Heyo!
While the rest of the country is getting Arctic butt-blasted by cold weather, Los Angeles has been delightfully brisk. Highs in the 60’s, low’s in the 40’s, that sort of thing. My favorite time in Los Angeles is Winter. SoCal Summer—with its scorching sidewalks and unrelenting sun—is oppressively spicy and godless. Especially with the total lack of shade here.
Just last night a friend (who is originally from Jersey) said to me, “I miss trees.” I laughed out loud and we all made fun of her because of fucking course L.A. has trees; to insinuate otherwise is hyperbolic and ridiculous. But then I started thinking….wait, do we have trees?? Think about it: When’s the last time you’ve actually seen a tree in Los Angeles???
I went outside yesterday morning to investigate, and get this: I couldn’t find one.
If you see a tree in Los Angeles, please send it to me. We need to get to the bottom of this conspiracy. Los Angeles has plenty of things—concrete, buildings, soup, garbage trucks—but distressingly no confirmed trees.
Because there’s an abundance of sun and warm weather here in Los Angeles, I feel like certain foods never get to realize their full potential. While I’m happy as hell to be selling orecchiette with short rib ragu on a warm, cloudless Sunday, that’s a dish that feels 10x more comforting when it’s 30 degrees and gloomy.
So Winter, while brief, is a ripe time to enjoy many of Los Angeles’ cold-weather culinary contributions. We’ve all got our own edible remedy for this time of year. Gamjatang, ramen, pho, congee, fatty udon, tangy boat noodles, greasy quesadillas, and hearty French onion soup all provide enhanced comfort and warmth, but something I generally seek more of this time of year are pupusas.
If you’ve never had a pupusa (I didn’t try one until I lived here), think of it like a doughy corn pancake stuffed with refried beans, cheese, and meat. They’re formidable, but the texture is often pillow-soft. They’re also served piping hot straight from the griddle. Order one at a restaurant, sit down, and you’ll probably hear the smacking and patting of your pupusa being formed on the spot by human hands. It’s that freshly made, warm, doughy, soft texture that hits just right in January and February.
I of course reference all things back to Italian food, but the texture of a good pupusa reminds me of eating gnocchi on Sundays during dreary, slushy Winters back home in Pennsylvania. There’s something ethereal and cloud-like about the texture of a soft pupusa that transports you completely out of your body.
While there are plenty of lists detailing the best pupusas in Los Angeles, I’ll tell you where I go to get the best quality for the price. It’s in East Hollywood, a place I’ve lived for quite some time.
Some words on East Hollywood
What I love about East Hollywood is that you can aimlessly walk around and stumble upon a cheap meal for under $6. Yes, under $6. Armenian pastries cost next to nothing, and pupusas also generally run super cheap.
For a while I lived in Little Armenia with certified psychopath and outstanding stand-up comedian Steph Tolev. If you’re familiar with her stand-up, that is exactly how Steph is in real life. Wonderfully gross. Absurd. Huge into physical comedy. Excellent riffer. Willing to do anything for a laugh and also, again, absolutely psychotic. I love Steph.
The rest of my time in EH has been spent in Thai Town. A friend once told me that Thai Town was a “starter neighborhood” for people who just got to Los Angeles, but fuck that—I’ve really enjoyed making this little place home. Thai Town is literally just six blocks, but it’s mighty. The restaurant scene at night is vibrant, the people rock, and the Songkran festival in August is a must.
Though, apartments are being built around the neighborhood that advertise the area as “Los Feliz.” Rent is going up everywhere, and the iconic Thai Town mural was taken down recently and replaced with a cigar store advertisement which pisses me off every time I see it. This goofy mural was such a big part of the Thai Town aesthetic. It made everybody happy to see it, and now it makes me very upset to see it gone.
Anyway, this is my hood. So, I eat a lot around here. And the place I go for pupusas? It’s a mile away from my apartment, in a little strip mall (where else) sandwiched between two panaderias.
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