Peter Meehan is out. Who is next?
Welcome to the first edition of Tacos to Half-Smokes.
From Brianna
An SD Girl’s Guide to Getting Takeout Like an LA Girl (I think)
To be completely honest, I’ve never been interested in French Girl Culture™, as it’s always catered towards women who are thin, white and rich, and I’m exactly none of those things. Romanticizing French women like that seems classist and gross. It’s not that I don’t see beauty in being perfectly unperfect, it’s just that I’m hardwired either to try too much or not at all. I can never seem to nail the ‘i look like i don’t give a fuck but i actually do!’ style, and I look like a clown in a red lip.
Possibly due to mere proximity to LA, LA Girls(™) seem somewhat more attainable to me in San Diego. In reality, when I Google “LA cool girl style”, the results that pop up skew very closely to our sisters in France, except there are more denim shorts and beach waves. Also, I feel like there’s something to be said about the infantilization of cool ‘girls’ in a culture and location that worships looking youthful but anyways — this is a newsletter about food.
I took a trip to LA last week (it’s a long story about a failed LA Cool Girl Style purchase) and indulged in what I believe is some of the best corona-friendly takeout that Los Angeles has to offer. In my mind, LA Girls eat well — I’m thinking fresh California produce, accessibility at all budgets, and cultural diversity. (I felt most comfortable ordering takeout-only; it just so happened that the eateries I chose had no dine-in options.) Here’s what my stomach has to show for my brief day in LA.
Destroyer
Down an inconspicuous side street in Culver City, the sister restaurant to Vespertine seriously impressed me. Destroyer is described as an all-day cafe, serving forward-thinking, affordable Scandinavian-inspired pastries/brunch/lunch. Admittedly, all I know about Scandinavian cuisine originates from watching a few documentary-style pieces on René Redzepi and Noma. Something-something-fermentation, right?
My trip partner and I (*cough* my mom *cough*) started off with a tomato confit tart, the flakiness and fragility of the croissant dough was comparable to my favorite oyster mushroom savory tart from Wayfarer Bread back home in San Diego. I finished my half of the tart before my mom even came back from fetching our waters. The Crispy-Skinned Roasted Mary’s Chicken was also superb, served over a bed of caramelized snap peas and topped with pea sprouts and flax seeds.
The star of my lunch at Destroyer was undoubtedly the Roasted Cauliflower. I’ve had different variations of roasted and fried cauliflower at different plant-based, veggie-forward restaurants, but this completely blew my expectations out of the water. The brown butter combined with the cauliflower created a deep, earthy flavor while the acidity of a tart vinaigrette (a quick pickle perhaps?) brought out a fresh brightness to a creamy dish. My mom opted to add prosciutto to the dish for an additional $4 charge, and even though I thought it was unnecessary, the prosciutto slices added a crisp, crunchy texture to our meal. I don’t have the budget to eat at Vespertine any time soon, but with the dishes at Destroyer, I don’t think I ever will.
Holbox
My mom deserves all the praise for introducing me to Holbox, a Mexican seafood stand located in the Mercado La Paloma food hall near USC. (In fact, the parking lot signs clearly stated No USC Parking.) According to my mom, she went to the 60-person grand opening of Holbox, where she not only met Chef Gilberto but also the late Jonathan Gold. Chef Gilberto explained to us that he took a risk in opening Holbox a few years ago, and is going through the same struggle now as Holbox adapts to a culinary environment shaped by coronavirus. He’s had to lay off employees and pare down the menu to key items only.
My mom and I started with a local white bass ceviche topped with Santa Barbara uni (for an $8 additional charge). Even the tostadas that came alongside the ceviche were great, the quality of the ingredients at Holbox are unmatched to anything I’ve had so far. For my course, I ordered the diver scallop taco and Baja shrimp taco. I used to think that scallops were a relatively simple dish, whether it be cooking at home or out at fancy-ish restaurants (Shoutout to when I ordered scallops at a steakhouse, oops.) Sometimes I get complacent and think my cooking is the shit because I successfully sear a scallop — Holbox humbles me. There are the mass-harvested scallops that I keep in the freezer for an easy meal, and then there are the impossibly soft scallops that Holbox has to offer. Holbox and Mercado La Paloma are all about uplifting the local community, I really hope that they’ll be able to stay alive during this pandemic.
Honorable Mention #1: Go Get Em Tiger
Go Get Em Tiger’s been on my LA coffee hitlist forever. They have plenty of locations in LA, I went to their cafe downtown. I got my usual order, an oat cortado, because it lets me suss out the quality of the espresso. That, and I love Oatly. The coffee didn’t disappoint, and I bought a bag of beans to bring home so that early workdays can remind me of my brief dalliance with LA Girl coffee culture.
Honorable Mention #2: The Pie Hole
My mom and I were walking along the very empty, socially-distanced Arts District, when she suggested that we get a to-go slice at The Pie Hole. Initially I seemed indifferent about it, the interior of The Pie Hole suggests some gimmicky Insta-bait that I usually despise in dessert spots. We ordered a slice of the Earl Grey Pie, mostly because the host mentioned that it was the slice that was the least sweet. (Lol, Asian tastebuds.) We brought the slice out to eat after our meal at Holbox, and it was…good? It’s the same slice in the photo above, it’s mostly Earl Grey mousse and whipped cream, with a sliver of chocolate ganache on the bottom. I’m totally fine eating a tub of whipped cream, which might be reflected in why I think the pie was pretty good. It was one of those desserts where I feel great eating it and then spend the next two hours on the drive home regretting how my stomach feels.
