Eat Love

Eat Love

Eat Love was at the Long Beach Vegan District at The Pike when I tried them.  But, I've also seen them at the North Hollywood Vegan Fest- where Lettuce Feast and Veggietize Me both set up!  I've been meaning to try their fried chicken and finally had a chance in Long Beach.

Self Love Bucket, $16- three pieces of chicken and fries, with one sauce- I picked honey mustard.  The chicken is house made with a wheat product.  You get three good sized pieces!  I bet the three pieces were close to 12 oz or more!  The outside is a nice crunchy flavorful batter.  If you used their batter with regular fried chicken, everybody would like it.  Now, inside, texture wise it's very much like chicken.  But, taste wise a bit too salty, and that's the chicken part, not the batter.  It resembles the taste of chicken but, you know it isn't real chicken.  The fries are nothing more than frozen fries from a bag.  While the honey mustard sauce was pretty good, it was only half filled.  They charge $1 for two sauces.

Service.  While friendly, way too slow.  People were waiting 20-30 minutes for their orders! 

I wouldn't go back to Eat Love. 

Broad Street Oyster Co

Broad Street Oyster Co sets up a Smorgasburg, which is near the Arts District.  Smorgasburg is a huge food court area, set into what used to be the produce warehouse.  They are open every Sunday from 10-4pm.  It can get very crowded!

Two places that had lobster rolls are now closed- Lobsta Shack and Knuckle & Claw.

Their lobster roll is very popular.  $20 served hot with melted butter, or served cold with mayo.  This was an outstanding lobster roll.  Tons of lobster meat, claw meat.  The roll was light and soft, but held up well to everything loaded onto the roll.  Maybe one of the best lobster rolls I've had!

Service is good.  The lady who took my order was nice.  One small thing, after I ordered, I was waiting for her to say the total, but she never did.  I had a $20 bill in one hand and my other hand had my wallet.  I was figuring there is tax.  I told her I thought there was tax.  This is my first time there.  Most people would figure there is tax added.  She shouldn't assume everybody knows the $20 menu price is what you pay, especially since the menu doesn't say tax included.  It's not that big of a deal, but they should just say that will be $20.

I would go back to Broad Street Oyster Co.!

Elios Wood Fire Pizza

Elios Wood Fire Pizza
Sunset Blvd between Coronado and Benton Way
Silver Lake
Find them on Instagram- @elios.wood.fire.pizza

I found out about Elios Wood Fire Pizza, after watch a You Tube video about them!  Elios sets up everyday, in Silver Lake, on Sunset Blvd. between Coronado and Benton Way.  They are in the parking lot of a liquor store- ideal to get something to drink while waiting for pizza.  While the parking lot, in general, is huge; Elios only gets to the far half.  There is meter parking on Sunset.  They usually set up at 6pm until the dough runs out or 10pm, whichever comes first.

They are a wood fire pizza, with their wood fire pizza over sitting on the back of a pickup truck. It's Neapolitan style pizza.

All pizzas start at $10 for cheese, then $1 for each topping.  I just got a cheese pizza.  It's a personal size, about what you get at Pizza Rev, Pieology, Project Pie, and Blaze.

The crust was great; good flavor, good texture with a nice char, and chewy soft texture.  They put a ton of cheese on the pizza.  The sauce was mild, not too tangy or sweet.  One thing I noticed, some pizza were burnt or charred too much.  That's because they only had one person working the pizza oven and the prep area.   So he may have been busy and didn't check the pizzas in the oven.  While I was eating, another person came and helped prep the pizza, so the pizza were more consistent.

Service is good.  They are nice, hard work, and the girl who took orders, let everybody know the pizza would take 15-20 minutes to be ready.

I would go back to Elios Wood Fire Pizza anytime.  This is great pizza!

Lettuce Feast

Lettuce Feast

When I went to the North Hollywood Vegan Fair to try Veggietize Me, I saw Lettuce Feast.  Everybody talked about their great Nashville fried chicken.   I was too full from the V-Mac from Veggietize Me, I told myself I'll come back another time.

On May 4, 2019 they were celebrating the 80th Anniversary of Union Station.  They had about eight food trucks, and Lettuce Feast was one of them!!  So, I went by to give them a try!

Lettuce Feast got a new truck, so there wasn't any signage on the truck.  The lady who worked the 80th Anniversary event told me that Veggie Feast was the truck with no signage. 

Nashville Hot Chik'n Sammy Combo with regular fries, $16,-vegan fried chick'n with apple slaw on a brioche bun.  This was very good.  Maybe not as great as the hype, but a damn good sandwich.  The texture on the chicken pattie was spot on.  It was just like biting into a real chicken pattie.  Good flavor.  But, they could put more sauce, I got the mild, but there wasn't any heat, like none.  I expect mild to have some heat.  The slaw was a bit dry, but good and fresh.  I liked the sandwich, didn't love the sandwich so much that I would rush back.  The fries with sea salt and rosemary were good, but could have been more crisp.

Service is good.

