South LA street cooks could soon go legit



Felipa Mayo cooks tacos each weekend outside her home on Compton Boulevard. | Daina Beth Solomon

Felipa Mayo cooks tacos each weekend outside her home on Compton Boulevard. Scroll down for a photo slideshow featuring other street cooks and street foods. | Daina Beth Solomon

Felipa Mayo starts her job the same way each weekend. She heads out to the sidewalk of her stucco bungalow on Compton Boulevard and checks to make sure there are no cops around.

Then she pulls a white toque over her brown hair bun, sets up a few folding tables in the driveway and unpacks the contraband she’s so worried about getting busted for selling: Tacos.

The corn tortillas served with chicken, beef or goat could get Mayo in trouble with the law.

The hundred other weekend vendors on this bustling stretch of Compton Boulevard in South Los Angeles -– some selling quesadillas, burritos and pupusas, others hawking merchandise ranging from electronics to underwear – operate with caution too. [Read more…]

Earlez Grille relocates to make way for Crenshaw/LAX line



Earlez sign | Ela Bernal

Earlez Grille sign at Crenshaw and Exposition. | Ela Bernal

There’s something special about a place that adapts to changing times while remaining true to its origins. For more than 25 years, Earlez Grille in the Crenshaw district has done just that.

Earlez owner Duane Earl said his secret recipes for hot dogs, burgers and chili have less to do with ingredients than simply “paying attention to how you cook” and using “common sense.” Oh, and one more thing: “People can tell when you don’t put love into food.”

Hear the sizzle of the Earlez grill in an audio piece from Annenberg Radio News:

[Read more…]

Proud Bird restaurant closes Dec. 21 after 47 years



The Proud Bird | Katherine Davis

The Proud Bird prepares to close. | Katherine Davis

[Update: The Proud Bird announced Dec. 13 that it would, in fact, be able to remain open.]

After nearly 50 years of serving filet mignon dinners and champagne brunches, the much loved Proud Bird Restaurant neighboring LAX is preparing to close its doors for good on Dec. 21. What will patrons and employees remember about this richly-decorated, aviation-themed, banquet-ready eatery?

Hear their comments — and the sounds of whizzing planes — in an audio story from Annenberg Radio News

And click here to view a photo slideshow by Katherine Davis. 

Diners enjoy one of The Proud Bird's last meals. | Katherine Davis

Diners enjoy one of The Proud Bird’s last meals. | Katherine Davis

First person: Thanksgiving without turkey?



A turkey drumstick for Thanksgiving. | Flickr/ D. Sharon Pruitt

A turkey drumstick for Thanksgiving. | Flickr/ D. Sharon Pruitt

As our family ate tacos and cupcakes on the occasion of my grandmother’s 65th birthday last week, my four-year-old brother Bryce—the youngest of the seven of us, four of whom were present—asked her, “Nana, what are we doing for Thanksgiving?”

He had a huge smile on his face while he waited for an answer, but my grandmother, with whom I live in Watts, and my mother and I all looked down in shame. No one wanted to be the one to tell him that we didn’t have anything planned for Thanksgiving. Or that we weren’t certain whether we would be able to come up with something.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day of appreciation and celebration. If nothing else, it’s the one day out of the year when my entire family gets together at my grandmother’s house.  Normally, I work nights at LAX and go to school during the day at Long Beach City College, where I study sociology. Thanksgiving is a day off. My six siblings come over from my mom’s place in Lomita. Other relatives from far and wide make a point of getting back, despite how busy they are. [Read more…]

L.A. Finally Legitimizes Rebel Green Thumb



Originally published on Neon Tommy.

Ron Finley has emerged as a powerful community leader in South Los Angeles. | Flickr/Anna Hanks

Ron Finley has emerged as a powerful community leader in South Los Angeles. | Flickr/Anna Hanks

Just a few weeks ago, Ron Finley was best known for his highly visible, and nutritious, acts of civil disobedience. To combat the growing problem of malnutrition facing many throughout South Los Angeles, the Crenshaw-based fashion designer planted gardens full of strawberries, dill, thyme and other edibles in unused parkways.

For his admirable efforts, which were against the Los Angeles’ “residential parkway landscaping guidelines” at the time, the city of Los Angeles issued a Finley a citation. The community joined Finley in appealing the citation. The matter was only dropped after the dispute generated enough media attention.

Finley took his story to TED talks in Long Beach, California earlier this year. The video of Finley’s presentation propelled the guerilla gardener to Internet stardom and generated over 1.5 million views. The talk also compelled the media into examining a bureaucratic system that viewed Finley’s agricultural endeavors as illegal. [Read more…]

Chef Jeff Henderson returns to native South LA



Chef Jeff signs a copy of his newest book at Eso Won Books.

Chef Jeff signs a copy of his newest book at Eso Won Books. | Anna-Catherine Brigida

When Eddie Joebishop heard his old friend-turned-celebrity chef Jeff Henderson on the radio promoting a book signing, he scribbled down the address of Eso Won Books in Leimert Park and traveled the 40 miles from his home to hear him speak Monday night.

Read a Q&A with Henderson about his new book, “12 Street-Smart Recipes for Success,” here on Intersections.

[Read more…]

Q&A: Jeff Henderson’s ‘Street-Smart Recipes’



jeffhenderson

Chef Jeff’s new book is available online and in stores. He will be autographing books at Eso Won.

