to each their own. some people show up hoping for conversation with someone who won’t treat them like a homeless person more than for the food. others, it takes them years to open up and tell their story.
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I gotcha’. I’m not mocking your experience (the stabbing) at all. But that is the scary theme that runs thru my mind constantly. My stepson was attacked by a homeless man he had just helped. It resulted in a trial. An elderly lady was attacked inside our local Ralphs three days ago by a homeless man she was helping. I’m preparing and dropping off food to hungry folks at a unorganized street encampment. Nourishment for people and self-protection is my main goal, not conversation. And they seem pretty happy, so…
I don’t get critiquing how people give. Just give!
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everyone has a different comfort level. i’d be much more apprehensive doing this downtown. my circumstances are definitely unique. the homeless who regularly show up are actually much more respectful if not downright protective of me now. for the first four months after the incident, one person appointed themselves my personal bodyguard and stayed within 5 feet of me the entire time and never took his eyes off the area behind me. it’s a large part of why i keep doing it, actually. my continuing to do this has earned me a level of credibility & trust it probably would taken decades to achieve.otherwise. last night a guy told me his real name - after about 3 years. he finally felt i could be trusted with it. his rationale scenario - you give your name out to a homeless person, they’ll offer it up as a ‘snitch’ when they get jammed up by the police looking for a suspect for a crime they’re trying to solve.
getting back to food - they’re probably happiest with pizza, but i’ve chosen to provide a home cooked hot meal of modest means with an eye towards basic nutrition. my experiences with donated food have been hit and miss, especially when they want a writeoff. i once got a tray of pasta from a local caterer where pasta was so overcooked the homeless refused to eat it - as did i. but if you complain, no one will contribute. OTOH, i’ve got one guy who routinely contributes a bag of beans and a bag of rice and that’s what he’s content to have as long as i make them. (some hispanics have told me that my beans are as good as the ones their grandmothers make,that’s gratifying. the secret is using enough cumin.) a surprising percentage refuse to eat pork. and will skip the main entree and just have rice & salad. there’s actually practicing vegetarians who appreciate my choice of legumes as a protein source and they come for that. i have no doubt it’s very different from group to group…
my goal is to try and help those who want to be helped. i understand that i might be enabling a percentage of them. just as long as i’m not enabling all of them to stick to choices that has them in their current situations, i’m making progress.
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That sounds really amazing, what you do. I never talk to anyone. I’ve worked through a tiny non-profit, where you sign up for a particular date, then drop off the food at the park near skid row, or on another street. They have tables set up, and a few guys help empty my car of the food, I donate $20 to help with the plates, forks, napkins, then I’m free to go.
Baked garnet yams were a huge hit one time. I brought a couple jars of sambal oelek as a condiment and people apparently really liked it.
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what you do is very valuable. truth be told, as much as i love cooking, i know i need to devote more time and effort in recruiting and being more active soliciting support/resources and delegate food prep/provision to others if we’re going to expand. but enough about me; perhaps you might consider asking if there’s more you can do with the group you’re a part of. it’s a weird dynamic - speaking as someone who’s been involved in the leadership/management of a number of volunteer organizations with a philanthropic bent, the natural thinking is: we’re lucky to be getting people to do this much and that makes us reluctant to make any sort of extra demands. but i’ve discovered that those who want to help can be asked for more and more often than not, they respond quite positively. the point is that if you are in this category and would like to do more, you may want to consider initiating a dialogue because they may be afraid to do so.
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Update 1:
We were curious to see how Alta Adams was progressing after the early opening period.
It seems Alta Adams has found its stride in terms of being embraced by the local community, as during each of these next 4 visits, it’s always been at capacity, sometimes with a few groups waiting for a table as well.
It’s good to know Chef Keith Corbin is still helming the kitchen, doing the grilling and plating. We overheard him mention to some other customers that he takes one weeknight off, but otherwise is here at Alta Adams cooking and adding new recipes. Owner-Chef Daniel Patterson was nowhere to be seen on these subsequent visits, but it’s understandable since the majority of his restaurants are up in S.F.
Deviled Eggs:
Chef Corbin’s Deviled Egg recipe has remained the same since the Grand Opening period: Still creamy, perhaps a bit more on the Mayo side than Mustard side, with a bit of heat from Paprika.
Fried Chicken:
On this 3rd visit, their Fried Chicken was still about the same as before: A thicker, slightly crunchy batter, but a touch on the greasy side and salty. Passable.
Grilled Fish of the Day - Pacific Rockfish:
Totally unexpected, Chef Corbin knocked it out of the park, serving a perfectly grilled Pacific Rockfish he got in that day. It was moist, tender, flaky and was just cooked through. A good sign when grilling with live fire on that mesquite charcoal grill. The flavor of the Grilled Fish was also nice, clean flavors, bright, some good Salt and Pepper and a Housemade Vinaigrette-type of finisher, the hit of acidity helping brighten the dish up. 
