want to see what these cats are doing Saturday night in Highland Park, they're participating in the NELA Art Walk that happens every 2nd Saturday, from 7-10 pm in the neighborhood. I know what you're thinking: an art walk, too?

THERE IS TOO MUCH GOING ON IN THIS WORLD!

Click HERE for more information about the HP Art Walk.

Man, I'm exhausted. This was way more than I ever intended. But the sandwich -- it just, it drove me. Anyway, have a great weekend and ENJOY!