The Militant's Mess Hall: Born On A Bayou (Grille)

The Militant discovered he hadn't blogged all March so he figured he'd give you a two-fer today.

As you may or may not know, the Militant spent his Wednesday in Inglewood, trying to find meaning in some street named Arbor Vitae, because the Militant is such a street geek like that. Of course, he got a little hungry and making his way back to the Central area of Los Angeles where his compound lies, he decided to forgo the freeway and take the surface streets (as usual).

As he drove north on La Brea, he noticed something, the abundance of unique, non-chain restaurants along the corridor. There's the expected soul food joints (and certainly some of those might be definitely all that) but there were a few Caribbean eateries, and an esoteric joint called The Crab Pit, which hawks not the expected seafood, but its Killer Turkey Taco.

So here we go, all you foodies [Turns on megaphone] [Feedback squeals] Oh sorry about that.

ATTENTION FOODIES: THE LA BREA CORRIDOR IN INGLEWOOD IS AN UNDISCOVERED FOODIE WONDERLAND! GO FOR IT!

The Militant decided to descend on one such place on La Brea to feast on. It's one of those places he's heard of before that he's never had the opportunity to check out.

The place is called Bayou Grille, on the corner of La Brea and 64th Place, boasting, "Authentic New Orleans Taste."

If you've been reading the Militant Angeleno recently, last month, in covering New Orleans locales in Los Angeles (Putting the 'MA' in Mardi Gras, Feb. 26), the Militant mentioned a couple places where some good New Orleans-style food can be found. But at the time he hadn't been here, so he left Bayou Grille out of his post. According to the woman at the counter, the place has been around for 11 years.

One of the Militant's fondest (sober) memories during his visit to New Orleans during an unspecified year in the last decade was having an oyster po-boy sandwich in a restaurant called Mother's in the downtown area. The bread was on point - slightly crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, the fried oysters were perfectly breaded and likewise internally soft. It was like...wow.

The Militant searched high and low for something equivalent here in his hometown, but couldn't find it. The oysters were good but the bread wasn't right. Or vice-versa. Or he had the po-boy at the Gumbo Pot in Farmer's Market. The Militant was afraid that he would have to echo the classic utterance of transplants: "You just can't find decent _____ food out here."

Thankfully, he tried the Louisiana Oyster Po'Boy at the Bayou Grille ($7.29, 6").

Like, whoa. WHOA!

They got it. It was like the Militant was on Poydras St. again.

He washed it down with some Southern-style sweet tea (pre-sweetened iced tea, that is), which was only $1.50 (and free refills...lagniappe indeed!)

That was awesome. But what's even more awesome is their rather complete Louisiana creole menu: jambalaya, etoufee, file gumbo and boiled crawfish (Saturday and Sunday only). The prices are fairly reasonable compared to other New Orleans-style eateries in town. The Militant is definitely returning here!

The Militant was only one of seven customers inside, but this was a weekday afternoon. Apparently it gets rather crowded here during the weekends (must be that crawfish...). It's order-at-the-counter and sit-down style. It didn't take the Militant long to get his food and the lady behind the counter was cool and graciously thanked the Militant for the props he gave the place as he asked for a "Thank You" frequent customer card (your meal on your 10th visit is free!).

Okay, the Militant can spot a few of you out there (yes, you...and you...no, not you...you're cool...and you) with serious xenophobic reservations about Inglewood, with preconceived images of ghettoes and gangstas and stuff like this. The Militant's basic urban philosophy of people's perception being greater than reality hindering their knowledge of their City notwithstanding, the Militant has snapped this photo of the neighborhood just around the corner from Bayou Grille:
[sarcasm]As you can see it's a hideously ugly, blight-filled ghetto with run-down housing project buildings, crack-addicted homeless dudes sleeping in the streets, prostitutes hanging out in the corner, zero green space and several gangbangers pointing their AK-47s directly at the Militant [/sarcasm]. Puh-lease.