Green Beans Simmered in Spicy Tomato Sauce:
Mac & Cheese:
Still as delicious as before: Chef Corbin’s take on the comfort food of Macaroni & Cheese results in a lighter, but still cheesy, creamy version. The aerated Cheese & Cream is a unique touch that lends a feeling of airiness to a usually heavy dish, while still imparting what you love about a good Mac & Cheese. 
Oxtails & Rice:
Hearing about @PorkyBelly’s woes during their Grand Opening period had us worried. Thankfully it looks like the kitchen might have straightened out their consistency issues in some ways, as there was plenty of their Miso Gravy, and the Oxtails were tender and succulent. They were tied with the Grilled Pacific Rockfish for Dish of the Night!
Grilled Pork Collar (Chow Chow):
Another surprise, their Grilled Pork Collar takes what might be viewed as a simple, basic dish and elevates it, with deft live fire grilling by Chef Corbin, lending a nice char and some smokiness to the Pork Collar, as well as the bright flavors coming through the Chow Chow relish. There’s natural sweetness (from the Tomatoes), some tartness, a touch of acid, and it just complements the Grilled Pork Collar’s savoriness.
Red Beans & Rice:
Good earthiness, tasting like a well-made version of this Southern classic.
BBQ Cauliflower:
While now being used in many eateries as a sort of meat substitute, Chef Corbin’s version stands on its own, smoky and with pleasing texture as he grills a large slab of Cauliflower over mesquite charcoal, and then brushes it with a Housemade BBQ Sauce to finish things off. It’s tasty as a side dish or main dish, and it was one of our friend’s favorite dish of the evening. 
Black Eye Pea Fritters (Herb Dipping Sauce):
Nicely fried, with a good crunch. The Black Eye Pea Fritters and Herb Dipping Sauce combo is great.
Sock It To Me Cake:
The curiously named Sock It To Me Cake is Chef Corbin’s take on his Grandma’s recipe. He explains that she used to make this for him growing up and he made a version for Alta Adams as a tribute. This was a nice moist Butter Cake. It had classic, familiar flavors, and tasted like something you might eat when visiting Grandma. 
Vanilla, Cinnamon, Sugar, Moist Cake. Joy.
Another Visit:
Deviled Eggs:
Still as consistent as before.
Kale, Avocado & Grapefruit Salad (Ginger Dressing):
A thoughtful, healthy and tasty combination of Kale, Avocado and Grapefruit. The Fennel was a great way to liven things up (along with the sweet-bitter Grapefruit and bright citrus notes).
Oxtails & Rice:
Wonderful again. Long-stewed morsels of tender Oxtail in Chef Corbin’s elevated take on the classic Oxtails & Rice he grew up with, but with a hint of Miso and Soy. (@TheCookie)
Fried Chicken:
One nice improvement we saw with this 5th visit was that Chef Corbin’s Fried Chicken is improving. The batter is much more consistently coating the Chicken, it’s not as greasy as the early versions of this dish. It’s also not as salty. It is good Fried Chicken, but still doesn’t approach legendary status like Howlin’ Ray’s. Still, if you’re craving Fried Chicken and in the neighborhood, this is a good version to try.
Coconut Cake:
Like a moist Pound Cake. Simple, homely, but fitting here.
Another Visit:
Cornbread with Honey Butter:
Another dish that has improved over time, Chef Corbin and staff now serve their Housemade Cornbread warm (as opposed to room temperature during the Grand Opening). That warmth with some of the Honey Butter made this one of the best dishes this evening.
California Gumbo (with Spring Vegetables, Okra Stew, Rice):
Chef Corbin mentioned wanting to serve something vegan for some of his customers requesting a vegan main, so this California Gumbo was created. First, to get this out of the way, if you think of “Gumbo” when taking a bite, you will be disappointed. There is very little resemblance to many of the Gumbos I’ve tried over the years, but I’m not an expert.
It was made for certain customers’ request, and when viewed as a “Vegetable dish,” it’s better, but still feels a bit lacking. The Okra Stew portion is nice, I really liked the Vegetable medley. There’s a touch of heat and vinegar tartness, but it lacks another flavor dimension to evoke “Gumbo.” I miss the Shellfish and Sausage / Ham / Chicken. We probably wouldn’t order this again.
Collard Greens (Vinegar, Smoked Oil):
Smoky, nice char on the grill, and the inside revealed nicely cooked-through chopped Collard Greens, tender from the grilling heat and with just the right amount of Vinegar and Oil.
Fried Chicken:
Thankfully Alta Adams is retaining that improved execution in their Fried Chicken. Still with a thick, slightly crunchy batter, it is moist and tender Chicken within.
