Blue vs. Orange?: The Inevitable LA vs. SF Post

As you know, this blog is San Francisco and Bay Area centered. But fun fact, I'm originally from a beach town in Los Angeles (Go Dodgers!) and have lived there a majority of my life. I did not, however, have my driver's license or identification indicating that I was 21 years old+ for most of this time. Thus, whenever I go back to LA, I try and explore the city.

This post will not get into a debate about what city is better (I just had to throw in that Dodger's plug. Go blue!). Both cities are awesome and have so much to offer, including.... drum roll please: burritos, beers, and bakeries.

On a recent trip down to LA, I decided that I was going to do some comparison tasting. The Los Angeles contenders:

Burrito: Leo's Tacos Truck

Beer: Three Weaver's Brewing Company

Bakery: Randy's Donuts

*Note, I had a Bay Area native, a San Diego native, and an LA native (myself) on this adventure, so I'm declaring it a California representative sample.

Stop #1: Randy's Donuts

If you know me at all, you know that I love donuts. You may also know that my usual order is the maple old fashioned, although I am also partial to the apple fritter. My favorite donut shop ever is Mary's Donuts, a small family run donuts shop, off the freeway in San Diego near my grandpa's house. I always go in my pajamas (yes, I'm in my 20s and still do this) with my Dad to get a large box for the whole family, personal orders included. But I digress... back to LA.

Randy's donuts is an iconic, old school, LA landmark that opened its doors in the 1950s, and was the obvious choice for our bakery stop.

Randy's makes a mean donut. We got a variety (for tasting purposes, of course): glazed, maple bar, chocolate old fashioned, apple fritter, and bear claw. These donuts were not fancy, they did not have maple bits or huckleberry perfume. They were simple and delicious. My favorite was the glazed and the apple fritter. The chocolate old fashioned tasted a little too much like cake to me, not quite the donut sensation I was looking for. Overall, some solid donuts, and I would definitely return.

 *Compare to: Bob's Donuts on Polk Street

Stop #2: Three Weaver's Brewing Company

Just down the street from Randy's in Inglewood, we headed to grab some afternoon beers. It was a beautiful, sunny day and this brewery fit the bill perfectly. There was an outdoor patio that flowed inside with a huge garage door, making it cool and airy. We grabbed a flight of everything they had on tap, because why not? We deserved it after a long hard Friday of taking off work, going for a run, and lounging at the beach.

Did I mention my Mom came with us? Cause, she totally did, tasting a wide variety of hoppy and malty beers. She preferred the lighter Pilsners and Pale Ale's, as predicted. I ordered my friend the Saison as she is generally not a beer drinker and I thought a lighter Belgian beer would suit her. I tried all of the beers, and enjoyed quite a few. My favorites were the Sassy Rye IPA and the Saison.

Overall, this is a place I would recommend. The atmosphere was great, it was easy to get to, and there were a few solid beers. However, LA craft breweries just don't compare to SF. Sorry LA, but it's true. We've got Russian River, Drake's, 21st Amendment, Anchor Steam... the list goes on. However, I will say that there is something to be said for enjoying a cool beer in the sunny 80 degree weather of LA, rather than the cool SF fog.

 Compare to: Drake's (more in terms of atmosphere and location than beer taste)

Stop #3: Leo's Tacos Truck

So, I'm cheating a little bit here. We got tacos, not burritos. I know, I know. But the reality is, LA is a taco city. Visiting a taco truck seemed like the right thing to do. I had a very difficult time picking a taco truck (THERE ARE SO MANY THAT LOOK SO GOOD). Leo's was known to have some delcious Al Pastor. Tender marinated pork? Count me in.

We pulled in to a gas station. Literally. This place is parked at a gas station on the corner of S. La Brea and Venice Blvd in Mid City. What is more LA than that? I was feeling pretty cool at this point.

We went up and ordered 3 tacos each. We were told that each taco was a dollar. WHAT! A dollar you say, we will have 5 each.

I got a variety: Lengua, Chorizo, 2 Al Pastor, and Carne Asada. These tacos were full of flavorful and tender meats, complimented by pickled veggies and salsa, on the side. My favorites were the Al Pastor and Lengua (Yes, Lengua is tongue. Just try it) . The salsas were pretty spicy, but it was so good, we couldn't stop eating. One more picture for good measure:

Overall, this was just the LA taco experience I was looking for. Was it better than an SF burrito? I can't answer that. It was totally different. These tacos felt much more authentic. There was a focus on simplicity. The San Francisco burrito wraps up so many delicious ingredients. But the rice, beans, guacamole, and cheese will sometimes overpower the delicious flavors of the meat.

Moral of the story, we demolished the tacos. Here are my friends, pre- getting back in line for horchata:

 *Compare to: El Farolito ( very different styles; but similar in terms of getting the "authentic" Mexican food experience of that city)

Conclusion

Really, the conclusion is that I was very full at this point (and a little tipsy from those beers). In case you didn't realize, we did these all in a row. Have I also mentioned that my capacity to eat is quite incredible?

Los Angeles is "the City of Angels". Today, these angels were named: Randy, Leo, and the Three Weavers.