Highland Park
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Civil Coffee is Now Open in Highland Park
Dec 04 2015Photograph by David Maziarz
Read the rest of my article on Los Angeles magazine’s Digest blog.
Highland Park: Cocktails & Wings at The Greyhound
Aug 25 2014
While York Boulevard is evolving at neck-breaking speed, Highland Park’s other main drag, Figueroa Street, has seen slower change. Still, along with some of the best carnitas and juice places in town, new concepts have steadily emerged on Fig—Good Girl Dinette has been around for five years now, Little Cave turned into La Cuevita, there’s a legit creperie, and as of this summer, there’s even a solid vegan restaurant. You can also add to the list of newcomers The Greyhound, which introduces another category to the strip: a corner bar and grill, complete with a full food menu, 20 beers on tap, and some excellent cocktails.
The space, itself, all dark wood, brick and vintages touches, is airy and inviting. There are cozy booths to sink into and plenty of natural light, making it the perfect casual hangout for a weekend afternoon when the crowd is minimal—the nights are much more of a scene, if that’s what you’re looking for. Put simply, it’s a neighborhood bar with a mixed crowd of the usual Highland Park suspects-young and old, hipster and not hipster, long-time residents and newcomers. It’s even family appropriate until around 7.
Foodwise, the fare is somewhere in between pub and gastropub. Sure, the salads are elevated with candied pumpkin seeds and grapefruit vinaigrette (lots of grapefruit touches here to keep with the Greyhound theme) and, yes, pork belly is available, but then again, there’s the Loaded Fries, smothered in cheese, bacon and sour cream, which will pair well with most any beer. You’ll also find fourteen variations of chicken wings, ranging from Hunan BBQ to Judgement Day (meaning exceptionally spicy), served by the pound and classically accessorized with carrots, celery and a ranch-like dressing. The Ginger Spice are particularly tasty.
A menu highlight is The Greyhound Burger, a juicy mix of three types of meat on soft buttered bun (that’s not brioche) blanketed in a melted slice of shiny American cheese. Unpretentious, for sure, and undeniably delicious. Of course, a good burger makes perfect sense since one of the guys behind The Greyhound was an original partner in Father’s Office. On the meaty flipside are the less successful Steak Nuggets, chunks of marinated steak served with sriracha and crostini. The dish came out exactly as advertised, but there just wasn’t enough flavor to make it a compelling snack-y dish.
The drinks, however, don’t miss. Mateo’s Greyhound uses Plymouth Gin and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with well-balanced results while the Hippie Flip is a free-spirited mix of tequila, Cielo Roja bacanora, lime and Fresca. They also riff on the classic with a eponymous martini made with Lillet Blanc and grapefruit bitters. Beer lovers, who aren’t necessarily beer nerds, will appreciate that the extensive beer menu is helpfully broken into categories, like “Clean & Crisp” and “Fruity, Sour, Funky.” The selection features plenty of local brews, plus all the Belgians you could ask for. And if you want to end the night right, try a sip from The Greyhound’s treasury of digestivos—they’ve got an impressive collection that boasts some real rarities.
-Valentina
The Greyhound Bar & Grill
5570 N Figueroa St, 90042
(323)900-0300
Highland Park: Cognoscenti Coffee Pops Up at Good Girl Dinette
Apr 04 2014
As if we didn’t have enough reasons to love Highland Park’s Good Girl Dinette, now there’s this: The Vietnamese comfort food haven has teamed up with Cognoscenti Coffee. The match made is foodie heaven combines Good Girl owner Diep Tran’s out-of-hand pastries—mini seasonal pies, slices of buttery pound cake, and even savory biscuits made with shrimp and lap xuong (Chinese sausage)—with Cognoscenti barista Jack Benchakul’s perfect brew.
The coffee is served from a very cool looking pop-up cart called a Modbar. You can check it out for yourself from 8-3 weekdays, when they’ll just be serving pastries and coffee, and on weekends from 9-2, when the full breakfast menu is in effect. Seriously, if you haven’t tried Good Girl’s breakfast, you are missing out, and the same goes for Cognoscenti’s super smooth espresso. I wrote about the former a while back, and I’m still in love with the Coconut Oatmeal with Ginger Syrup, that freaking Lady Boy, and (oh my god) the Tumeric Dill Hash—the Maggi Steak and Eggs has also had its way with me.
Here are some photos to get you all worked up, courtesy of Good Girl Dinette and Cognoscenti Coffee-photographer Amparo Rios of R.E. Photography took the fantastic Modbar shots.
-Valentina
Good Girl Dinette
110 N Ave 56,
Highland Park
Highland Park: DIY Soda Making at Galco’s
Jan 24 2014
Galco’s Old World Grocery is one of York Boulevard’s oldest businesses, and its staying power isn’t a mystery. The Highland Park shop sell a million different types of soda—okay actually about 500—from all over the world, old-timey candies and even a nice selection of beer. Plus, a soundtrack of 1950s malt shop hits is always playing in the background. Now there’s yet another reason to go: they let you mix and bottle your own soda with their Soda Creation Station, a simple, but genius set up comprised of a soda fountain, flavored syrups and a bottling contraption.
Galco’s didn’t skimp on quality for this venture. Owner John Nese told me he deliberated a long time at every step, including choosing Monin syrups, a high-quality (for example, the vanilla is made with, you know, real vanilla) French brand that uses pure cane sugar to create well-balanced, authentic flavors. Eighty varieties, running the gamut from the traditional cola, cherry, and lemon to the more exotic pumpkin pie and chipotle-pineapple, are kept on hand. At least 8 pumps are suggested, which was a little too sweet for me, but for most people, it seems to do the trick.
