Traveling While Introverted

One of the first things I did once we arrived in Los Angeles and sort of settled in was to head to the local public library. I wanted to keep up the reading streak I’ve been on since we’ve been traveling, so I picked up five books that looked interesting and started reading. I’m a slow reader, though, so I only got through three by the time I had to return all of them. However, it’s encouraging to have books to flip between in case I get bored or realize I don’t like the writing. The first one I read was A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales. What got me hooked on this book was that it absolutely makes fun of both Sherlock Holmes and Jane Austen-type novels. If you’re looking for a light read that has some surprising twists and turns, I recommend it. I’ll never look at a turret the same way ever again.

I tried to read Why Beulah Shot Her Pistol in the Baptist Church by Clayton Sullivan next. Funnily enough, this was a novel I picked up before we left on our trip and I didn’t get to it. I got to page 50 or so and had to stop. The writing style was too rambling and, even though the author is from Mississippi, it felt forced. The last book I got to from that haul was Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin, which I loved. I was gripped throughout and couldn’t guess the ending until the very last page. If you’re looking for a haunting book about women trying not to lose themselves in marriage and motherhood with a touch of mystery, I highly recommend it. (Trigger warning: there’s a brief description of sexual assault.)

By the time I finished Elsewhere, it was time to return all the books and get a new haul. The next book I tried was Miss New India by Bharati Mukherjee. I absolutely loved her first novel, Jasmine. Unfortunately, so much of the writing felt repetitive that I couldn’t stay awake. I tend to fall asleep while reading anyway; most of the time it takes more than 2-3 pages though. I then tried Gilded Age by Claire McMillan, which read like a modern take on The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton set in Cleveland rather than New York. (Please don’t watch The House of Mirth. The movie is a snooze fest; the book is excellent.) I read 100 pages, trying really hard to like it, but I was so frustrated by the idea that, even in the 2000s, a woman needs to marry to become fully actualized. Sure, marriage is great (in my experience at least) and not everyone wants a career. Unfortunately, that makes the heroine so self-absorbed and the narrator so smitten by her that I couldn’t get into the plot.

Now I’m reading The Rose of Sebastopol by Katharine McMahon. The novel is mostly set in 1850s England, just before the Crimean War and Florence Nightingale popularizes nursing for women. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and McMahon has done a lot of research to bring this story to life. I had no idea there was a Crimean War in the 1850s, though it’s not very surprising considering how much of a contested area it remains into this day. The novel is beautifully written filled with tension on personal and political levels: decorum won’t let the characters express their pent up feelings without fear of being “ruined,” and there is a constant hum of tension because war may break out in any moment and the fear of what that will unleash. Hopefully the tension can remain taut until the very end and something romantically tragic will happen. (It’s fiction, okay? There’s nothing wrong with cheering on tragedy when it’s not real.)

Before I do a deep dive into all of the fun food we’ve been eating in Los Angeles, I want to first share what we ate during our week in Phoenix and Navajo Nation. I didn’t take photos of the food we ate in Phoenix because I was too dang excited to be with friends and didn’t want to be distracted by my phone. Quick shout out to friends who invited us to their homes for meals and friends who met us at favorite eateries like Casa Corazon for delicious pazole and mole, Itlu where I got to try idly for the first time, and Biscuits Cafe for their bucket mimosas perfect for sharing.

In contrast, I took photos of the meals we ate at the two locally-owned restaurants in Kayenta (in Navajo Nation). We primarily ate at Amigo Cafe, which we enjoyed more than the Blue Coffee Pot Restaurant down the street. For our first meal, Adam ordered the burger with blue corn fry bread (left photo). Eating fry bread at least once feels like a must when visiting the Diné. I ordered the pork pazole, which was one of the best I’ve ever had (right photo). It was rich, spicy, and perfect for a chilly evening. You might be wondering why pazole is served at a Diné restaurant since it’s mostly associated with Mexican cuisine. It’s important to remember that what we think of modern-day Mexican food is largely, though not solely, a blend of Indigenous and Spanish foodways. In fact, the Aztec were the first to make pazole so it’s not surprising it would become a staple among the Diné and other southwestern Indigenous tribes.

