Diner Week: CJ's Cafe...feeling the love after church

5501 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 936-3216
Mon-Sat 6:30 AM-6 PM
Sun 7AM-5PM

Here is a where we take a detour from the big, buff, American style diners of Diner Week. CJ's Cafe is a shining example of how Mexican culture has melted into the diner genre in SoCal, making it something practically American by it's own standards...after all, America by nature is just one big melting pot of cultures that have slowly started to "gray" into each other.

Though the picture here shows a tamer time, don't let that fool you. This small cafe has become the equivalent of a 3rd Street brunch spot on Sundays. This happens to be one of THE after church go to spots in the Pico district. Plenty of seating and a fast staff help things from being too nightmarish thankfully.

They offer some pretty unique breakfast plates, i.e. my "Deli omelette" filled with pastrami and cheese. The pastrami was extra lean, not too salty and made me wonder why I this isn't a standard at other places. The hash potatoes are notches above the rest. I do believe that they grill the onions ahead of time and then mix them with the potatoes giving them a flavor packed punch. Most other places just mix them in right away with out cooking them first.

As stated before, their Mexican breakfast plates, such as this Huevos Rancheros plate, really shine. Eggs were done perfectly over medium, the Ranchero sauce was packed with chili flavor though not spicy and didn't compete in any way with the side of chorizo that came with it. I kid you not I'd give this plate at least an 8 on taste. Speaking of which, the chorizo that they serve up is DYNAMITE. I could eat this kind of chorizo with any plate for breakfast. On a side note, be sure to try there tortas which are a showpiece for the ingredients they use.

Parking is a whiz with street AND rear parking. They have a great staff and a well varied menu that should satiate most anyone's morning needs. Their loyal following shows up right when they open, and why shouldn't they...they've got the right formula going on there.

Free Drink Refills:Yes
Entree Price Ranges: Breakfast is $5 to $8, lunch is $4 to $7, and dinner is $7 to $10

Pinches Tacos...a better taco for the Strip when you need it

8200 W. Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323)650-0614
Mon-Wed 11AM-Midnight
Thur-Sat 11AM-3AM
Sun 11AM-10PM

The Sunset strip. A place you love to go and also hate to go to. When you're there and want to be, it's THE place to party. When you HAVE to be there and DON'T want to be it can be the equivalent of sitting on the 405 at 5:05. The joy of the area is that there's lots to like about it even if you aren't there to party, such as shopping and great food. A new restaurant by the name of Pinches Tacos, right at the edge of the strip, is taking advantage of the night life street walkers (no... not "those" street walkers) that are hopping from party to party late at night.

What I like about this place is the fresh taste of the ingredients. The owners, the Anaya brothers of Cha Cha Cha fame, have really tried to keep things legit while at the same time making sure that the ingredients stand out as healthy (or at least as healthy as Mexican food could presume to be).

The place itself has fast food vibe to it where you walk up to the register and order your food and they bring it out. It does however have a great patio that's covered and the food is brought out to you.

Obviously this place is totally a taqueria, but they do serve more than that. The tacos themselves are not cheap but don't let that discourage you in the least. These tacos are filled to the brim with meat. Not fall apart and get you pissed off full, but mighty full. The carnitas shown above were nicely flavored and juicy. Many people's pork tacos fall flate cause they cook them a tad too long and they get prety dried out, but not so with Pinches.

The fish taco was not so much my thing. While it was packed I didn't like the fact that the salsa overpowered the fish all together. Definitely designed for the late night buzzed crowd.

Their flautas are pretty dynamite. Light and well constructed. The meat inside, delicately flavored and moist. All plusses and a sure bet when you can't decide on what to get.

The al pastor was pretty rocking and you could really taste the marinaded char on these. These have been the most consistent for me. I could load these up for a party and everyone would be happy (unless you don't "dine on swine").

Their mole tacos were special indeed. Very packed and slightly sweet which is refreshing from typical mole that has more of an earthiness to it. These were rich and very satisfying. These are wonderful, especially with the horchata they make.

The carne asada had just a hint of smoke and on occasion were juicy but for the most part were bordering on being a little dry. Though not my favorite in LA, I could hit these just about anytime.

As I said before, the tacos aren't that cheap. Ranging between $2 to $3 a taco it could get a little pricey if you're trying to go there when you could eat a small donkey, but those tacos are really packed and packed with good ingredients. There is parking too which is another miracle for Sunset. The final kicker is...they deliver! So next time you're partying on the Strip remember these tacos to send you on your way.