Oxtails & Rice:
We noticed new staff on this visit, with Chef Corbin teaching them on the line, pointing out improvements and giving them tips. This probably explains the Oxtails & Rice on this visit:
It was still nicely stewed, wonderfully tender, fall-off-the-bone, beautiful textures with plenty of Gravy, but it was a touch too salty. It wasn’t inedible, but definitely saltier than any of the previous 5 visits. We mentioned this to the kitchen, so we’ll see if the new staff takes that feedback hopefully.
The one glaring weak spot with Alta Adams is its service. It seems that they might be taking the same philosophy as Locol in Watts (their spiritual predecessor, also from Chef-Owner Daniel Patterson), in hiring and training local people from the neighborhood and empowering them. This is a noble gesture, but in all of our visits, the waitstaff feel like they are very much amateurs, not really understanding the basics of good restaurant service. 
Water isn’t refilled. No one follows up to check on if we need any additional drinks, or anything else. On 2 of our visits, our server literally never returned to check on us after taking our order except at the very end for the check. Empty dishes and dirty plates are not removed, etc.
After a good half year plus, Alta Adams feels like it’s found its groove (except the service), creating a welcoming neighborhood restaurant serving elevated Soul Food with a lively atmosphere. While Chef Corbin is still there cooking in the kitchen, he can’t do everything by himself, and his help seems to have had some turnover. Thankfully, many dishes have actually been improving over time like their Cornbread with Honey Butter and Fried Chicken.
Their Grilled Fish of the Day has been a wonderful surprise, and the Grilled Pork Chop (Chow Chow) is another standout. Our favorite, the Oxtails & Rice, has been delicious and consistent for 5 of our visits, but our most recent one turned out too salty. Hopefully it was just an off night / Chef Corbin needing to watch over his new cooks more carefully. But as is, Alta Adams is a great local spot for some casual California Soul Food.
Alta Adams
5359 W Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Tel: (323) 571-4999
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YAY! I just heard from a neighbor who went recently and she also had very good things to say. To us, being on the other side of West Adams, I have been waiting a bit after a few ‘meh’ items at the Coffee Shop… We’ll head there soon…
LOL!!! If you are of a certain “Socio Economic background”… You darn well know Sock it to Me Cake… This one looks almost as good as the one at M’Dears on Western and 77th… My current go to since KMarts are far and few… LOL!!
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Ditto. So happy about this @Chowseeker1999! You should message them about that service though.
P.S. I Sock It To Me Cake.
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Thanks @Dommy! 
I hope you get to try Alta Adams soon.
And as a Mac & Cheese connoisseur, please report back on what you think of their interesting version of Mac & Cheese. I think you might like it.
I had never heard of Sock It To Me Cake before, but I liked Chef Corbin’s version (a tribute to his Grandma). I’ll let you and @TheCookie and others who might have tried it before report back on how it might compare. 
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Kentucky Buck & Kind of a Champagne Cocktail
The Kentucky Buck w/Eagle Rare Bourbon, Lemon, Strawberry, Ginger, Soda & Bitters is delicious. The Champagne Cocktail was a concoction made for me because they didn’t have the Blood Orange Bellini. 
I like this menu. It’s small but has something for everyone. Best part? An a la carte side of Fried Chicken! Oh and wasn’t someone looking for Avocado Toast for under $10?
Cornbread + Honey Butter
Mighty fine cornbread. Nice balance of corn, sweetness, savory and texture, not too crumbly or too dense & starchy.
Tartine Toast + Butter w/Flaky Salt + Jam
Good nooks & crannies.
Soft Scrambled Eggs + Shiitake + Leeks + Fried Potato
I asked for extra crispy potatoes and got ‘em. This is my kind of breakfast dish. All it needs is…
Grits!
Again w/the right balance of flavor, texture & creaminess.
Fried Chicken Thigh + Leg
Crispy, juicy, a little heat and a surprise punch of flavor like it’s brined with granulated chicken base @ebethsdad.
We ordered Black Eyed Pea Fritters @Chowseeker1999 even though they just seem wrong. 
The server forgot them and it was okay because we were pretty full.
Slice of Coconut Cake for Dad
Nice, moist, coconut, coconut cake.
We like Alta! Good comfort food that doesn’t weigh you down. In a spacious setting, a pretty patio & close to home.
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Exciting news at Alta!