So yes, to say it again, the La Brea Ave. corridor in Inglewood (from Slauson in the north to Century in the south) is the undiscovered foodie frontier (are you listening, WeEatz.com blog?). And if they won't tackle it, the Militant will!

Bayou Grille
1400 N. La Brea (at 64th Pl.)
Inglewood
310. 673.0824

Open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 12 noon to 6 p.m.

Free street parking or take (M) local bus 212 (Sorry, the nearby Crenshaw/LAX Light Rail Line is gonna take a while...).

Item: Louisiana oyster po-boy ($7.29); Sweet tea ($1.50)

Taco Thursday: Kike's - Politically-Incorrect Al Pastor?

Welcome to the Militant's Taco Thursday (gee, the Militant sure loves these special series things, doesn't he...), where the Militant Angeleno will highlight a taco joint (be it building, cart, truck or stand) in Los Angeles.

Taco stands are a regular fixture in this City, but those of you who have driven to or from Downtown Los Angeles via the 2nd Street Tunnel at night may or may not have seen a particular stand, under the lights of the Downtown skyline, on an empty parking lot on 2nd Street and Beaudry Avenue that would catch your eye.

"KIKE'S TACOS"

You might have thought, "WTF?!" or "No way" or "Did I just see what I just saw?" or even an "Oy Vey!"

A taco stand with the same name as a dated slur used against Jewish people might be very odd, especially in a city as culturally diverse as this one (which, despite its historical bouts of tension between various groups, is still miles ahead of the rest of the country, which is still fascinated with the played-out white vs. black racial dichotomy, yawn...). Even more suspect is the fact that it stands on a street named after a wealthy merchant and former mayor who was once known for his anti-semitic views.

But relax, the Militant asked what was up, and discovered it's all a cultural misinterpretation. Like customs, mannerisms and traits, names and words can be construed in different ways, much like a Rorschach Test.

The taco stand is owned and operated by a gentleman named Enrique. In many Spanish-speaking countries, where people use nicknames as a term of endearment, the popular nickname of "Enrique" is "Quique" or "Kike" (both pronounced "KEE-kay"). So you see, "Kike's Tacos" really means "Enrique's Tacos" (The Militant is sure there's another "Enrique's" or "Quiques" somewhere in town...).

And their tacos, they serve the popular carne asada, pastor and pollo varieties, but also serve chorizo, buche (fried pork stomach) and lengua (beef tongue) as well. A little on the greasy side, but sometimes you need that grease to be tasty. Best of all, they're all for the right price of $1 each! Can't beat that!

Kike's Tacos is there Sunday-Thursday from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight, and Friday and Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to around 2 a.m. Late night taco fix? Not much cash? Drop by Kike's sometime...just remember to pronounce it correctly.

The Militant's Mess Hall: We Want (Kogi) Ta-cos! Clap! Clap! ClapClapClap!

Much has been said about the Los Angeles mobile food sensation known as Kogi. So much, that the Militant need not repeat what's already been said (or even re-tweet what's been on Twitter). But one thing he needs to say is that he's a Kogi late bloomer, and didn't get the opportunity to try one of them Korean-style tacos until Thursday night.

After relishing in the post-NBA Finals Game 1 Lakers victory (Whatup, all you Laker fans! Caaannn yoooouuu digg itt?!?), the Militant decided to take a bike ride for an unspecified distance and celebrate by partaking in all that is Kogi tacos. After all, aren't tacos synonymous with wide-margin Laker wins? It was a night of Kobe and Kogi, in other words.

He learned via Twitter that one of the trucks, "Roja" would be parked at Silver_Lake(r)'s 4100 Bar on Sunset. Fearing an onslaught of hipsters (especially anticipating a long line of 'em while waiting for his tacos) the Militant brought some protective gear.

When he got there, he discovered he needen't need the gear, as the line was only about five deep, and it was just a bunch of different kinds of folks more or less in the Militant's age bracket. Phew on both counts!