Free refills: On the soda yes, on the horchata no (I badly wish they did though).
Entree Price Range: Instead of quoting things...HERE'S THE MENU

The Spanish Kitchen ... midweek treat

826 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310)659-4794
Lunch: Mon-Sun 11AM-4PM
Dinner: Mon-Sun 6PM-1:30AM

With all this bustle to get ready for Thanksgiving I'm offering a reprieve right before the battle throwdown. A tradition of sorts, that for me at least is very Californian, is Taco Tuesday. Who designated this day of the week to offer up cheap tacos? The world may never know, but one such addition to the legions of taquerias is The Spanish Kitchen in West Hollywood.

For the size of the tacos and what's in them, their blanket price of $2 a taco is excellent. I mean, where else can you get lobster taco's for that much? Plus, they have some fun with their tacos. And hey, if you're going to have a selection of 13 tacos, you kinda HAVE to get creative.

Pictured above are the beer battered shrimp, shrimp with pesto (which ended up a stand out from the meal), grilled salmon and snapper.

Here's two of their steak tacos which we both loved. Nice quality meat and NO fat to chew on.

On this plate, first is the lobster (try it with the roasted pepper salsa), then beer battered white fish, two chicken tacos (the ONLY disappointment... please save yourself from blandness and don't order them, cause everything else was rockin), chorizo and potato (yum), and last but certainly not least the BBQ pork. The BBQ pork taco is rightly one of their signature dishes and is what I would go again and again to get by itself it was so tasty!

One tip I'd give as far as the ordering process. If you want to order a lot (max per person is 6), have them bring them to you 2 or 3 at a time so they don't get cold. That was our one bummer of the evening.

There's a bunch of salsas to choose from...none of them too hot and ALL of them flavorful, so be sure to mix it up. AND, if somehow the tacos aren't enough for you and you need some rice and beans, they've got you covered for just a little extra with a plate of good traditional Spanish rice and black beans. Plus, if you care to wash down your food with Sangria (or even go with friends and share a pitcher), theirs is quite nice(all flavor, no burn) and reasonably priced. So have fun guys and enjoy the holiday!

Refills: No, but they've got a great bar that's not overpriced
Price: $2 Taco Tuesdays

Malo (An improvised Cinco De Mayo meal or East Side Love is Living on the West End)

4326 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323)664-1011
Sun-Mon 6PM-10PM
Tues-Thurs 6PM-11PM
Fri-Sat 6PM-12AM (Bar open until 2AM)
Happy Hour: Mon-Sun 5PM-7PM

Lately I've been finding myself working much harder and getting up much earlier on the weekend. A deadly combination for a musician. I would say roughly that my weekends have consisted of me getting up at around 5AM... sigh. Shockingly though it has been to get to gigs, so I should never complain. Though a musician may have to work odd hours, he still can be successful as long as he is happy at what he's doing. I'm happy... most of the time. What's more important is that even when I don't have happiness I still have joy that can't really be taken away. My friends know what I mean.

I had 2 gigs on Saturday morning. One in Costa Mesa which went fabulously. I got to really let out a lot. Not to mention I got to see some very dear old friends of mine. The second one was in Rancho Santa Margarita and went well cause I was playing with an old friend of mine. The second gig got me getting back into LA around 5ish and starting to sit in traffic for the first time today which was incredible considering it was Cinco De Mayo and the De La Hoya fight was on that night. Me and Celeste called up our girl Ashley to see how she was doing. She was painting her place that day and so we swung by and helped her with some touchups. We then went for tacos cause "why not... it's Cinco De Mayo". We cruised Sunset when we passed Malo and Ashley was like oh we should totally hit there. Being that she live in Echo Park and she knows the owner cause she DJ's at the other two clubs that the owner owns (Spaceland and the Echo) we knew we could trust her.

When you walk in you're treated to a lovely view:

Love the goats!

They popped us down along the wall and we ordered up. We got a two 3-taco plates (one with tacos al pastor and the other carne asada), two different salsas (burnt habanero & creme and tomatillo & avocado), an order of oxacan shrimp, a side of rice and a side of black beans. The food came out quickly and we scarfed. The details: the shrimp was killer...big meaty shrimp that were saucy/spicy (on the addicting side), the tacos al pastor were awesome...plenty of flavor and super tender, the carne asada tacos were decent (a little dry but they were at least pretty tender), the salsas were both insanely good. The tomatillo was great with the carne asada and the habanero was sadisticly good. You want to eat more and more but the more you eat the hotter you get. Thankfully it was more of an after burn as all good habanero sauces are so that you can actually enjoy your food. We initially just warmed our mouths up with lots of chips and the salsas. So good!





Malo is a scene place. You go there with your friends and grab a quick bite but stay for awhile. Here's a shot of the bar side of the restaurant.

I'll be so glad when I move to Echo Park this year. When I came from the East Coast and was living in the projects it was still a community. Where I live now in my apartment complex it seems people make an effort to not know their neighbors and it's sad. Whenever I go to Echo Park or Silverlake I feel like I'm back home... minus the people who decided to use our back porch as a "get high spot". But even that had it's charms. Don't forget this Thursday night if you want to meet me and have some good burgers hop on over to the Mint at 8PM!

