Driving on the freeway, looking at the streets and neighborhoods below, I often wonder what fabulous restaurants I'm missing. Tacos Por Favor is one of those places that I had heard about for years, but had always driven by without stopping.
Today I decided to stop.
A cantina-sized Mexican restaurant on the corner of Olympic at 14th Street,Tacos Por Favor sits on the border between the two-Santa Monicas.
It is well-known to the people who work in the auto repair and building supply businesses nearby as well as the students of the upscale private school, Crossroads and the well-heeled who could eat at the upscale Buffalo Club down the block, but prefer Tacos Por Favor's casual atmosphere and lower prices.
Two years ago, I made a decision that forever changed my
dining experience. I stopped being friends with anyone who doesn’t like
to
eat. Living in Los Angeles, the city of beautiful people, this wasn’t
an easy feat. But frankly, I was tired of sharing meals with the likes
of someone who either pushed their food around their plate as if eating
were a punishment, called themselves fat during the
entire meal in their size zero glory, or deliriously eyed my order
because the
last time they ordered anything that truly tasted good was a distant
memory. Turns out it was a damn great decision because without this new
rule in my life, I wouldn’t have my fellow foodie girlfriends Tannaz
and Rachel in my life which means I would have never been introduced to
my summer food crush and what I seriously consider the best new
addition to my Fairfax district neighborhood – The Golden State Café.
Though I've lived in Los Angeles for two decades, I still don't consider myself an Angeleno. Mostly because we rarely do anything that's considered interesting or hip in this vast and ever-changing metropolis. We have our own wine cellar – well it will be someday, but right now it's an office with cases of wine stacked in it – and a kick-ass Rock Band set-up, so we're pretty much self-entertained. It's hard to pay for drinks when you have so much waiting for you at home. However, every once in awhile I feel the need to explore our horizons and wander out into the City. The Man goes along with "the plan" because he has no real choice in the matter. Putting up a fuss just wastes energy in a fight you aren't going to win. Lately, our excursions have centered around vintage Hollywood venues, which are regaining their popularity due to an "old is cool" mentality sweeping the city. We're not only old-fashioned, we like our drinks that way too, so the new classic cocktail culture is giving us a reason to step out once again. Being a fan of Hollywood history, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that there are many old school, infamous places I've never been to like Musso & Franks, The Polo Lounge, Chateau Marmont and Spago. Didn't have any money when I moved here. Still find it hard to spend $12 on a martini. There is however, one place I can now cross off the list: Yamashiro.
People who don't live in Southern California forget that in the winter, the temperatures can drop into the 40s and even the 30s at night.
That's mild compared with the weather experienced by our friends and relatives who live in other parts of the country.
Mario Battali’s newest haunt in L.A.