Here's what I've been eating, cooking and drinking
Nova Kombucha
I did grab this solely because it was the cheapest can of hard kombucha at the grocery store, but it actually tastes great. A local brand, too! Sometimes hard kombucha packs a little too much flavor — I’ve tried about four flavors now and they all taste light and fresh.
Destroyer’s Roasted Pecan and Sunflower Seed Butter
I grabbed this in the to-go pantry section of Destroyer because I felt like I couldn’t leave the spot without a souvenir. Texturally, this is the closest nut butter I’ve tasted to Lockwood Table Cafe’s infamous walnut butter. I actually like it better than LTC’s walnut butter, there’s something about roasted pecan that tastes rich/makes me feel rich.
Orange Watermelon That I Picked Up From the Farmers Market
I was ordering $36 worth of produce from JR Organics’ stand at the farmers market, and the salesperson told me that I could add a mini orange watermelon for $40 even. I took the bait. It tastes great and makes for extra content in my expanding collection of fruit-related IG stories.
From Stephanie
Leslie Odom Jr. once said, “There’s nothing like summer in the city”
Although he was referring to New York City, summer is finally here in the great state of Washington D.C. (ICYMI: While DC is not a state yet, the House recently passed legislation on DC Statehood. Independence Day Fact Check: Remember “Taxation Without Representation” from your high school history classes? That’s the modern reality for residents in DC and Puerto Rico, the former of which has more residents than Wyoming and Vermont, and the latter of which has more residents than 21 states. Statehood is a moral issue —DC is a historically Black city and Puerto Rico has been a colonial subject of the United States since 1898.)
My political rant aside, with high temperatures finally rolling into the “swamp,” I’ve taken the liberty of escaping the indoor heat through a combination of salads, takeout and cold brew.
Here's what I've been eating, cooking and drinking
Halloumi Salad
To me, halloumi cheese screams summer. Once pan-fried (or grilled, if you prefer), the exterior becomes slightly crispy, with a chewy interior that can only be described by puri-puri, the Japanese onomatopoeia for foods with a squishy and springy texture. I’ve only been able to find halloumi at Trader Joe’s during the summer, but also have spotted it at the Safeway in Dupont Circle.
Alison Roman Shallot Pasta
Yes, she’s still almost-cancelled, but damn, does her shallot pasta taste amazing. Speaking of whom, check out Ziwe Fumudoh’s interview where Roman clarifies that she does not hate Asian women, in fact. You can follow Fumudoh for more of her Instagram Live comedy shows. Recipe is somewhere behind the NYT paywall…
Summer Squash and Basil Pasta
This year, I finally fulfilled my dreams of joining a CSA, a very important topic for another time. Last week, my CSA share included summer squash, so Ian and I whipped up a parmesean-y pasta complete with a squeeze of lemon and homegrown basil. This is quickly becoming a go-to recipe for me as I cook with the season. Link to Recipe.
Cold Brew Everything
Working from home during QuaranTimes means I can make cold brew everything. I’ve done:
Cold Brew Black Tea Into Arnold Palmer (You can add alcohol after 6pm)
You can pretty much cold brew any drink meant to be seeped in hot water, so have some fun with it.
In other news... PETER MEEHAN IS OUT.
Once again, Tammie Teclemariam takes down an industry titan (read: white elitist male) with her excellent reporting. If you have ever engaged with David Chang's empire, Los Angeles Times' food section, and Bon Appetit (yes, Tammie brought to light many of the allegations against Adam Rapoport), we highly highly suggest reading through her tweets and compensating her freelance work at @Tammie-Teclemariam.
Meehan’s short tenure as Food Editor of the LA Times ended last week after Teclemariam released a series of tweets that brought to light the toxic work environment that Meehan had perpetuated across his time at the LA Times and Lucky Peach. So toxic was his time at Lucky Peach that when the magazine was shuttering, rumors allege that he deleted the entire Lucky Peach archive out of spite.
LA Times Staff Speaking Up
Noelle Carter, Former Test Kitchen Director
Lucas Kwan Peterson, Food Columnist
Ben Mims, Cooking Columnist
Former Lucky Peach Staffers Speaking Up
Aralyn Beaumont, Former Research Editor
Rachel Khong, Former Managing Editor
David Chang, Founder*
Media Coverage
Eater LA: Peter Meehan Resigns from LA Times Food Section After Allegations of Creating a Toxic Workplace Culture
New York Times: Peter Meehan Resigns as Los Angeles Times Food Editor
What did you find more outrageous — Meehan running the LA Times food section from NEW YORK CITY or his alleged $300K salary as he was running the food section from NEW YORK CITY?
*Note that David Chang is not entirely blameless.
Samin Nosrat asks who should be the next editor of the Los Angeles Times food section?
Brianna responds: The foodie man of my dreams…aka LA Times columnist Lucas Kwan Peterson aka @staletwizzlers. In all seriousness, I agree with Stephanie down below. I did prefer the LA Times food section over New York Times’ (also perhaps due to proximity?) but I want to continue to see more coverage of “ethnic” and “exotic” restaurants outside of like, tokenizing the 626 solely as cheap eats.
Stephanie responds: Ideally someone who grew up in the SoCal region and has been living in LA for a while with a deep understanding of the multicultural roots of LA cuisine.
Have questions, comments or suggestions? Let us know!
Reader Notes/Glossary:
626: Area code of northeast LA, home to the San Gabriel Valley known for its strong Asian immigrant community and great food.
Such a great read!! Can't wait for more 😁
Love this!