We returned to Amigo Cafe a few times and tried other specialties on their menu. Adam and I both ordered the stewed lamb served on tostadas topped with a chipotle mayo and served with a side of rice (left photo). I don’t typically like lamb because I find it too fatty and gamey, but this was so good that we ate slowly to savor the flavors. I also ordered the pork taquitos, that were not only made with corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas, but prepared fresh so I could order without the cheese (center photo). Even without the chipotle-cheese dip, they were juicy and deeply flavorful. Adam, on the other hand, went for dessert and ordered a slice of lemon cake (right photo). If you look closely, you can tell the cake is moist and fluffy paired with a thick layer of lemon curd that adds extra tang to the cake. Adam said there was just a hint of cinnamon or nutmeg too which accentuated the lemon flavor even more.

Now I’ll recount the memorable meals we have been eating at restaurants in California since the end of March. (Friends and family have treated us to lovely homemade meals but I tend to keep those private.) The first meal we ate when we landed was at Chipotle. I know, I know. We really do our best to support independent businesses whenever we can, but our choices were limited and we were so tired. It wasn’t quite as good as I remembered, though that can happen at different stores. I obviously didn’t take pictures because it’s really nothing special. I just couldn’t believe the price for this corporate slop. Y’all. I remember when Chipotle was an affordable and healthy-ish way to eat. What is happening in this country? Holy moly.

Anther cuisine we were craving was Mexican, especially all of the hot salsas and condiments. We stumbled upon a restaurant called Reynalda Cucina & Amor, which we knew was legitimate because they serve menudo. We don’t eat menudo, but we use it as a barometer of authenticity. We each ordered four tacos and shared a huarache, which is kind of like a taco but much bigger, stuffed with refried beans, and topped with all the goodness. (The huarache is on the bottom right; normally topped with cheese as well.) I was so excited when we got there that I even took photos of the salsas, limes, pickled jalapeños, and habanero onions. We’ve eaten quite a few tacos since we’ve arrived, but that first bite was magic. Also, if you’re wondering: yes, we ordered in Spanish, though the woman working behind the counter kept answering us in English.

Another cuisine we missed terribly was Persian food. One of Los Angeles’s nicknames is Tehrangeles because of the massive influence of Persian culture. The Iranian Revolution of 1979 brought thousands of Persians, mostly of Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian faiths, to the United States and many settled in Los Angeles, particularly in The Valley*, where we grew up. Adam and I don’t know anyone who grew up here who didn’t have Persian friends with mothers that invited us over for scrumptious meals that always included the fluffiest rice in the world.

*The Valley as in the San Fernando Valley. Other valleys across the United States may call themselves “the valley” too, but they lack the culture, charm, and kitsch of my hometown. There is only one Valley and it’s the 818 baby.

As soon as we could, we visited a Persian restaurant called Shamshiri with a good friend of ours, who happens to be Persian. This was one of the few restaurants my mother frequented years ago, either just the two of us as a special treat, or with my dad and brothers. I was worried the nostalgia clouded my judgment about how good it is, but I knew our friend, Joey, would give an unfiltered review. A must item to order at any Persian restaurant is the tadig: the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot served either solo or with a stew on top. We ordered both the ghormeh sabzi made with spinach, kidney beans, and chunks of stewed beef, as well as gheymen bademjon made of yellow split peas, chunks of stewed beef, eggplant, and tomatoes. The stews help soften the rice just enough to make it easy to cut with a spoon, but they retain their crunch. We also ordered a plate of koobideh (ground chicken and beef on skewers) that include grilled tomatoes and onions. (The grilled tomato is key!) Since the koobideh was served with more rice, we got fancy and asked for the rice with tart barberries. (Barberries taste like very tart dried cranberries but they’re much smaller.) We ate until we exploded and even though it was a bit different than what Joey was used to, he still gave it his seal of approval.