Author and chef Jeff Henderson will appear at Eso Won Books on Monday at 7 p.m. to sign copies of his newest book, “If You Can See It, You Can Be It: 12 Street-Smart Recipes for Success.”

Henderson’s path to success has been unconventional — before becoming “Chef Jeff,” he went to prison for dealing drugs. Now, the chef says he hopes his story will motivate others. We spoke with Henderson about his South Central L.A. upbringing, the new book, and his drive to inspire the young people who struggle like he once did.

[Read more…]

Nature’s Brew Cafe offers healthy food to South LA



Nature's Brew

Nature’s Brew Cafe (Photo by Sarah Zahedi)

After the July 6 opening of Nature’s Brew, a healthy South Los Angeles café, University of Southern California students and local residents no longer lack an alternative food option to chain restaurants, fast food stops and coffee shops.

Located at 2316 Union St., Nature’s Brew offers a range of fresh food and pastry items for breakfast and lunch in addition to various juices, coffees and teas. The cafe also offers free WiFi to customers.

The café is run by the team behind wine bar and restaurant Bacaro LA, which is located two doors down the street. Brothers Danny and Bobby Kronfli run the Bacaro LA and Nature’s Brew locations along with chef Lior Hillel and general manager Noa Sztar.

Noting the absence of a café like Nature’s Brew in the USC area, Sztar says the team was very excited about the opening.

“We always knew there was a need in the neighborhood for a nice coffee shop and restaurant that give you more than plain coffee and dried, day-old pastries,” Sztar said. “We wanted to bring a place to the area with fresh-baked pastries and high-quality food.”

Nature’s Brew’s location was previously occupied by the Ragazzi Room, which closed down in mid-2012. Upon its closing, Sztar says the team jumped on the opportunity to open a café that offers options beyond what’s available at generic coffee shops in the area.

“Usually when you go to a basic coffee shop, the options are not that high-quality and there isn’t much to choose from,” Sztar said. “For the excellent level of food and drinks that we offer at Nature’s Brew, I hope the neighborhood finds us attractive.”

Sztar also emphasized that the team has worked to set reasonable food and drink prices as to be affordable to individuals from a range of socioeconomic classes living in South L.A

“We are not trying to take all our customer’s money with unfair prices. We strive to give them a good product at a reasonable, affordable price,” Sztar said. “People are often telling us that they have had a similar smoothie or sandwich to the ones at Nature’s Brew at other restaurants that are far more expensive.”

By setting more affordable prices for their food and drinks, Sztar also hopes people living in South L.A. will be encouraged to choose Nature’s Brew over other unhealthy options in the area.

“We already are seeing a lot of business owners, workers and families from the area as customers,” Sztar said. “It’s a good thing to see because instead of going out and eating fast food, more residents are coming here to get a similarly priced juice or granola breakfast as a healthy alternative.”

While business has been gradually picking up over the past two weeks that Nature’s Brew has been opened, Sztar is anticipating a rush of new customers as the new school year begins at USC.

“We opened in July because we wanted to have a month to prepare before the students being moving in again,” Sztar said. “We think it’s going to be packed as soon as school starts and it’s a positive thing to worry about.”

The Nature’s Brew customers can stay updated on new add-ons to the Nature’s Brew menu and learn about upcoming Nature’s Brew events via the café’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

 

South LA residents create solutions to provide healthy food options



IMG_1430July 12 was a happy day for residents of the King Estates neighborhood in South L.A. Three weeks after the Ralphs supermarket on Western Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard closed, community members of the local nonprofit, Community Coalition and Community Services Unlimited opened “Fresh Fridays” Produce Stand so that neighbors would have a place to get fresh fruits and vegetables.

The opening took place on the corner of 39th Street and Western Avenue, in the parking lot of Century Market, a liquor store that just three years ago was the target of a protest by residents for being a public nuisance. The store, which has since worked to maintain community standards and meet city ordinances, has agreed to host the produce stand every Friday between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. [Read more…]

Fresh Fridays start this week in King Estates



From Community Coalition

Web only logoCreating an unlikely partnership with a local liquor store, community members of the local nonprofit, Community Coalition and Community Services Unlimited are opening “Fresh Fridays” Produce Stand on the corner of 39th Street and Western Avenue to sell fresh, organic fruits, vegetables and snacks. 

The grand opening of Fresh Fridays is this week on July 12 from 3-6 p.m. at 3894 S. WesternAvenue, in the parking lot of Century Market, a liquor store that just three years ago was the target of a large community protest by residents for being a public nuisance. The liquor store, which has since worked to maintain community standards and city ordinances, has agreed to host the produce stand every Friday. 

“This effort speaks to the power of what can happen when everybody comes together – neighbors, business owners, local non-profits – to build a better community for everyone,” said Marqueece Harris-Dawson, President & CEO of Community Coalition, which has been leading an effort to reduce crime and violence.

The produce stand in the King Estates neighborhood is part of a larger movement in the area to build a healthier and safer community. Over the past several years, Community Coalition has helped residents secure over $1 million in public funding to turnaround Martin Luther King park located across the street from the liquor store and to improve public health and safety by bringing in programs like the city’s anti-gang program Summer Night Lights.

“This produce stand represents another step in the right direction towards transforming our community and bringing better, healthier and safer opportunities for our families,” said Dorothy Redmond, a long time resident and mother of three. 

The stand will sell organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables, conduct cooking demonstrations, and give out free samples. Fresh Fridays start on July 12, 3-6 p.m. at 3894 S. Western Ave.