While Lettuce Feast is good.  For me, it just didn't live up to all their hype!  I would go back, it's a ton of a food for a good price.  I just wouldn't rush back!

Update July 7, 2019

I went back to Lettuce Feast, this time at the Sunday Vegan Street Fair in North Hollywood.  I also included a picture of their truck with all the details.  It's one of the most popular food trucks, with line stretching down the sidewalk.  I waited one hour in line to order.

I wanted to try their chicken tenders and got four pieces, $14, with hot and hot honey as the two flavors, and regular fries.  The tenders have a hard crunchy outside, but inside it's mostly a small piece of veggie chicken.  There isn't much flavor with the veggie chicken, but the outside was very flavorful!  The hot was pretty mild, but the hot honey was very spicy!

Service is ok.  Like I said before, I waited an hour in line.  Part of it was there are tons of people in line.  The other part is the cashier is doing many things.  One thing she did was take a dish to one of the vendors next door!  I saw that while I was waiting in line.  When I got up the window to order, she just disappeared, nowhere to be found.  I think she was helping inside the truck.  I couldn't see inside.  But, at the very least she could tell me, I will be back.  They really need to get their act together and hire more people inside the truck and have only the cashier take orders.

Lettuce Feast is popular, but I don't see the appeal.  Their chicken tenders are below average, and while their sandwich is good, it's not the best in the thing I've ever ate.

Veggietize Me

Veggietize Me
North Hollywood Vegan Street Fair

Veggietize Me is a vegan food truck that is always at the North Hollywood Vegan Street Fair.  The faire is located just west of the Chandler and  Lankershim.  There are about 30 food trucks at the faire.

V-Mac $14.95- two impossible burgers, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, tomato, on a sesame seed bun.

I've had three vegan Big Macs- Doomies, Plant Power, and Organix.  This is moved right to the top of the list of best vegan burgers I've had.  This was outstanding.  I liked the added touch of a fresh tomato.  Everything tasted just like you were eating at the restaurant started by Dick and Mac McDonald, then stolen by Ray Krap, I mean Kroc of Shit!

Service is good.  Veggietize Me runs promotions on their instagram account.  So, give them a follow.

I would go back to Veggietize Me anytime!

Mariscos El Faro

Mariscos El Faro
6113-6139 N Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90042
323-359-3814

I found Mariscos El Faro on LA Eater's list of 14 Essential Restaurants in Highland.  Mariscos El Faro not far from Via-Mar Seafood Restaurant.

Known for their fresh seafood ceviche, the truck is on Figueroa Tues-Sunday until about 6pm.  They have some tables set up for you to eat there.

Shrimp Ceviche Tostada-$4.40

Many ceviches I have tried are a bit too tangy for me.  But, this had the perfect balance-not too tangy,  but great flavor, with cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, cilantro and cut up pieces of shrimp.  A very good example of a shrimp tostada.

Shrimp Taco-$2.75.  This was an interesting version of a shrimp taco.  Much like the shrimp taco from Maricos Jalico, but this example the taco shell was too soggy, they need to fry it for longer.  This was basically the shrimp tostada with a soggy tostada and some cabbage on top.

Service is good.

I would go back to Mariscos El Faro for the ceviche any time!  The two women at the table next to me, ordered the crab ceviche, and not only is it real crab, but there was tons of crab!  That's what I'm getting the next time I go!

Tacos 1986-Moved

Tacos 1986
611 S Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90005

Tacos 1986 is a very popular taco stand in Koreatown.  They became more popular after the LA Times recently wrote a story about them.  Located about a block north from Wilshire and Western, parking around here is terrible.  Take the Purple Line or a ride share.  Another block or two north is Monty's Good Burger, a vegan burger place.

About 8pm on a Saturday night, the line had maybe 10 people, but grew steadily, as we waited for the tacos.

Mushroom taco, $3 and mushroom vampiros, $5, grilled crispy tortilla with cheese, salsa and guacamole.  The only items a vegetarian or vegan person can eat is the mushroom tacos, assuming they do not use lard making the tortillas.  The tacos were outstanding.  The mushrooms are sauteed to perfection.  Lots of good flavor, but a bit rubbery.  Not sure if they used canned mushrooms or fresh.  If they are fresh, they had been in the warmer for too long.  The guacamole was outstanding.  Very good flavor, with a hint of heat.

The mushroom vampiros was ok.  The grilled crispy tortilla was too hard.  It didn't work well.  I didn't taste much cheese.  I should have tried the quesadilla instead.

Service is good.  The line moves quickly.

Tacos 1986 was pretty good.  Though I won't rush back, and I wouldn't wait more than 10-15 minutes in line.

El Chato

El Chato
Corner of Olympic Blvd and La Brea Ave.

A friend invited me for a late night, 9pm, taco truck run.  El Chato is a taco that comes to the corner of Olympic Blvd. and La Brea Ave., and they have a good following.  The Great Taco Hunt blogger, gave raving reviews of them back in 2010.  Yes, it took me this long to finally give his blogger some props!  Sadly he stopped posting, a few years back.