So the Militant ordered two Korean short rib tacos, one Korean spicy pork taco; a kimchi quesadilla and a Korean short rib burrito to go for one of the Militant's unspecified siblings.

Fearing his identity might be revealed, the Militant left the scene and headed back to his compound to consume his provisions.

The tacos were mighty tiny! But smelled amazing. It was like a whole new world. Yes, the Militant has had Korean food before, but not packaged like this. He took a good whiff of the tacos and the quesadilla before chowing down.

The Militant really wanted to see if Kogi is worth the hype. The Miltant can confirm that, yes it is (especially since he only had to wait all but 5 minutes from getting in line to getting his order, though the line grew to 18 deep by the time he left).

One little complaint; Kogi seems to pride itself in its Korean BBQ meats. After all, the name is a variant of "bulgogi." But the little tacos (pictured, right) are so covered in cilantro, onion, cabbage and spices that you hardly can taste the BBQ. Well you can, but the spicy pork and short rib tacos kinda tasted indistinguishable. They were still good though!

Same with the quesadilla. The cheese seemed too overpowered by the kimchi. Which is not to say that a kimchi quesadilla doesn't work, maybe they just need more cheese in there! Again, not bad stuff at all! Just nitpickin' here! The kimchi sauce and sesame seed on the outside is a nice touch though.

Despite that, the roving Korean taco truck has officially gained a new fan in the Militant. But mostly because of what it stands for. This is true fusion cuisine, and best of all you don't have to sit down in a hyper-pretentious upscale eatery to try it. It's street food, after all! Also, while it's great that Los Angeles can take pride in its In-N-Outs and french dip sandwiches, the Kogi experience is something truly, uniquely Angeleno. Surely the concept has already been imitated, and it's only a matter of time before you can find Korean tacos out in Queens (of course, they won't be as good), it's great to know that the concept originated right here, and that we're pioneers in this high-tech, mobile, multicultural fusion cuisine revolution.

It can't get any more real Los Angeles than that. Savor it, Angelenos.

Kogi
Locations vary; two taco trucks, "Roja" and "Verde" operate simultaneously in different parts of town.
http://twitter.com/kogibbq

Open Tuesday-Saturday

Items: Korean short rib taco ($2); Korean spicy pork taco ($2); kimchi quesadilla ($5)

The Militant's Mess Hall: Whatup, Homegirl?

The Militant decided to kick off the new year with some new places to check out, and some changes.

First of all, the Militant's wannabe-foodie spinoff blog, The Militant Angeleno's Mess Hall, has proven to be an abyssmal failure, resulting in all but one post in all of 2008. The Militant hangs his head in shame. But the good news (at least for anyone who cares), is that instead of being a separate blog, the Mess Hall posts will now be integrated into This Here Blog, so the Mess Hall will now live on as an ongoing series of posts.

Eventually, the Militant will migrate the archived Mess Hall posts from the other blog into this one.

In accordance with the Militant's own New Year's Resolutions, he continues to cover eateries of note. Today he visits Homegirl Cafe's new digs, located right on the edge of Chinatown, along Alameda Street.

For those not in the know, Homegirl Cafe is a subsidiary of Homeboy Industries, which is an awesome Angeleno story unto itself.

Homeboy Industries was created circa 1992 in The Eastside's Boyle Heights by priest and native Angeleno Fr. Gregory Boyle, who started a unique enterprise to get rival gang members off the streets and into jobs. The whole deal was to give gangbangers job skills training, a steady income and something to look forward to as a way out of the thug life. The enterprise started by making tortillas and bread, then t-shirts, and eventually branching out to serve the homegurlz.

The first Homegirl Cafe opened in Boyle Heights, along with the rest of the Homeboy operation. But as the enterprise grew, there called a need for larger digs. The cafe is located on the ground floor of the new Homeboy Industries building.

