Urth Caffé - Hawthorne

I think we found a glitch in the matrix. It's Urth Caffe, Santa Monica's iconic, line-out-the-door main street magic copied and pasted. But the mouse must have slipped and dropped it in the middle of an industrial dystopia that is the Lawndale/Hawthorne border. 

Here it sits, serving up bowl-sized Cappuccinos and slinging sumptuous sweets, sandwiched between tile manufacturers and industrial kitchen outlets. Despite the no-traffic backstreet, the valet controls this tiny lot, and for the flat fee of five dollars, you can watch the valet drive your car into a spot ten feet over. 

Despite all this, there is a reason they are in business - they know good, clean eating. They make a mean Pancake, firm but fluffy organic buttermilk with an almost-crispy griddled crust. It's white-people food, undoubtedly well done.

The Breakfast Burrito, however, is a whitewashed one to avoid. Quality ingredients; scrambled egg, bland black beans, and runny guac, bundled together in extreme sterility, like a burrito with the soul sucked out. And this "salsa" or whatever on the side is an abomination resembling a ketchup puree. A bad one. 

I moved to Lawndale to seek shelter from Santa Monica snobbery, but I've always loved much of what Santa Monica offers in terms of quality food. Urth Caffe is just as good here, I think, but the location feels invasive, and the theme is positively bizarre. Maybe it won't last, but it's more likely a prequel of what's to come, giving us a gander at the early stages of gentrification. The truth is, I'd gladly come back to Urth Caffe sometime, but I just can't help thinking, "There goes the neighborhood". 

The Pan - Gardena

Location, location, location. My move puts me closer to Gardena, but no farther from The Pan.

Is Gardena so different from Lomita? I'm not sure. My favorite Lemon Dream Pancakes are still the same, and I'm sold on the lemon curd. 

Not feeling pancake? Shaki's Strawberry Nutella French Toast will do. The brioche gets a full coat of egg, and it makes a buttery fluff. Plenty of berries for a berry good time, and there's enough nutella and cream to make it count.

Have The Pan's Signature Scramble is you're looking for the savory - there's scads of sausage, onion, pepper, and potato smothered in peppery jack cheese. 

I think Lomita makes a cleaner plate, but Gardena is consistent enough. Same menu anyway, and it's all part of a complete breakfast or brunch. I'd still do Lomita if I got to pick, but I'd pander to The Pan in any place.

Tacos el Goloso - Torrance

I come here for...the chips! Yes, that little bag of free fried tortilla chips they give you with your tacos, that show-stealing side dish. I don't know what they’re doing to their chips, but they are next-level. Best chips of my life!

Oh, and there's birria too.

BIRRIA!!! Slow-cooked shreds of tender, spicy, spice n' acid OMG. Their Tacos Dorados special gets you three fried tortillas full of magic meat, melt-in-your-mouth softness encased by crunch. There's a little bit of cheese and cilantro and onion, and a squeeze of lime will do. Just dunk it in the consommé and let the magic begin. 

If LA’s Phillipe's became the South Bay’s Felipe's, the Tacos Dorados would be our Mexican dip. Braised beef in tacos is our answer to roast beef in bread, and I dare say we made an impression.

Bowl Thai - Gardena

Even for Grubhub’s gutting fees, 4.5 Yelp stars and 1115 reviews was worthy of verification. 

I ordered what I liked and what I knew, and I have never been so unpleasantly surprised by a Pad See Ew. I figured Chinese-broccoli-flat-noodles-soy-sauce-stir-fry couldn’t go wrong but apparently it could. The noodles were mush, and they clumped together in a way that noodles never should. 

The Boat Noodle Soup had me excited - I’d only found in one place outside of Thai Town until now. And sure, shrug, this one is alright, but Ubon did it so much better. A little sweet, a little savory, a smooth beef broth that I could probably get anywhere.

Mediocre it is, 4.5 stars it is not. I don’t know if I just didn’t order the right things, but when a restaurant occupies space in Tozai Plaza amongst the Gardena greats, there’s no room for this kind of error.

The Pan - Lomita

We used to say that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but these days the opinions diverged. The battle between the “most important meal” crew and team “intermittent fasting FTW” is raging, but The Pan can be their Switzerland. 

Their all day breakfast menu serves up day-starters to break your fast whenever you think is best, and if you don't mind waiting, you and your crew of don't-eat-elites can still clink mimosas at 7 PM or whenever you choose to stop starving. 

Start with some Pancakes if you're looking for a classic. The Pan does all sorts, and all of them are all sorts of awesome. 

Cynical me always said that a pancake never changed my life, but these Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes are an obsession. The pineapple cooks like it's candied, and the syrup infuses that pineapple-y essence into this three-stack.

The Lemon Dream Pancakes are fluffy and sweet with a whipped cream topper that turns curd into chiffon. Enough of a sugary tang to keep the lemon lighter but enough creamy curd to keep it filling and bearably dense. 

A little less sugar in the Georgia Peach Corn Cakes if you’re wanting a little more savor. Cornmeal tempers gooey summer peach in the form of a pancake-and-cornbread love-child.

If you're feeling something savory, don’t let my careless Ubereats guy turn you off to the Short Rib Benedict. The photo makes it look like short rib regurgitated, but the flavors are super fun. The short rib is barbacoa style, and it's full of lots of juice. I’m a sucker for sweet corn cakes and the smooth drizzle of street corn calls to me. The creamy poblano sauce adds some spice to bite through all the goo. Beware: the poached eggs will cook en route so the yolks will lose some run.

