I am fortunate to have almost everything I need nosh-wise within walking distance of my condo in Los Angeles. I can shop for food and get takeout, too. Keep scrolling and I'll take you on a tour.
A Mini-Mallis perfect for shopping in these contagious times. It's easy to keep your distance from each other until you enter a business. When window shopping you can peer in and see how crowded the store may be.
I walk off the sidewalk along the car parking slots. Since there is little traffic it's safe enough.
Of course it sad to see local hair and beauty salons shuttered.
It's not a great time to try on clothing either.
It's best to have an online presence these days.
Hmmm, haven't needed these services yet...knock on wood.
More customers are wearing face masks.
The mini-mall Market and liquor store has customer limits.
When I cut through the parking lot behind the Mini-Mall, I spotted this produce van in back unloading veggies. I joked with the delivery guy about his company name. He says alot of others are taking pictures of the van, too.
It turns out that "Corona" is the owner's name, also it means "crown" in Spanish.
I'm doing a series on ordering "To Go" at various local eateries during my walks and short drives around town. My neighborhood Mini-Mall has a few that need our support.
I always order my Subwaysandwich to go anyway. My fave is the 6-inch Meatball Sandwich. I get it heated on JalapeƱo Cheese Bread and topped with melty provolone cheese, spinach, red onion, tomato, black olives and believe it or not, crunchy cucumber slices...so good.
One of the most popular restaurants in the Mini-Mall isCJ's Cafe. They serve breakfast and lunch only.
When I have stayovers and relatives visiting L.A. we usually end up here for a hearty breakfast or a Mexican lunch.
I can walk to my local Mini-Mall and will continue to support the business there during the Coronavirus. Do be careful out there and keep your distance!
The Cinematic Chef is at full throttle in this latest video, uniquely capturing the freshly opened light rail Expo Line, inside and out, night and day. This is not a typical boring travelogue, but a feast for the eyes in which The 99 Cent Chef pulls out all the f-stops! (The video is located at the bottom of this post.)
From my home in the Village Green, I can walk to L.A.'s latest transportation option, the Expo Line - so now my visitors can ride along with the Chintziest of Commuters to get a cheap-eyed view.
And be prepared to stop along the way for economical eats: from flame broiled $1.25 hot dogs at Earlez Grille on Crenshaw Boulevard, to a 99-cent (per piece) sushi Happy Hour at Octopus Japanese Restaurant downtown, from a delicious $1.50 Birria Taco on homemade tortillas at Danny's Tacos (also downtown), to luscious free candy samples from See's Candy in Culver City, and finishing up at the end of the Expo line on Venice Boulevard in Culver City for hormone free hot dogs from Let's Be Frank, and a vegetarian feast at India Sweets & Spices -- both a measly $5.50.
The Expo Lineruns 8.6 miles, from downtown's 7th Street Metro station at Figueroa Boulevard, to Venice Boulevard in mid-City. The rail cars are sleek, smooth, air-conditioned. They operate from about 5 a.m. until just past midnight, and the ride only costs $1.50 one way (click here for all the fares.) There are 10 new stations in operation (2 more on the way,) with the trains stopping about every 15 minutes -- click here for a PDF of daily schedule stops.
View from La Brea Avenue Station overpass
I've turned my latest video expedition into a round-trip trek in which the sidewalk noshing begins just outside the Downtown 7th Street Metro Station. (And this blogpost is loaded with links, just click on any red type.)
First up is the great sushi happy hour at the Japanese restaurant Octopus. You'll find better and more expensive sushi joints in Little Tokyo (about 10 city blocks away), but for cheap, fresh and tasty fish in a stylish atmosphere, this is the closest station stop -- it's on 7th Street, just a block east of Figueroa Boulevard.
Two-piece orders run from $1.98 for Mackerel, to $3.27 for Yellowtail Belly, along with drink specials. Happy Hour is from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday (followed by a late-night 'reverse Happy Hour'.) For my full review of Octopus from 2 years ago, with yummy photos, just click here (note that prices have changed, but not too much).
Another block away, within sight of L.A.'s beating bibliographic heart, the Central Library, is a new literary-themed watering hole mixing up drinks with names like the Jack London Martini, A Clockwork Orange and Faulkner's Smash.
The gastropub is appropriately called the Library Bar. The drinks are in the $10 - $12 range (our bartender said one is all you'll need), but they do serve beer on tap at $4 happy hour prices until 8 p.m. The menu includes a Cobb Salad, Library Burger, or Roast Marrow bones for $9. Click here to see their website menu and general info.