Top row, left to right: ghormeh sabzi; gheymen bademjon

Bottom row, left to right: koobideh plate; rice with barberries

Funnily enough, the same shopping center also sports a maté shop called Mate Conmigo. We needed a caffeine boost and I ordered some coffee, while Adam and Joey ordered iced maté. When I mentioned that I didn’t like maté, the guy behind the counter let me taste a sweetened version, but I still didn’t like it. I made the same face I made when we tried it the first time in Montevideo, which made Joey crack up. If only it didn’t taste like grass, I would be all over it! I tried to convince Adam to purchase a gourd and bombilla so that he could drink it whenever he wants, but he wants to wait until we are settled somewhere first.

Adam and I have taken opportunities to eat East Asian food that we missed whenever possible, especially with my mother. We found a good Korean barbecue restaurant, Hanoo Kalbi, not far from her home that she loved. My mother is a picky eater and it always surprises me how much she enjoys Korean food, from barbecue to kimchi jiggae. (No photos necessary, right? We all know how good Korean barbecue is.) Unfortunately, I forgot to take photos of the wonderful Vietnamese restaurant we went to for lunch one day called Pho Chala. Rather than order pho, we took the opportunity to eat other Vietnamese dishes: salted fish fried rice, sizzling catfish (cha cá thǎng long), and chicken with lemongrass and chili oil (com gà xào sa ot). Another day, we stumbled upon a new Japanese restaurant Crane and Elephant for some ramen and katsu. We went back another time with Adam’s father for more ramen.

We also visited a few Thai restaurants, which are always good in the Los Angeles metro. We had dinner with one of Adam’s childhood friends and his fiancé at Anantra, which has all the classics prepared fresh. With my mom we dined at Lum-ka-Naad, a staple in this part of The Valley that features both Northern and Southern Thai flavors. For starters, we ordered the fried sour pork ribs, which are fermented for a few days and take on a pungent flavor (left photo). My mother and I didn’t like it, which is a shame because I’m a sucker for ribs. For mains, I ordered larb, one of my favorite Thai dishes because it’s so hearty and fresh, without being too heavy. The version I ordered, larb kua, was packed with cumin, coriander seeds, nutmeg, star anise, and a whole lot of spicy (center photo). Adam ordered a duck and noodle soup that was incredibly flavorful and very spicy as well (right photo). My mom eventually ordered tom kha kai, a classic Thai soup that always satisfies.

Adam and I took a random trip to Anaheim one day (not to visit Disneyland) and decided to stop at a Szechuan Chinese restaurant named Mr. Z Noodle House for lunch. After sharing a refreshing cucumber salad with peanuts and chili oil, Adam ordered wontons in chili oil and soup dumplings. I ordered the stir-fried green beans that were pipping hot and full of wok hei, that special wok-fried taste that makes Chinese food so special. I also ordered chicken topped with Szechuan peppercorns, one of my favorite dishes in Chinese cuisine. I ate until my mouth was numb from the peppercorns – what a sensation I missed!

Top row, left to right: cucumber salad; soup dumplings; wontons in chili oil

Bottom row, left to right: stir-fried green beans; chicken with Szechuan peppercorns

Salvadorian food was another cuisine we’ve revisited since we’ve been back. One day we were running errands, which included visiting a pawn shop, a first for me. (It was a bust, but I finally got to see the inside of Traders and it was so much nicer than I expected.) On the way there, we both spotted a small Salvadorian restaurant named Mis Raices and we thought a few papusas could be a fun lunch. As soon as we stepped in, we felt so comforted by what we saw and heard. We were suddenly transported back to Guatemala, Panamá or even Colombia: this tiny little restaurant with a menu del día (menu of the day), comforting staples like tamales, a few grocery items like frozen fruit, and, of course, a few necessary pharmaceutical items like single-servings of pain killers and heartburn relief pills. The lady who was serving everyone called someone from the back to come out and help the gringos (we were the only ones), but then we ordered in Spanish which totally surprised and delighted them. We told them about our adventures and how good it feels to be in a store/restaurant like this. The food was, obviously, delicious. We each ordered two tamales, one with all kinds of greens and another with chicken (left photo); and a papusa each (right photo). Mine was filled just with beans and Adam ate one stuffed with chicharron. All that we left behind were the banana leaves and empty plates.