I got there about 8:45 and there were already two people in line.  Within 5-10 minutes, there were 20 people in line.  The line moves fairly fast.

They have tacos, the carne asada seems to be the most popular meat.  But, I got a veggie burrito.

Veggie burrito-$6, grilled onions, jalapenos, rice, beans, onions with cilantro and salsa.  This was a decent sized burrito, with lots of beans and rice.  Not that many veggies.  Overall pretty good, nothing great or outstanding.  I think I would get the bean and cheese burrito next time.

Service was good.

I can't say anything about the meat at El Chato, but the veggie burrito was pretty good.

Avocadamama-Closed

Avocadamama
Highland Park Vegan Night

When I had Cena Vegan, I wanted to try Avocadamama too.  But, they weren't set up that night, or at least I didn't see them. 

Avocadamama is vegan pasta, with some great sauces.

Og Mac-$8, original cheese over rigatoni pasta topped with bread crumbs. The rigatoni is a bit thicker and larger than the rigatoni I've eaten before.  But, the sauce is outstanding.  Good flavor and very smooth.  But, the bread crumbs were too much.  The crumbs were very hard and tough to chew.

I would get this next time, without the bread crumbs.

Service is good.

I would go back to Avocadamama to try some of their other vegan pasta dishes.

Cena Vegan

Cena Vegan
Highland Park Vegan Night

Every Tuesday and Friday Nights on York Blvd, between Ave 50 and Ave 51, there are pop up vegan food stands along York.  The line at Cena Vegan is always long, unless you get there early.  The food looked good and I decided to give them a try.

They are set up on the south west corner of York and Ave 51, diagonally across from Town Pizza-which also has a vegan pizza.  The line moves pretty fast, but there is always a line.

3 taco combo- Al pastor, carne adsada, and pollo, $8.  Not sure which was which.  But, one-I think it was the pollo, was very chewy and rubbery.  But, the other two were amazing!  Both full of flavor, great texture, and you don't miss the meat!  The tortilla is freshly made, and held up to the ingredients nicely.

Service is good.  But, in order to speed up the line, they had another worker take orders on their Ipad.  He should tell people, if you're ordering with him, it will be plastic (cards) only.  I was paying cash, ordered from him and he told me he can only take plastic.  He should tell everybody that in the first place.  You can pay cash or plastic at the register/counter. 

I would go back to Cena Vegan anytime. 

Corn Man- Food Stand

Corn Man Food Stand
2338 Workman St
Los Angeles, CA 90031

Corn Man is a very popular food stand in Lincoln Heights!  He has his own yelp page.  He has his own Instagram location- The Corn Station.  He has been written about in all the food websites!  Everyday, from about 10:30pm until he runs out, Corn Man sells Mexican style corn on the cobb and cups of corn loaded with mayonnaise, butter, chili powder & cotija cheese!  Both are $2.50 each.  I got there about 9:30 pm and there were already about 5 people in line.  By the time he arrived, about 10:45pm, the line was at least 50 people long!

The line starts at the wall of the Workman St. entrance of a public parking lot.  It's about 100 yards south of the Workman and Broadway.  The above address is the parking lot.  It's a residential neighborhood. 

This was a huge piece of corn, very fresh, hot and stayed hot for about the hour drive.  Filled with tons of mayo, butter, chili powder & cotija cheese, it was great!!  I didn't want too much topping, as I want to taste the sweetness of the corn.  But, the toppings make the corn, addicting!  I could have eaten two or three more!!

The corn cup is good, maybe a bit too much cheese, but fresh and full of flavor.  I prefer the corn on the cobb, but I would get this cup again.

Service is good.  He has a helper, his daughter, the night I was there.  They move quickly and are very friendly!

Corn Man lived up to all expectations!  It's worth the wait!  My advise, is to arrive early, 9:30pm, seems to be the time when most people suggest to arrive.  But, even at 9:30pm, there maybe 25 people already in line!!

Gus's Lunch Box Truck

Gus's Lunch Box
Glendale Blvd. and Silver Lake Blvd.

One of my favorite food blogs is The Great Taco Hunt.  I was disappointed to learn that The Great Taco Hunt has thrown in the tortilla.  While not exactly the taco truck I wanted to review, Gus's Lunch Box was in front of Silver Lake Wine, where I was meeting a friend to share a bottle of wine.  I believe Gus's is always in front of Silver Lake Wine, but you'll have to google to make sure.

Chicken taco and carnitas taco, $1.50 each, onions cilantro, and chile verde.

The child verde was great!!  Very fresh, full of flavor and balanced-not one overpowering flavor.  But, the chicken was bland and lacked flavor.

The carnitas were much better.  A good, not great example of carnitas-tender, could have used a little more seasoning but good flavor.

Service was good.  The tacos came out quickly and the guy taking my order was nice.

I'm not really a food truck person, I've only reviewed four other trucks.  But, I really wanted to review a taco truck because I'm sadden to hear that The Great Taco Hunt blog will no longer be reviewing taco trucks!