Don't overlook the a la carte menu either. Get a Biscuit and Gravy for a sample of southern comfort.

They make a good side of Hash Browns as well, but why settle for just hash browns...

When you can have them Loaded? Pile on sunny side up eggs and interweave bits of sausage and bacon. Melt some cheese on top with stripes of aioli with a bit of spice. It's a heart attack on a plate, but I can think of worse ways to go.

Just want a simple breakfast? The Lumberjack has all the things. Get your bacon, your sausage, your eggs any way you want them, and some notable well-seasoned, evenly-cooked house potatoes. 

Covid has forced all couples to compromise, but at least at a place like The Pan, breakfast doesn’t have to be a sacrifice. Eat it or don't and eat it if they won't, but it's an option anytime you’re willing. 

Orleans & York Deli - Carson

The boy wanted a po’boy and Darrow’s wasn’t open. That’s the only reason we ordered here. 

Do pardon my cynicism, the food isn't bad at all. It's nothing you'll remember, but definitely nothing you'll try to forget. 

The Catfish Po’boy is nice. A good, golden fry with even breading on tender filets. Plenty of it packed into a soft sub, squished in with shreds of lettuce and slices of tomato. 

The Shrimp Po’boy is better pan-grilled. Some seasoning on some butterflied shrimp, though not particularly flavorful, is a nice contrast to the monotony of more breading. Plus you can pretend it's healthy. 

They’re not my first choice for Cajun, and they're probably not my first choice for anything, but they’re not really not bad, just not particularly exciting. They’ll satiate and minimally satisfy but don’t expect the fireworks. Hold out for Darrow's if you're local, otherwise save yourself for Little Jewel of New Orleans in LA. 

All Indian Sweets & Snacks - Torrance

I’ve driven by a million times, and I’ve never gone inside. All eyes on me when I enter. I’m picking up lunch to go and I'm the only non-Indian person for miles. A good sign, right from the start. 

The menu has a healthy and hearty variety, equal parts meat and veggies, highlights from both the north and the south. Dosa Masala is one dish I’ll never ditch, and theirs is a thin and delectably chewy pancake tube oozing soft potato. 

The Sambar is a dip with a little burn, a soak for everything, especially the fluffy Idli.

The Lunch Special veggie platter is the most affordable meal for miles, and I doubt you’ll find anything close in quality at this price. 

Daal Makhni is smooth and hearty, Channa Masala is a little sweeter with some tomato tang, and Malai Kofta the size of tiny fists are a veggie meatball swimming in a creamy pool. 

There was Gulab Jamun to end things sweetly, and a single order of these milky fried dough-balls in concentrated sugary honey just isn’t enough.

What I love about South Indian food is that you can eat so much without the feeling of gross regret. The taste is big and the spice profile is imperceptibly complex. It’s also harder to find as most places favor the meaty tikkas of the north. The only thing I regret is not grabbing a few more dishes, but I guess I’m just saving that curry goat and shahi paneer for next time.

Men Oh Tokushima Ramen – Torrance

If you’re a restaurant in Torrance, saying you serve ramen is like saying you’re an actor in LA. Everyone is an actor in LA, and even if they’re not, people in LA still excel at pretending. In Torrance, everyone serves ramen, and even if they don’t, they’ll still put out a bowl of soup with some sort of noodle.

Ramen in South Bay has almost as many meaning as the term “actor” in LA. Sometimes it means you’re South Bay’s best, and you look haughtily at the less fortunate while adoring fans Instagram photos upon sighting your perfect broth. Other times it means you’re serve a solid, hit-the-spot B star soup. But nowadays even Kula Revolving Sushi and the skewer-sticklers at Torihei offer ramen. I’m sure it’s talented, but it’s not going to be discovered in the shadow of Santouka.

With all this ramen, ramen everywhere (and so many drops to drink), I wasn’t all that excited about trying yet another place. But people raved about Men Oh’s Little Tokyo location, the bowls were half off for ramen week, and my friends were so excited about checking out the new kid in town there was no way I could refuse.

Let’s just say the new kid in town is probably going to be known for his appetizers. There was nothing wrong with the Gyoza we shared, but the thicker wrapper and standard pork-and-generic-veggies filling was nothing you couldn’t get frozen from a bag.

The appetizer was lackluster, but the Tokushima Ramen was one of the least regrettable decisions I’ve ever made. The richly intense broth of pork fat and oil has some of the softest chashu I’ve ever had, and even the leaner parts dissolve on your tongue. The classic flavored egg is soft-boiled just right, and the al dente noodles are spot on. The butabara is new for me, and every little stir-fried greasy bit was delightful. Plus this is probably the most fun bowl of ramen I’ve ever had. Most of my favorite places have limited variations, and the sides are often scarce. Men Oh lets you add extras of anything you want for a reasonable charge, and while there’s no way I could finish an extra helping of noodles, adding a pound of chashu and butabara didn’t hurt…until after…

Saying you serve ramen in Torrance has myriad meanings. Your ramen could be incredibly talented and waiting to be discovered, a diamond in the rough waiting for the right cutting and casting, or a rising star who can’t help but shine. In the case of Men Oh, this ramen’s audition blew me away.