Gridskipper, one of the websites I love to pretend I don’t read, has ranked some of their favorite places to eat in Echo Park. As a fan of their urban travel missives, I was quite shocked to see such an unusual story amongst other more aptly titled articles like “Where to Eat Crepes in Paris” and “Where to Eat Jew Food In New York”. Nevertheless, little Echo Park seems to have made a name for itself when it comes to eating well when you’re broke as hell. Hey, that’s a great neighborhood motto. I’m going to suggest it to our alderman or mayor or somebody.
Here are my reviews of the eight places listed on Gridskipper:
ELF CAFE – I went here with Fawn and Brian for her birthday. It’s across from the place where I do my laundry. I ordered one of the only non-vegan dishes they offer, Bleu Cheese Macaroni and Cheese. It was pretty foul. Instead of simply serving ice water to all patrons, they serve cucumber water. It’s a pretty weird place, but I imagine if you’re into vegan/vegetarian fare it’s quite delicious.
PIZZA BOUNA – I haven’t been here, but I drive past it every day. I guess I’ve just always figured there’s no such thing as a good slice of pizza in Los Angeles, and Pizza Buona wasn’t going to tempt me into trying their food. For a long time I resigned myself to the fact that I might never have a good pizza again, but then I tried Il Capriccio in Los Feliz. Also, Deano’s in The Grove offers really good pizza options.
BURRITO KING – Burrito King? Really? Don’t be such a sucker. The best burritos in Echo Park are made either at Barragan’s or Los Burritos. I’m going to have to give “Los” a slight edge because I heard last night that Barragan’s has done away with their free, unlimited nachos and salsa. I used to fill up on those before I even got around to placing my order. My point is, Burrito King kind of sucks.
DOWNBEAT CAFE – I’ve never eaten here, but I watched Ilya eat there. The food looked pretty good, but I don’t normally order food at coffeeshops. On the rare occasion I consume full meals, I make sure they count. Sandwiches are the sustenance of fools, I always say.
BRITE SPOT – Putting Brite Spot on a list of the best places to eat in Echo Park is like putting Baghdad on your list of safest cities in the world. I’d like to know what anyone has ever ordered at that wasn’t awful. And don’t get me started on the horrifying, less-than-sanitary stories I’ve heard emanating from that place.
MASA – One of the few places in this neighborhood were you usually have to pay normal prices for food. I haven’t tried their pizzas. They do a ham and cheese croissant that’s out of this world. I remember I couldn’t afford the penne and chicken dish, but it looked really tasty.
15 – I’ve never been. I think it actually costs more than five dollars to enjoy a good meal at this place. And, quite frankly, that’s out of my price range.
PATRA BURGER – Phenomenal food at low-low prices. It’s a fantastic option for a burger when I’m feeling too lazy to drive over to In-N-Out or Fatburger or Astro Burger. I guess what I’m saying is, it’s the best option in the vicinity. If you go to Patra right now, you’ll see Ilya there, probably enjoying eggs, hashbrowns and toast for $2.75.
The end.
Oh, Lord. The stories I could tell about this month’s hunt for a new apartment…they just keep getting more absurd with each passing day. This week alone has provided me with enough weird tales to craft a saga detailing urban ennui. In case you are wondering, no, I don’t have anywhere to go when my sublet is up in ten days. Yes, you have free reign to make fun of me at every opportunity about my inability to complete even the most basic of tasks.