Free Drink Refills: Don't know, don't think so(but they put cucumber in their water... good for the cooling effect), but if you're into tequila they've got over 150 different types...psycho!
Entree Price Range: Taco plates are about $6 and entree ranges from $10 to $15

Music Venue Food/ Breakfast: The Brite Spot

1918 Sunset Blvd.

Echo Park, CA 90026

(213) 484-9800

Everyday from 7AM-4AM

Since 1949, the Brite Spot has been there. Like anything old and reliable you can tend to take it for granted and yet if this place were gone there would be a great hole in LA. The food while not rated as the most amazing (though it does have some tasty dishes that you'll have to guess through their vast menu) it has a special quality about just being there. The place is located a couple of short blocks from The Echo in Echo Park where you can catch amazing shows by many of tomorrow's biggest names.

So why do I say eat hear? Cause everyone does. The food is pretty cheap especially if you catch a breafast special after a show (all breakfast specials cost $5.50 after 10PM) and it's like the "Cheers" of Echo Park. You just go there and grab food with friends because everyone does (can you say peer pressure...come on everyone's doing it). It's as simple as that. Can I tell you that you'll get the best food ever...nope. Can I tell you that everyone and there gramma goes there for a cheap meal that causes many a great conversation...I can.

I'd recommend the chilaquiles with chorizo or the amazing huevos rancheros. They have hearty pancakes that look like they came off a lumberjacks griddle. The staff is super cool (even to the point of causing some notorious stories themselves)! It really is our own version of Cheers just minus the bar, the bartenders, the steps that lead downstairs, the Boston weirdos, the fat guy who everyone knows his name, that wannabe nerdy mailman, blah, blah, blah. We're LA...everything is better here.

A small word on The Echo...go there. Especially on the HellYa nights. It's usually super cheap or free and you can catch many great acts that'll be huge tomorrow. Say Hi to the spunky shorter dj if you do.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: Cheap...such a varitable menu and yet I can say to anyone that the price range is just plain old cheap for anyone's pocket.

Going Away But Close: Old Country Coffee Shop

32019 Holiday Ln

Running Springs , CA 92382

(909)867-3100

Sun-Thurs 6AM-8:30PM

Fri-Sat 6AM-9PM

When I'm not writing for you guys, I'm typically going to or performing at a gig somewhere. I play bass for various recording artists. With that in mind, I go to places that take me out of LA...I know shocking isn't it? This last weekend I was performing with recording artist Evan Wickham up in Big Bear. Whenever I go up there I always make it a habit to stop into this quaint little place by the name of "Old Country Coffee Shop". While the name doesn't do much for me the food certainly does!

In LA it's darn near impossible to find a diner that is good and has prices that are like old-school cheap diner prices (we do have some though in LA which we'll be covering soon). This place delivers the goods when you want breakfast (served all day) or Mexican which is oh so tasty as well. Nothing extravagant on the menu but for breakfast is that really what you want to do first thing in the morning? The staff is always top notch, happy help that keep an eagle eye on your table and the food is a slice of home for you.

As you can see:

SUPER CHEAP(and yes that's for two people)!

Located just off the 18 on your way up to any of the Big Bear areas it's worth your while to hop in and return to what diners used to be...when we had them.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: $3 to $13

Alfredo's Grill

8310 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, California 90048-4311
ph: 323.782.4922
7:00am-9:00pm 7 days a week


When searching for a place on Sunday for brunch or breakfast you will often come across two things; too many people and typical breakfast food.

Alfredo's is a safe haven against this. Typically I run there with my wife Celeste on Sundays. Why is this place so special? Quite simply, the food is different...in the best kind of way. The breakfast enchiladas are to die for and the meals come with delicious bread served with fresh strawberry slices in a sauce. I can't tell you enough how good it tastes. You just have to try it for yourself. The food is generally on the healthy side, but that does not mean that it's lacking in the flavor department... in fact it's quite the opposite. I love their Arnold Palmers...they use a different type of iced tea that makes a world of difference. They've got fast attentive service, which makes sense since the place is not on the big side. Street parking is usually available and there is, like I said before, almost never ever a wait which is unusal for this part of town on the weekend. If you like to shop and look at stuff that can be laughably expensive this is also the area to do it!

I'll now introduce something that matters to me at restaurants... the matter of refills. Free refills used to be pretty standard...now many places have adopted using either canned soda or charging per soda (bars excluded cause I understand that's how they operate). Why be so cheap...I don't even want to hear it! Ok, but enough about that. So look at the end of my posts for this important factor. This is also where you can find the price ranges. Sooooo...

Free Drink Refills: Yes (and fast)
Price Range: $8 to $13