Travel further East on 7th, just past Olive Street, to find a great street-food trailer called Danny's Tacos. The specialty is Birria de Chivo -- a stew of goat meat that is fall-off-the-bone tender braised in a spicy and intensely flavored broth.
The tacos are only $1.50, and the tortillas are handmade -- so soft and tasty. They park on the street just after 7 p.m. and stay open until about 2:30 a.m. To read what the Yelpers think, click here. Please note: Danny's Tacos is a food trailer, so they do change location from time to time -- best to Google them first to make sure of latest location.
Back on the train heading west, you'll pass the Pico Boulevard station (at Staples Center - home of the Lakers, the Clippers, the Sparks, and the newly crowned, Stanley Cup winning, Kings), and then a few stations later, you'll reach the Crenshaw Boulevard stop, where you can seeEarlez Grilleright across the street. Earlez flame broils some of the best hotdogs in South L.A. The price is right too, with daily specials including a $1.25 Beef or Turkey Dog Saturday Special. For my full review, including photos and a video, just click here.
Dessert awaits at the end of the line just off the La Cienega Boulevard station stop (my home destination.) When you step off the elevated train station and go down to street level, you will be beckoned by the sweet, odoriferous siren call of See's Candy. Follow your nose to where the melting chocolate fragrance permeates the air.
See's Candy is just a block south on La Cienega Boulevard. Look for the large white building on the west side of the street -- you can't miss it (you can even see it from the train platform.) And best of all the samples are handed out for free!
See's Candy compound (factory & store) and Baldwin Hills
Believe me, I've had my share -- I've tried 4 at a time! (If you feel guilty about getting something for nothing, they offer a 3 piece sample bag for $1.69.) This is where I get Mom her sweets for Mother's Day, and you should stop by here for your sweetie, too. They have a large selection of classic confections, but there are plenty of delectable new flavors -- if you think they are too old-fashioned and you haven't been in ages, you'll be surprised at all the creative chocolates on their menu. For their latest sweet tooth selections, click here.
The end of the line is in Culver City at Washington & Venice Boulevards. Just a short block and a half east, at about 8758 Venice Boulevard, is the Helms Bakery Distric. Dining destinations in this building complex, include two restaurants from L.A.'s innovative chef Sang Yoon: Father's Office, which help launch the gastropub reboot in L.A. and his latest, Lukson, a new take on Southeast Asian Cuisine.
But if you don't want to spring for a $12.50 burger at Father's office, I can recommend a cheap meal of chemical and hormone free hot dogs from Let's Be Frank -- housed in a simple trailer in the Helms parking lot (across from Father's Office) serving delicious all natural hot dogs for $5.50. The wieners are sausages really, and much larger than the average hot dog. Even the sauerkraut and pickle relish is locally sourced and organic. This is such a great dining destination that I made a special Let's Be Frank blogpost, with a video that you can see by clicking here.
And the cheapest epicurean has not forgotten about his vegetarian visitors. Three short blocks west of the Culver City Expo stop on Venice Boulevard is India Sweets & Spices. You can pick up curries, produce and spices in their market or get a great meal deal at their vegetarian buffet. It's a full meal with choice of 2 entrees, rice, yogurt, pickle and chipati for $5.50!
Finally look south a block away and you will see Culver Boulevard - L.A.'s most eclectic dining destination. New and innovative eateries are springing up almost every month on this teaming boulevard. This blogpost would go on forever if I listed them all. Just click here to see some of them.
I send out a big 99 thanks to the eateries I shot along the Expo Line; and an extra thanks to the LA Metro,
its drivers, and my fellow commuters. So all aboard -- you have a free
ticket to ride on L.A.'s newest public transportation hub, the Expo Line, with the Chintzy Culinary Conductor as your guide!
Night, Day and Food on the LA Expo Rail Line - VIDEO
All aboard! Let the Chintzyiest Chef be your culinary conductor for a tasty ride to cheap dining along LA's latest transportation hub: the Expo Rail Line. This post is for the locals and curious tourists who explore this great city of Los Angeles using public transportation.
Our long overdue rail system has finally arrived in Baldwin Hills and Culver City, and the latest stops are right in my neighborhood! It's an 8.6-mile, 12-station track with 10 new station stops, traveling parallel to the Santa Monica 10 Freeway from Downtown to Culver City.
To celebrate, I've compiled some of the videos I've previously shot of local inexpensive eateries within walking distance of three nearby station stops. And, after each video is a link to my original post with an exact address, so you can easily google map these fine fooderies!
The Expo Line opening ceremony is downtown on Friday, April 27th, with free admission on Saturday and Sunday. The Freeloading Culinarian will be riding the rails this weekend with a camera in hand to record the festivities.
