Normally I tend to steer clear of street food. Mainly for obvious reasons, cleanliness being my biggest issue. However when I heard that the grilled cheese truck was going to be parked outside of Bigfoot Lodge in Los Feliz this past weekend, I could resist.

Well I was not alone. The truck was outside the bar from 7-10pm and when I arrived at 8:45, there was a pretty long line. It took about a 1/2 hour to order and receive my grilled cheese.

They have a pretty small menu with a few signature items and simple grilled cheeses with the choice of many additional items. My melt was on french bread with brie, caramelized onions and avocado. It was well worth the 30 minute wait. The sweet onions went amazing with the brie cheese and the avocado was cooked to melty perfection. A friend of mine ordered a side of tater tots which I then preceded to pilfer and dipped in spicy chipotle sauce. Yum!

The truck travels to different locations each week. I would definitely check them out if they’re in your area.

Check out their website http://www.thegrilledcheesetruck.com/ to see where they’ll be parked!

I originally went to Masa with every intention of ordering a panini. I’d checked out the menu online beforehand and was all ready to order before I even sat down.

However, my very helpful server then announced the specials. Masa specializes in deep dish pizza, but their special on the night I went was a thin crust pizza with sun-dried tomato goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil and a variety of other cheeses. The server mentioned that it paired well with a bottle of their reisling, all for the low price of $35.00. He did such a great job describing it and even though I wasn’t in the mood for pizza, I forgot all about the avocado and carmelized onion panini I’d been thinking about and ordered the special.

My dining companion and I first started with a mixed greens salad. It was fine but very mildly dressed with their house dressing. The dressing itself was good, there just was barely any on the salad. We asked for more dressing and later discovered we were charged for it. A very small fee (so monetarily not a big deal) but sort of annoying on principal. As someone who’s worked in restaurants, extra dressing isn’t really something you charge for unless the patrons want  an entire vat of it. Nonetheless, a very minor complaint in an otherwise great meal.

As for the main course, the pizza was quite tasty. The goat cheese wasn’t too strong but added a bit of tangyness to the pizza. The wine was paired nicely  as well. It was not really what I would expect of a reisling (not especially sweet) but I enjoyed it and it was very easy to drink.

Overall, great service and food. Next time I go, I’ll try not to get distracted by the specials!

1800 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

213-989-1558

Located at the corner of Alvarado and Sunset Blvd, I’ve passed by this little Italian restaurant several times. It doesn’t look too promising from the outside. Dark, no parking, your typical hole in the wall.

However, I’d heard some pretty promising things about it, so I decided to check it out this past weekend. Upon walking in (after I’d finally found some street parking) I was immediately set at ease. It’s an old school seemingly family owned Italian restaurant. It smells amazing and everyone was really friendly and helpful.

Since the name of this place is “Pizza Buona” you’d think I would have tried the pizza, but alas I went with pasta. I was in the mood for something simple so I ordered spaghetti with garlic and olive oil. It was amazing. It’s incredibly flavorful and so much more than I expected. My boyfriend ordered Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli which was also delicious. We’re both pretty particular about our Alfredo sauce: I hate it if it’s too thick and he hates it if it’s watery. This Alfredo was the perfect median!

All the pasta dishes come with a small salad and garlic bread. Both were fine, nothing particularly special but are nice to have with your meal. Also, the dishes are quite large. At $8-$12 each you’ll definitely have leftovers.

My only negative comment: stay away from the tiramisu. Tiramisu is one of my favorite Italian desserts, so I had guessed it would be amazing here. However, the ladyfingers were soggy and the whole piece was far too soaked in rum. I was finished with it after two bites.

On the way out we spied some people eating their pizza which looks so good. I’m already planning my next trip to try it!

Pizza Buona

2100 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

(213) 413-0800

As a former inhabitant of Allston MA, I was curious to see what the Allston Yacht Club in Echo Park CA was all about. It certainly has an Allston MA feel with a bit of a hipster crowd and staff. However, the place itself (unlike Allston) is really nice.

A small place with a handful of tables, really comfortably leather chairs and interesting art work, I was definitely surprised to find this gem in Echo Park. It has a great vibe. The servers are attentive but leave you alone if you want to take your time.

Initially I just went in to order a drink or two. I started with a cocktail called Lena’s Holiday, composed of Vodka, St. Germain, Cucumber, Pear and Ginger. It was decent but really just tasted like cucumber instead of an actual cocktail. However, their beer on tap is great. The two beers are both locally brewed in California. One is light and super easy to drink and the other is a rather strong IPA.

In terms of food, I was excited to see that this is a tapas place! They have a bunch of small plates all ranging from about $5-9. I tried the brussel sprouts and the broccolini. The brussel sprouts were amazing, cooked down in balsamic vinegar, making them very tender (I’ve had them at other restaurants where they’re tough and bitter). The broccolini (or baby broccoli) was also delicious and cooked with thinly shaved garlic. The two plates don’t exactly make up a meal, but this is a great place to go to if you want something small to eat with a drink (that’s not typical bar food) or if you’re with a group and can order a bunch of the plates.

I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other dishes such as the Arancini which is deep fried mushroom risotto. This is definitely a place worth checking out if you’re ever in Echo Park.

1320 Echo Park Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 481 0454
Dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5:30
Brunch Sunday 10-3