On a different day we were running errands, we wanted to revisit Mis Raices but it was out of the way. Instead, we remembered a Guatemalan restaurant we wanted to try. Mi Ilusion 502 is in a tiny shopping center on two busy streets and easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. As soon as we walked in, we had the same sensation of comfort and calm. When we ordered, the woman behind the counter complemented our Spanish. We told her that we loved Guatemala and she was surprised. Did we feel safe? We told her yes, but that we didn’t stay in Guatemala City. Her sister is there and the recent rise in violence is difficult and worrisome. Still, she and the crew recommended a few more towns for us to visit in the highlands for next time, which we appreciated.

After all of that, you might be wondering to yourself if we’re ever just going to eat some good ol’ hot dogs and burgers. The answer is claro, of course. Adam was kind enough to indulge me by going to a place I have raved about since we started dating over a decade ago but hadn’t visited in years. Imagine a mostly nondescript intersection of two typical Valley streets. On one corner is a bowling alley and hotel that every once in a while renovates itself but is always shady no matter how many new coats of paint it gets. There are any number of little shops and restaurants on the other corners that always seem empty and run down until you walk inside and discover they’re actually decent. There’s also a liquor store my mom used to buy cigarettes from because they were cheaper than other places and the owner would sometimes give me a little pack of Canel’s gums.

Drive too fast through this intersection and you’ll miss the restaurant with the best french fries in the whole world: Daglas Drive-In (that’s d-a-glas not d-o-u-glas). All french fries are served in paper bags that become see-through from all the grease (left photo). They’re always crispy, fluffy, and seasoned to perfection. We shared a large order and couldn’t finish it. For the first time, I also ordered a burger (no cheese & no bun) which was so much better than I thought (right). The big king chain (you know who) isn’t the only joint with charbroiled burgers worth eating.

Still, the best food to pair with these beautiful fried spuds is next door at Cupid’s Hot Dogs, a staple of The Valley. The menu hasn’t changed much since 1946 and I’m glad. A warm polish dog in a soft steamed bun with some mustard and relish is really all you need. I went fancy and ordered the Chicago dog sans the bun (left) and Adam ordered both a Chicago dog and a classic dog with relish, onions, and mustard. The snap of the dog is perfection. Admittedly, I need to go back and try their chili dogs which I’ve never had. I just love mustard and relish so much.

A few weeks later, we were spending time with a friend who argued with me that Pink’s has better hot dogs than Cupid’s. I think it’s because he grew up on the other side of The Hill*. I had heard that it’s amazing and overrated in equal measures, so armed with hungry bellies, we ventured over The Hill to Hollywood. Unlike Cupid’s, the menu goes on for pages and pages, which is nice if you want to customize your dogs to the nth degree. Adam ordered one dog with mustard and sauerkraut and another topped with sour cream, jalapeños, tomatoes, relish, and onions (left photo). He enjoyed them but the sour cream was too much. I’m a pretty simple gal, though, so I ordered a Chicago dog (no bun), another dog with pastrami (no bun or cheese), and chili fries (center and right photos). A nice touch was having the option to order regular or spicy dogs, and I ordered two spicy dogs. Overall, it was yummy, especially the chili which had a very even texture that made it easy to dip into with fries. However, as someone who loves Chicago dogs, I have to wonder who thought to add lettuce instead of peppers and celery salt.

*For those who don’t know: The Hill refers to the Sepulveda Pass that has some of the most mind-numbing traffic in LA if you go at the wrong time. If you’re really lucky, you’ll get stuck in traffic at like 2am on a Wednesday.

As an Angeleno, my ultimate opinion, whether you want it or not, is that if you’re in Hollywood, go to Pink’s. It’s an institution and then walk around Melrose and La Brea because they’re such cool streets. However, if you want a real Angeleno experience, do yourself a favor and come to Winnetka for the best fries and a polish dog with an unbeatable snap.

While we’re not quite sure how long we’re staying in the Los Angeles area, I can a guarantee an upcoming blog post recapping our random adventures and another food post. Be sure to like, comment, and subscribe to Traveling While Introverted so you don’t miss it!