Eating My Way Through Downtown LA
By Isabella Sayyah ‘16
If you asked me two years ago if I ever went to Downtown LA, or even really considered going there, the answer would be no. Living 40 miles outside the city, an hour drive on a good day, I didn’t often come into the city. And when I did, it was almost always to go somewhere on the Westside (I’m originally from Santa Monica and almost all of my family in California lives somewhere on the Westside).
When I decided to go to USC, some people talked about how it’s in a bad neighborhood and how UCLA in Westwood is a much nicer place to be in. I’ve found the opposite to be true, however, and getting to spend so much time in downtown this summer has only solidified that belief.
One of the best parts about the revitalization of Downtown LA (for me, anyway) is the huge amount of delicious places to eat! This summer I’ve managed to try a few out meeting friends for dinner after work, but I still have a huge list of places I want to go. Here are my favorites so far:
Grand Central Market – This is the perfect place to have near my office. It’s two blocks from the L.A. Times building, and though I usually just bring lunch to work for health and cost effectiveness, once a week, my friend and I journey over there. There are so many options that we’ve tried a different thing each time and still have so many places left. We’ve been to Valerie’s, DTLA Cheese (I highly recommend their salads), Bento Ya Japanese Cuisine, China Cafe and Ana Maria (delicious and a great deal to boot). The place reminds me a lot of Downtown itself. You have the new, more upscale foodie destinations like DTLA Cheese, Pressed Brothers Juicery and Sticky Rice, all of which opened in the past few years. Then you have the cheaper, original and more authentic restaurants like Ana Maria that have been there forever and cater to the locals, not the tourists. Whenever I come from USC I always go to my absolute favorite, Eggslut, but so far I’ve been saving it as a treat for my last week of interning.
Chego – After work one day, I picked up my friend from her internship in Downtown and we headed just slightly north to Chinatown to grab dinner at Roy Choi’s Chego. I’d heard of Choi and obviously had the Kogi truck multiple times (an L.A. staple), but I had never been to Chego and was excited to try it out when I realized just how close it was to where I work. Let me say, it didn’t disappoint. Aside from its location, hidden in the back of a nondescript mini-mall of Chinese restaurants, it was fantastic. I had the Sour Cream Hen House, a chicken version of the rice bowls the restaurant is known for, and my friend and I shared an order of the Ooey Gooey Fries. It was delicious. Also, the perfect cuisine for some late night eats. My family loved the leftovers I brought home so much that the next week they ordered it online and had me pick it up after work.
Maccheroni Republic – This restaurant, right across from Grand Central Market and (unfortunately) next door to another “M” restaurant staple — McDonalds — is a great dinner spot. It’s pretty much a place for one thing and one thing only – pasta. But when the pasta is homemade and as delicious as this place’s is, there’s really no reason to have anything else. Another bonus: the outdoor seating area feels like a quiet little oasis in the middle of Downtown — perfect for any guys looking to take their girls on a nice date.
Bottega Louie - This is the obvious one, and a favorite for a lot of USC students. When my parents come have brunch with me on the weekends when I’m at school, I always try to convince them we should go here. It also comes in hand other times, like last Friday when it was my Dad’s birthday. While I waited for traffic to get a bit better, I made the one-mile trek over here from the L.A. Times building and picked up some of their gorgeous pastries for him to have in lieu of a birthday cake. My family devoured them that night after dinner.
Badmaash – On my first day of work, one of my bosses took me here as it’s just a block from the office. It’s Indian food but with a very modern flair. The chicken bowl was delicious and the setting very trendy and cool. I don’t tend to go to sit down lunches when at work, but I know it’s a place I’ll have when I’m in the mood for Indian at USC and need to switch it up from Manas.
Spitz - One of my bosses was on vacation the week I started, so he took me and my other boss out to lunch the next week when he was back. We walked over to Spitz in Little Tokyo. Though I had sampled it before at Taste of LA (a food-fueled event on McCarthy Quad every semester), I had never been. Their signature doner kebab, a Turkish style of cooking meat, was scrumptious. The best part? They deliver for those busy nights back at school.
Panini Cafe - I met my friend for dinner here one day after work. It’s a favorite of hers, but somehow I had never tried it in my time at school. I had their “highly recommended” #8 chicken panini, and immediately understood why it was starred on the menu. Another place I’ll have to return to, as if I didn’t have enough on my list. I know I won’t ever be hurting for somewhere to eat when I return to school!