Situated on the eastern edge of Chinatown along Alameda street, the new headquarters of Homeboy industries is perched at a symbolic location: Within sight of the notorious Twin Towers Detention Facility across the tracks, yet closer to both Chinatown, a place built on prosperity and mutual financial community support; and Union Station, a symbol of mobility and central hub of movement.

The building had long been a curious sight for the Militant every time he rode the Gold Line, in which its elevated tracks skirt its southern end.

This time, he got off at the Chinatown station and walked across the street. The place looks clean and modern, with works by artist Jose Ramirez adorning the walls. And on this Friday after New Year's, the lunchtime crowd was rather busy. He didn't feel slighted, though, as three other tables were waiting as well. But the wait wasn't as extraneous as we all eventually got service within a few minutes.

The Militant ordered the half Yuyu's Sandwich (Turkey with dulce de mango and chipotle, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and mayo) and cup of soup, which was arroz caldo (chicken rice soup). The soup really hit the spot on this chilly winter day, and the little bit of jalapeno chile in there was a nice kick. The sammich was divine, the mango preserve added a sweet touch, the chipotle added some spiciness and the ciabatta-style bread that surrounded the contents worked together in an amazing way.

One would blindly assume that a staff of 25 made up of former gangmembers and at-risk youth would give people some 'tude, but not so at all (Ergo, the Militant would much rather eat at a restaurant staffed by former gangbangers than wannabe actors any day). The young ladies that serve here at Homegirl are perhaps the nicest, most courteous and polite restaurant staff you could find, and the Militant recommends you tip generously. The Militant also noticed the servers get most, if not all of their take, as after he paid at the counter, the woman at the counter gave his server the full contents of his food purchase, saying to her, "Here, this is yours." The operation is a non-profit enterprise, so the overhead, the Militant assumes, is handled by grants and donations. They also offer catering services.

According to the Homegirl Cafe website, the cafe has an agreement with local restaurants Ciudad and Border Grill offering a job training program for Homegirl Cafe staff to work in those eateries. Cool deal. Homegirl Cafe is definitely worth a visit. Show your love, you your supports, show your appetites.

Homegirl Cafe
130 W. Bruno St. (at Alameda St.)
Downtown Los Angeles
323.526.1254

Open Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Breakfast served until 11 a.m.; all day on Saturday

Free parking in rear or take (M) Gold Line (Chinatown Station).

Item: Soup and half sandwich ($6.50)

One Hot Mess - The Militant Goes Food Blogging

Just when you thought the Militant was going to post "Night Rider, Part 3" and write about his Tuesday night bike ride to and from Mid-City (though he did make it there this Tuesday night in record time -- 33 minutes! (It takes him 20 minutes by car)), the Militant throws you a curve, stops by for some hot soup after biking in 45-degree weather and blogs about a pho joint in Koreatown. But not just any pho joint in Koreatown!

Read all about it in the Militant Angeleno's Mess Hall!

Spin-off time, Baby!

Find One Hundred Ways

Wow, lookie here. The Militant turns 100. Posts, that is! Yes, this here is the Militant's hundredth post. Of course, his rival guerrilla factions have chided him for celebrating his milestones, but hey, a Militant's gotta do what a Militant's gotta do. So, in true Hollywood fashion (the industry, not the community), the rest of this post will be comprised of clips showing the best moments from the Militant's past 100 posts...

[Reader 1: Oh, a clip show. This is gonna suck.]

[Reader 2: Majorly.]

Hey, who said that?

[Reader 1: I did, Commando Boy.]

[Reader 2: LOL!]

Who are you?

[Reader 1: I'm Reader 1, your worst critic.]

[Reader 2: And I'm Reader 2, I'm just doing this just to antagonize you.]

How'd you get in here?

[Reader 1: Uh...you may or may not want to know.]

[Reader 2: ROTFL! "May or may not!"]

What are you guys doing in my blog?