Today I went to go pick up an order at Bar and Garden and meandered over there on Jefferson and back on Adams… the amount of construction… ACTIVE construction on those stretches is amazing. It’s been a good long while since I’ve gone past and as I was looking and down the streets… I noticed that at the Adams Coffee Shop, attached to Alta… they put a sign that they were selling wine!! I needed to get back home for a meeting, but I made a mental note out of it… and looked them up… And YES. They converted into a Wine Shop… that also sells coffee AND is open until 9p!
https://www.instagram.com/adamswineshop/
Days open however are Thursday-Sunday… But still… I was super excited as a legit wine shop is what has long been missing in the area… I love Bar and Garden and will continue to be a loyal customer… but it has been a long while since I’ve really perused wine… online just isn’t the same…
So when P. wanted to pick up Mizlala for dinner (Still great… although the neighborhood has gone permit parking only… but there is a new crosswalk on Adams now…) and stopped by…
Inside was a small but well stocked shop! I carefully poured over all the bottles and soon Alta’s Sommelier, Ruben came to chat. He told us he curated the selection to especially feature Women and African American Winemakers. And these makers are all in some of my favorite regions… Alsace and Willamette Valley, in fact he had several bottles to choose from!
Another thing I was happy to see is that he had a well stocked cooler of wines! I love this, especially for a neighborhood wine shop… Sometimes I just want to pick spmething up last minute for a dinner party we are going to or dinner for ourselves. Having yummy wine that is ready to go and is not from Trader Joes is joy.
In addition to wine, they have a small but nice selection of Spirits and we noticed quite a few cookbooks on the wall (two set of shelves) and we were so thrilled they were to get a little more distribution and the word about NowServing! Usually people are about ‘helping’ our neighborhood… it’s nice that we get a chance to give a hand up to another wonderful business I really enjoy!
When we went to check out… We saw that they also were selling Ice Cream from Alta! It was so hard to just pick one…
We opted for Strawberry… were so stuffed from our dinner at Mizlala, that we just a small spoonful. Sadly it wasn’t as smooth and lucious as Antica. But the strawberry flavor was WOW. We look forward to trying the other flavors when we stop by.
Needless to say… it was quite the boozy day… in the best way possible… 
–Dommy!
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So happy that Adams Wine and Coffee Shop is featured on Good Food this weekend! Good episode.
–Dommy!
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Warrior: This was our second visit to Alta. I liked all aspects of the restaurant. The food was consistently good across the board. While I saw no attempt to innovate or elevate, all the dishes were well-prepared and tasty. The wine list was excellent. The patio was beautiful—one of the best in LA. Service was friendly and prompt. All in all, a nice meal.
Peony: I think this is a good restaurant for comforting food. I found the fried chicken juicy and tender. I liked the hot sauce for the chicken; it added flavor without being too spicy, so it’s the right sauce for people like me who can’t eat too spicy. The macaroni and cheese tasted good to me, though I’m not very experienced with how it should taste. I liked the consistency of the grits—not too runny or too firm—although the shrimp was average. Overall, nice meal in a lovely patio. Good service. We had a good time.
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Adams Wine Shop
Down to just the bottles we want to save… yep, time to go shopping! With pro help from the understated, excellent sommelier, Ruben, we purchased wines great for casual dinners of two & interesting enough for sharing w/friends.
They get you with that 10% off on Six …
@PeonyWarrior, they were out of the Brisat del Coster Blanco, but Ruben suggested its “little sister”, Petita Julieta… We’ll see.
While there I had a glass of this Ruhlmann Cremant d’Alsace Harmonie de Rosé and instantly became cheery that there was already one in my bag! It hits my sparkly sweet spot - fine bubbles, berry, creamy. 
Uncorked this one at home…
Delish fruity nose, medium body, it manages to be fruity lush and crispy dry at the same time. Went pretty darn well with fried chicken & habanero hot sauce.
We couldn’t visit the wine shop without getting some Alta Adam’s Fried Chicken.
This recent batch had their signature honey-colored crust, crispy skin & juicy meat. I still can’t put my finger on one ingredient (probably in the brine) that’s reminiscent of chicken soup base. Me likey. Chicken has some kick & habanero sauce kicks it up more. I wish they’d go easy on the salt, though. Still one of my favorite fried chickens.
A classically delicious Mac & Cheese
Collard Greens, Vinegar & Smoked Oil
Stewed, tender, nice crunch. Very vinegar & salt forward so I didn’t taste a lot of smoked oil, but very good. 
Oh @rlw, I didn’t notice they had choco chip cookies until looking online later. Will circle back for that one soon.
Happy Neighborhood Eatin’!
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Ruben is a treasure! So glad to see the shop so well stocked and I am taking notes for my next trip (I also need some Rum!). Thanks for the reportage!
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I really like the fried chicken too. How do you think the crust is made?
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Hi @Dommy - Yah, Ruben’s great and the shop was well stocked! Things appear to be looking good for AA. 
I wonder how the fried chix is made also @Luluthemagnificent. I love Howlin’ Ray’s thick, crunchy coating & big flavor because they do it right. But in general I like a simple, country-style fried chicken like AA.
their chicken is really tasty— I like that it’s not too heavy or greasy. + that patio!
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Onion powder?