Agree with your sentiment; it’s way better than it has any right to be given it’s steps from the Promenade. Not quite as high level as dearly departed Tacos Punta Cabras (obviously two very different focuses), but still pretty good value for the area.
Last time I went, I was in line behind Ving Rhames, which is fun.
YES. That’s a very good way to put it (and a large part of why we had avoided until recently).
I think of Papi as something adjacent (culinary-wise) to Tacos 1986.
Have you been to the Italian place in the office building across the street (east)? They do housemade pasta, but apparently it’s a chain? I haven’t been yet. Once the dim sum place opens, you’ll be able to do an around-the-world trip on one street corner!
Went to one place I knew would have outdoor dining, Aljibani Halal Market. Happy to see most of my old go-tos in the area appear to have made it through (RIP Boulevard 574 tho).
We’ve got plenty falafel places on the westside, but most of them don’t fry to order like here. And now garlic is coming out of my pores but worth it
The sounds, smells, and the looks of what I imagine a NYC pizza shop should be. In Brooklyn of course. With a Italian immigrant success story. A family that cares about making the best pizza possible at a price for all to enjoy. Pizza for the people. The taste btw is wonderful. The crust, and the sauce all perfect. Only thing I am upset about is someone took the corner slices.
This could have started some fights at our local pizzeria back in the day. People would wait for the next pie to come out instead of taking one of the interior slices. The person who asked for the middle slice is a serial killer.
Chef Samuel Yoo a Korean-American guy from Queens and a Momofuku alum has one of my favorite restaurants at the moment. Keeping the NY/NJ diner culture alive and reinvented with some Asian flair. The level of cooking here is top notch.
Burger and fries. Has a mushroom gochujang special sauce. Fries are perfectly crisp and salted. Burger was also great, diner style with a thicker patty.
Reminds me of the line at the chicken noodle soup at the Souplantation in San Gabriel! I remember that eating at the Souplantation in Brentwood was a revelation b/c they didn’t have a whole bunch of Asian customers waiting for the noodles to be replenished!
Was listening to a David Chang podcast and they mentioned Zankou Chicken. It was on our mind.
This was for 6 people. Everybody was happy. My son loves the chicken kebabs. Most other favor the chicken. Zankou still has the best garlic sauce around.
Sarki Pastry next door is a very popular spot for baklava and Lebanese pastries. Much better than I remembered. Ding Tea opened up next door so the kids were happy.