[Reader 1: AHA! He's broke his third-person character! He said "My!"]

[Reader 2: High Five!]

Okayokayokay, what do you want from the Militant?

[Reader 1: Reveal yourself, to the public.]

[Reader 2: Yeah!]

Hell no! The Militant's not going to do that...right now.

[Reader 1: So you will reveal yourself one day?]

He may or may not.

[Reader 1 and Reader 2: ROTFL!]

Okay, aside from that, what do you want from the Militant?

[Reader 1: Okay, you think you know everything about LA, right?]

Los Angeles.

[Reader 1: Yeah, whatever, Commando Boy. How many tunnels are there on the northbound 110?]

Uhh...three. Four. Five. There are five tunnels.

[Reader 1: EHHHHHH! Wrong, Commando Boy! There's FOUR!]

[Reader 2: You suck!]

Alright, okay, so you stumped the Militant. Now go get your own damn city blog.

[Reader 1 and Reader 2: WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE ONE ALREADY!!!]

Okay, it's time for you guys to go.

[Reader 1: Hahaha. Make me!]

[Reader 2: Yeah, make me!]

Hmm...Reader 2, you don't ever seem to have anything original to say. Are you just Reader 1's lackey?

[Reader 2: Uhh...no...]

[Reader 1: Yes you are.]

[Reader 2: No I'm not!]

[Reader 1: Remember when I told you to take a leak in the Militant's shaved ice dessert when he wasn't looking?]

WHAT?!?!? ACK!!! PFFFFFFTHHHHHHHHHHHHTTT!!!!

[Reader 2: Hey, that was my idea, ass-wad!]

[Reader 1: Who you calling ass-wad?]

[Reader 2: You are! And you haven't paid me in over a month! And the last check bounced!]

[Reader 1: B-b-but...]

[Reader 2: YOU suck. I wanted to be "Reader 1" but noooo...]

ROTFL! I love this. Okay suckas, time to say goodnight. Hey, what's this tab here? "Edit Html"

[Reade

Ahhhh, there we go. The Militant loves control...and you didn't see nothin'.

Change is Gonna Come

Okay, now that most of the Militant's 100th post has been wasted already, let's cut to the chase. Today, the Militant will take this opportunity to announce a couple new additions to this here blog, as he makes his way towards world domin...uh...heheh. The Militant means, as his blog evolves.

1. Ask The Militant!

Ever since the Militant got his first comment back in June, it felt like little Christmas presents under the tree. But beyond that petty selfish psychological need, he would like to do a greater service to all of Los Angelesdom. Or...blogdom. You know that the Militant is talking about. So in the tradition of Ask-A-Ninja (who isn't quite anonymous anymore), Strong Bad's E-Mail and to make a rather cheap attempt to capitalize on the absence of the Los Angeles City Nerd, the Militant will welcome any city-related questions from all you readers* out there in the interest of informing and/or entertaining (which probably means if the Militant cannot answer it, he'll at least make the response somewhat entertaining).

To ask the Militant a question, simply email the Militant at militantangeleno at gmail dot com (suck it, spambots!) with the Subject line: "Ask The Militant."

2. Coming Soon: Militant Angeleno's Mess Hall!

Yes, folks, it's a spin-off. Soon, the Militant will launch Militant Angeleno's Mess Hall, a food blog unlike any other. Okay, it's just a food blog - but from a decidedly Militant point of view. Read the first post to get an idea of what the food blog will cover. Of course, the Militant has his hands full with his various Militant activities, so this blog will be open to contributors with a blogger.com login. So far, fellow guerrilla factions The Hollywood Jedi and Miles of Miles Think have signed on as contributors. Email the Militant if you would like to contribute, along with a short paragraph or two explaining to the Militant why you deserve to be a contributor to the Mess Hall (Of course, if you're already a frequent reader*/commenter, you already get first dibs...).

*Except you, Reader 1 and Reader 2.