This Armenian Bakery Serves One Thing The Others Don't
It's the size of my arm, it costs $5.50, and it rocks.
HEYO
Just ate too much bread again, and now I’m laying in my bed at 11am ready to deliver another edition of The Move!
(Immediately after writing this, I fell asleep for an hour. So, it’s actually noon and now I’m ready to deliver another edition of The Move!)
This week I’m going to borrow the opening from a thing I just wrote for The Takeout. Is that lazy writing? Probably. Anyway…
I think about this Bourdain video a lot, randomly with Insider Tech, when he was asked the very open ended question about what people should eat when visiting New York City. Like most of Bourdain’s interviews, the man just refuses to phone it in. Instead, he gives a thoughtful, eloquent answer that illuminates what’s so special about traveling and eating.
“...ask yourself what any traveler should ask going anywhere for the first time: What do they do there that is unique to that place? That they inarguably do better than anyone else in the world? What are we the best at? What do we have that you definitely do not have?”
I often ruminate on this eating philosophy when doling out food recommendations in Los Angeles. What do I love about this city? What will I miss when I eventually move? What can I get here now that I know I’m not getting in other cities? One of those answers? Armenian baked goods.
That Armenian bakeries sell substantial and savory breads for two dollars is an incredible service to the many people who have irrevocably fucked up their lives by moving to Los Angeles. For everybody who moved here and fell flat on their face; for those poor souls who amassed credit card debt, got evicted, got towed, and piled up parking tickets, there’s a deliciously cheap meal that can heal you. Bad credit score? Get after some cabbage piroshki. No idea where next month’s rent money is coming from? Grab a buttery cheese beorek for just a handful of quarters. These bakeries, unassuming yet mighty, are the pillars of Little Armenia.
I’ve lived in or near Little Armenia for the last 5 years, so I feel equipped to speak on the major bakeries. Sasoun has great lahmajun and tahini bread that actually tastes good (everybody else’s tahini cookie sucks shit). Karabagh Meat Market has awesome, flaky meat piroshki. But, my favorite of these bakeries? Taron, on Hollywood Boulevard at the edge of Los Feliz.
The Move this week is a specific order: The spicy cheese beorek and a taragon lemonade from Taron Bakery.
You saw the header pic: The spicy cheese beorek at Taron is huge. It tastes darn good, too. This beorek (or börek) is filled with a dry, somewhat melty cheese that’s either halloumi or feta. My guess is halloumi; it’s mellow but noticeably tangy. The pepper is also pretty smooth, but again sort of piquant. It’s a red pepper that’s hard for me to place, but it does have a nice bite to it. I’m betting it’s a pickled Aleppo pepper. The two combine to form a nice tart flavor amid all the bread. And make no mistake, this is a lot of fucking bread.
A lot of böreks are made with a puff pastry dough, but not at Taron. This is a formidable yet thin, porous loaf with plenty of chew. The bread also tastes like it comes brushed with oil or something. You can eat this whole thing and be good to go for the next six hours. There’s something eternally comforting about a huge, cheap meal for under six bucks that doesn’t come from McDonald’s or Wendy’s. This is simply a big ass piece of stuffed bread from a family owned Armenian bakery, and it’s one of my favorite meals in Los Angeles. Every so often, when I need to take a week to tighten the purse strings after some ravenous spending, I start with the spicy cheese beorek at Taron.
Oh, and the drink!
The drink selection at Taron is limited, but ohhh they have a few gems. Those are the pear and tarragon lemonade you’ll see stacked in the cooler. The tarragon lemonade is a medium carbonate drink that’s floral, herby, and not too sugary. One full bottle only has 12.5 grams of sugar. For reference, a can of Coke has 35 grams. I appreciate the subtlety of this tarragon lemonade. And, it actually tastes like tarragon, too. It’s got a slight licorice flavor, but not in a strong or off-putting way. It’s just herby and delightful. Get the tarragon drink. It’s satisfying now, and will be even more-so when the weather warms up. Paired with the spicy cheese beorek, and you’ve got yourself a filling, satisfying, and flavorful lunch.
There’s something pleasantly quiet about Taron bakery, too. It’s a chill place, and sometimes the only sound I hear is the huge, rickety, tiered oven door opening and closing as the staff reheats their various selection of breads. The staff is always friendly, and they even have a few tables outside. The move this week is Taron.
Other Things to Know:
Taron of course also does great lahmajun. That is, a small circular Turkish pizza with ground meat, herbs, onion, and tomato paste. It has a delicious undercarriage to it, so it’s crispy and chewy. The type of thing you can fold over and eat in 7 seconds. I’ve never had a bad lahmajun, but I’m partial to the one at Taron.
Most of the breads are made first thing in the morning, and you’ll see them stacked on sheet trays behind the counter. When you order, you’ll be asked if you want them heated up. Say yes. They’ll take a pizza paddle and warm them up in their giant oven for you.
Pay cash or card, but there’s a 3.99% added charge to credit card purchases.
Taron Bakery
4950 Hollywood Boulevard
Closed Monday
Open Tuesday - Saturday 7:30AM - 7PM
Sunday 7:30AM - 3PM
Another post. Think I’ll celebrate by eating too much bread again.
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That’s it! Thank you!!