Mid East Tacos, Mama Musubi, Ugly Drum, Milk

First stop at Smorgasburg was of course at Mid East Tacos, because I always support my friends, especially those who cook well :) They have upgraded and expanded tremendously since they started in the beginning of the year, and I am thrilled and happy to have witnessed and tasted the evolution. 

Their grill is now TWICE as big, and their corn tortillas are the best I have eaten (made by hand in the back of the stand). Since the grill is helmed by Paul and the recipes come from Armen, this is a must stop for at least ONE taco, if not the trio of beef, chicken, and falafel.

 With my "backstage pass" went behind the stand to see the set up.

 Paul and his skewers.

 It takes a team to prepare the tacos and burritos

 including the woman who was making all the corn tortillas on the spot!

After some tacos and a walk around, it was time for a small snack of Mama Musubi's Kelp with upgraded rice.

Ugly Drum was the designated main stop, with a short stack, some burnt ends, and pickles. They had a new horseradish mustard from a fellow vendor that was fantastic.

 Burnt ends could have been a meal by itself.

The short stack was plenty for two people to share, especially with the burnt ends. As a bread fanatic, I was very impressed by the Bub and Grandma's they used for the sandwich.

Milk was there so I had to try their confetti cookie. Thankfully it came in its own package to take home since the incredibly moist and perfectly sweet cookie had to be saved for later.

 Food marathon completed, for now :)

Smorgasburg

Going to Smorgasburg should be considered the same way you would consider training for a marathon; walk the route, start slowly, pace yourself, know when and where you want to go all out if you want to finish painlessly. 

After more than 2 years, the vendors and crowds have multiplied, but on an overcast day, there was still plenty of space in the 4,000+ space (FREE) parking garage. There is no way to sample everything even if you stay the entire time they open on Sundays from 10 am- 4 pm, so choose a handful of places and then plan to return.

Today's post will be a visual tour of the vendors, and tomorrow's post will be on the places that got some stomach real estate :)

Eataly Introduction Part 1

I must confess that I did not like Eataly in Rome. There were beautiful products, from pasta to condiments, many counters serving snacks and sweets, and several options for eating both inside and outside, but it made no sense to me to shop or eat there when I was in ITALY, with authentic local options literally surrounding me. The only people I saw buying and eating anything there were tourists and they were mostly American, seeking perhaps the comfort of a known brand name from the US. The equivalent of this experience would be going to chain lobster restaurant in Maine instead of a local joint, or *shudder* buying a supermarket baguette in France instead of getting one from a boulangerie. WHY?!?!?!?! Just DO NOT do it. Taste at least one peach, ripe, fresh off the tree; you can always open a can of peaches afterwards, if you still prefer them :)

Eataly in Los Angeles offers a few products that are a challenge to find here, but those who know good Italian and European markets can easily find most things for for less. Bay Cities in Santa Monica is still my all time favorite place to shop for any Italian ingredient. A1 in San Pedro has a nice selection, and Eagle Rock Italian Bakery and Deli has many great products. I like keeping small businesses alive, and the personal interactions are as important to me as the presentation, so even though I love to peruse the big name financed stores, when it comes to actually buying, I will continue to spend my money with the smaller shops.

If you prefer one stop shopping with gorgeous presentation, then Eataly Los Angeles is your new mecca. Just as Paris has the gorgeous La Grande Epicerie, and tourist centric Lafayette Gourmet, Eataly is a feast for foodie eyes. My next three posts will be mostly photographic, so enjoy the eyefest:)

Merry Monta Factory

My name is Elaine and I am addicted to Armenian food. I wish to remain a very happy addict, so no interventions please :)

Monta Factory is a SIX seat place in East Pasadena that will serve you their creations hot or frozen to go so you can make it at home. Think of it like ordering a pizza hot to eat soon or there, but also having the option of taking a frozen one to make yourself at home later. Monta are tiny dumplings made by hand that is a very labor intensive food. Unless you have a grandmother or great grandmother who is dexterous enough and who loves you enough to make a batch for you, your best hope for a taste of this wonderful food is to go to Monta Factory. They are the only place anywhere outside of someone's home where you can eat these. They tell me people travel from out of state to buy several trays, pack them in ice, then drive or fly home. 

The marvelous family here are so warm and welcoming that whether it is your first visit or thousandth, they will treat you with a gentle disposition and broad smile :)

The family here makes everything from scratch daily, so they may be the hardest workers in the city. I can't even imagine the repetitive, laborious, and exacting labor of love this requires every morning as they hand make each tiny piece for the day. I love their spicy version as well as their regular version. As long as you have an oven or toaster oven, any leftovers can easily be reheated in 10 minutes.

I took a large frozen tray for a picnic to go and took a picture of the directions to make sure I followed them correctly:)

This is how they turned out with the yogurt garlic cream poured over the entire tray. An Armenian friend said he was going to get a tray to take home to his elderly parents because it was something he had not eaten in decades. 

They only sell a few things on their menu, the Monti (or Monte), that everyone knows about, but also the best Wild Salmon Sandwich I've ever eaten. It is made with a special tahini sauce, that was so good I went back twice in one week for it, and the serving was such a generous portion that I ended up with two meals!

I heard a customer order the salmon over salad, so that is what I tried on another day. Depending on how hungry or carb conscious you are, their salmon over a salad is an equally delicious alternative.

Be sure you get a slice of their freshly made (daily) su beoreg. This is a cheesy crispy slice of indulgence that will make you crave another one of the soft interior with a crackling top as soon as you finish your last piece.

Now that I live 37 miles away, I will be making the trip with an ice pack and an insulated sac for a tray or two of their frozen Monte, a few salmon sandwiches, and some slices of the su beoreg so that I will never be more than a few minutes from great Armenian food #addicted :)

626 Night Market Part 2

There were many parts to the 626 Night Market, ranging from anime, art, plush toys, and live music.

After all the savory food, it was time for something sweet and cool to end the day:)

 I chose Hawaiian shaved ice, half pineapple, half lilikoi :)

After all the food and crowds, I wandered over to the Santa Anita Racetrack directly behind the festival. 

Time to say goodbye :)