Cypress Park
posts displayed by category
Cypress Park: A Seriously Stacked Veggie Sandwich from Antigua Coffee House
Mar 03 2014
Cypress Park’s Antigua Coffee House, with its friendly, familiar vibe, vibrant decor and strong brew, is an easy place to love. Owner Yancey Quiñones treats every customer like he’s known them forever, setting a communal tone for the daily crowd of laptop-pounding and just-hanging patrons, which makes this cozy space so welcoming and without the attitude that ruins many a coffee house in Los Angeles. It’s one of Northeast L.A.’s sweetest spots.
But, it’s not just the atmosphere that lures me to Antigua, or even the Mayan Mocha Latte. It’s the Vegetarian Sandwich. Stacked sky-high with thick slices of cucumber, raw zucchini, tomato, onion and avocado, it’s almost too big to bite. I look past that slight inconvenience, though, because on top of all of those vegetables is a strip of green chile, which adds a cheeky Latino twist that sets it apart from the average veggie sandwich. The bread is a simple sliced whole wheat, generously spread with chipotle dressing, so it ends on a smoky, spicy note. Did I mention the provolone cheese?
If you like your sandwiches paired with a good cup of coffee, you won’t be disappointed. The coffee here is sourced from Quiñones’ family’s coffee plantation in Guatemala, which dates back to the late 1800s. The result is a particularly good iced Americano and perfect Cafe con Ché (coffee, steamed milk and cinnamon). If coffee isn’t your thing, the Xol Maya, an icy orange citrus drink blended with vanilla, is a neighborhood favorite.
-Valentina
Antigua Coffee House
3400 N Figueroa Street
Los Angeles
Cypress Park: Fresh, Fast Japanese at Ayta
Apr 25 2013
While pupusas, tacos, mariscos and Jumbo Jacks abound, vegetables are hard to come by on the strip of Figueroa Street where Cypress Park meets Highland Park. Enter: Ayta Grill. The small Japanese “Teriyaki House & Tea Room” (Note: I didn’t see any actual tea on my visit) opened last month, gaining attention for its roof-bound Bruce Lee statue, but the real draw is simple plates of meat, rices and fresh veggies.
The menu has zero frills. Choices include steak, salmon, shrimp and chicken, curry or no curry, vegetables or no vegetables. Portions are satisfying, the meat is well-cooked and flavorful, and the broccoli-carrot-squash-cabbage medley doesn’t have that over-steamed mushiness you’ve come to expect from Asian fast food joints—they’re actually some crispiness to speak of. Prices range from $5-$9.
If there’s any extravagance here, it’s their fruity drinks. We sampled all four flavors and settled on the sweet cantaloupe, which brightened up the whole meal. Ask for their green sauce, a creamy mix of Serrano peppers, cilantro, and potatoes that adds the perfect spicy kick to the teriyaki flavor.
Mount Washington residents will eat this place up.
-Valentina
Ayta Grill
4017 N. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, Ca 90065