I've been riding the rapid transit rails on each opening day, including the Red Line from Downtown LA to North Hollywood; the Purple Line to Mid-Wilshire; the Gold Line to Pasadena and East LA; and now the Expo Line that runs from Downtown LA to Culver City.
To give you an idea of what is in store this weekend, just check out the video below of my ride on the Gold Line to East LA from 3 years ago. (I will also be shooting footage of the Expo Line's opening day, so check back here to see some new video.)
East L.A. Subway - Video
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
First up is the Crenshaw Boulevard stop. There are a couple of cheap and delicious restaurants on this colorful street: Earlez Grill for fabulous hot dogs and Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express.
To reach Earlez Grill, just step out of the rail car at Exposition and Crenshaw and you are there! The Saturday special beef and turkey dogs will set you back just $1.25 - that's lunch for about the fare price of a one-way Metro ticket! I can also recommend the specials: on Mondays, it's the Special Veggie Dog for $2: it's a grilled plump wiener that tastes way too good to be meat-free. Friday's Special is a fiery Beef Link for $2.50. I'll just let Duane, the proprietor of Earlez Grille, give you the lowdown on his grilled wiener fiefdom in the video below.
Unfortunately, you only have a couple of months to eat at Earlez in this location. The transit authority is paving this tube steak paradise to put up a commuter parking lot. I hope Earlez Grille stays nearby in the hood.
Earlez Grille - Video
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
Also near the Exposition/Crenshaw stop - when you walk three blocks north on Crenshaw - is Chef Marilyn's Soul Food Express. Chef Marilyn, a former Lakers cheerleader, cooks up some real Southern-style cuisine, including Mac and Cheese, Collard Greens, Smothered Chicken and Pork Chops, Baked Fish, and of course, Fried Chicken and Catfish. They even have a slew of 99 cent specials (the ones I always get), including Hot Links, Spinach, and Black-eyed Peas. These are some of the best meal deals around.
Soul Food Express - Video
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
Moving further west, the rail stop at La Brea Avenue is adjacent to the venerable Popeye's Fried Chicken. While not locally owned, this tasty fast food joint fits the neighborhood of Southern transplants hungering for cheap fried fare. On Tuesdays, you can't get cheaper than the 2-Piece Special for 99 cents. You'll get a spicy or regular seasoned leg and thigh, and it's finger-lickin' good. Just watch the video below of: "My 99 Cent Dinner with Nuno."
Popeye's 2-Piece 99-cent Fried Chicken Special - Video
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
If you hanker for another low-cost Southern treat, you can walk off the fried chicken to get to one of the best bargains in the city. Take La Brea one city block south to Rodeo, then head east to (Martin Luther) King Boulevard. A short 2 blocks later, you're at Cajun's Fried Chicken, where they offer a hearty Gumbo for $1. It's a satisfying serving loaded with sausage, chicken, bay shrimp, veggies, and rice, in a spicy flavored broth, as the closeup videography below will attest.
$1 Gumbo - VIDEO
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
Those rail riders with a sweet tooth - or a sweetheart to impress - can continue west to the next stop at La Cienega Boulevard. From the elevated train stop there, you can see the original headquarters of the world-famous See's Candy, just a half-block South on La Cienega.
I have sent my Mom many boxes of See's Candy for Mother's Day. They look as good as they taste. And you'll smell the roasting nuts and melted chocolate before you get there.
This is the original building where the classic scene from "I Love Lucy" - in which she stuffs her face to keep up with a fast-moving assembly line - was shot in the 1950s. It's still open for business, with so many new flavors to try. Of course, samples are free, and I've had plenty!
I Love Lucy Chocolate Assembly Line - VIDEO
The last low-cost Expo Line eatery shown here is in Culver City, so you won't be able to reach it by rail until this summer when the easternmost stop is due to open at Venice and Washington Boulevards in June. Just a block away, walking east on Washington, is the Helms Bakery, which anchors a collection of shops and eateries including Father's Office, which grinds out the best burgers in town if you believe half the local bloggerati and newspaper food reviews. But they're too expensive for this miserly chef. Instead, I head right over to the hot dog hut in the parking area for grass-fed, free-range, and hormone-free beef, pork, veggie, and poultry wieners from Let's Be Frank.
The simple setting belies their organic and artisanal creativity. These unique hot dogs are dang good -- even the toppings are locally sourced and homemade. For about $5 you get a larger-than-average tube steak -- that is more ground sausage than your typical ballpark frank.
Let's Be Frank - Video
For a complete blog post click here for the address, photos, and a full review.
With all these tips, you're well-equipped to enjoy the Expo Line without blowing the budget. So hit the rails to start exploring, and Bon Appetit!