Once the syrup is in check, finding the right carbonation level is key. Taking into consideration that some like their soda sharp while others perfer it a little more low key, the machine dispensed the spectrum of bubbles, light to heavy. I chose heavy carbonation and wasn’t disappointed. Even a week later, the bottles I took home were still nice and fizzy.
When all is poured and mixed, you get to cap your own bottle, which is a fun perk among fun perks. The antique metal bottler has a lever that you push down on, and voilà, you’ve bottled and capped your very own soda. My result was a very delicious dark-chocolate-cherry combo along with an imitation Fago Rock & Rye for my Midwestern husband. With all those flavors, I was tempted to experiment and make a bunch more, but as a soda fanatic, I couldn’t be trusted to have too many in the house. I can’t wait to have a party, though, so I can go down to Galco’s and bottle my own mixers.
Each bottle is $2.99 and well worth it.
-Valentina
Galco’s Old World Grocery
5702 York Boulevard
Los Angeles, 90042
Highland Park: Sandwich Salvation at Monte 52
Oct 16 2013
Monte 52 has been around for ten whole months, but I’m embarrassed to say that I barely found out about it in July—despite the fact that I drive by it almost daily. In my defense, it is tucked away inside La Tropicana Market, itself a Highland Park gem, where I’ve bought the occasional agua fresca but never ventured to the deli counter…until one fateful day. And that’s when I found it, the best sandwich shop in the neighborhood. Since then, I’ve been making up for lost time by making my way through their delicious, thoughtfully-conceived and well-crafted menu.
Brought to you by the folks behind Echo Park’s The Park, including chef Mitchell Jones who runs the counter, this deli is everything you want it to be. They serve salads, sandwiches, burgers, and soup, plus, rotisserie chicken and french fries. The meat and produce used are quality, portions are sizeable, and a lot of care is put into every order. Amazingly, the prices are still low, with almost everything on the menu costing about $6.
Highland Park, Silver Lake & Lincoln Heights: 3 Good Ice Cream Shops
Jul 14 2013
Summer heat gives you the right to indulge in ice cream at least every other day, right? You’re lucky, too, because there are so many great ice cream shops on this side of town, most of them making beautiful ice creams, gelato, and frozen yogurt on the premises. Here are three great beat-the-heat-icy-sweet saviors from an ice cream fanatic (me):
Tejuino Los Reyes: This Lincoln Heights ice cream shop is really just a storefront where people line up in droves for nieves—there’s no seating, minus a bus bench. You can choose from ten or so flavors of this Mexican-style ice cream, with either a leche or agua base. Milk-wise, the chocolate has a rich cocoa taste, a light, airy texture and the occasional chocolate chip while the pistachio is outrageously nutty. Mixing a milk-based flavor like creamy coconut with a water-based one such as tart lime or subtly sweet mango is a good move. The medium gets you four scoops in a big styrofoam cup. Tejuino Los Reyes 2707 N. Broadway.
Atwater Village, Los Feliz & Highland Park: 3 Good Veggie Sandwiches
Jun 12 2013
An Italian sub can be a glorious thing, but cold cuts aren’t for everyone. If you’re a vegetarian, or if you just prefer a meatless lunch now and again, finding a good veggie sandwich can be a task. Sometimes all you get is lettuce, tomato and cheese. Talk about blah. Still, there are some satisfying veggie sandwiches out there that demonstrate real deliberation and craftsmanship. Here are three good ones:
The Trails Cafe: The Avocado Sandwich and The Trails in Griffith Park is one of the best citywide. Thick chunks of ripe avocado, tomato, red onions, alfalfa sprouts and cheddar cheese are stacked high between two slices of sweet squaw bread. Mayo and soy bacon bits complement each bite. It’s the kind of sandwich that you miss when it’s gone, but the lavender shortbread cookies they sell are will console you. 2333 Fern Dell Dr Los Angeles, 90068
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
Highland Park’s Best Kept Secret: Brunch at Garvanza’s
Sep 19 2012
By all rights, Garvanza’s should be wildly popular, but its tucked-away location keeps it undercover. The neighborhood restaurant focuses on pan-Latin flavors with an emphasis on high quality local ingredients. The produce is fresh and seasonal, and the service is super friendly. A lot of people, including me, are rooting for it.
The bulk of Garvanza’s menu is burritos and tacos, including tender barbacoa with pickled onions, pork shoulder slow cooked in garlic and peppercorns, and flaky mango-salsa-topped fish tacos. Plates, comprised of those same meat choices and some of the most flavorful rice and beans in a 10 mile radius, are also served.
The one must of the appetizers is the Garbanzo Bean Salad, a simple mix of fried garbanzos, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. The cool veggies and a drenching of lime juice really brighten up this highly addictive dish. The chips and salsa are also notable for the same reason—the chips are thick and greasy, making them the perfect match for the tangy salsa their served with.
Highland Park: Scoops is Now Open on York Blvd.
Aug 21 2012
Here’s the scoop: Scoops is now open in Highland Park. You’d hardly know it, but the LA ice cream shop has opened its third location on York Blvd. Currently incognito—there’s no signage—the small storefront is right next door to Italiano’s and not much more than white walls and an ice cream case. There are just a few seats inside right now, but we can expect more decor in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, don’t let its plain Jane exterior hold you back. Go in and try what is arguably the best ice cream in town. Today they were serving up Brown Bread, Banana Oreo, Cherry Rum, Olive Oil Marscapone, and Chocolate Almond to name a few. I’m hoping for Guinness Chocolate in the near future.
They’re open from 2-9 Monday-Saturday, and the prices are great. Together, these two came to about $5.80 total.
-Valentina
Scoops
5105 York Blvd.
(near the corner of York & Ave. 51)
