On January 7th, my husband Bruce and I spent a sleepless night in our house in Northeast Los Angeles. We could see the flames of the Eaton Fire on the far-off hillsides from our bedroom window. The winds were so strong, we worried the trees surrounding our house might come toppling down on top of us. Luckily we were spared, but even those of us who came out of the fires unscathed have been deeply affected as we collectively try to find a path for helping our friends and neighbors to recover. We sprang into action—creating GoFundMe pages, combing closets for donation centers, buying essentials and stacks of gift cards. These past weeks have felt like a rallying cry for all of us who live here.
To visit this part of Los Angeles is to understand that it is unlike any other pocket of the city. There’s a special energy here and a kindness I have never experienced anywhere else I’ve lived. I’ve heard the same thing from others. I think it has to do with the fact that so many of us aren’t from here originally. We all had to be new once, so we know that feeling. I have also always thought we have never let go of how lucky we have felt to have landed here. We see it as a privilege to live here and we relish in seeking out the beauty in the neighborhoods and green spaces, and delight in each of the hidden gems and treasures we continue to find here.
We moved here 20 years ago from Santa Monica, where we had settled after initially moving from San Francisco. I have always said that when we got to the Eastside it was like the part in The Wizard of Oz when the movie went from black and white to technicolor. “Now we live in L.A!” I would say. The population is diverse ethnically and economically. It’s an area where people making their living in creative ways—i.e., artists, writers, musicians, photographers, below-the-line entertainment folks, etc.—could buy homes.
For five years now I have been sending out a newsletter via snail mail called Life at the Dumpling, the Dumpling being what we call our house, as in my mom may have referred to it as a dump when we first bought it and was quickly corrected by my husband. The newsletter took on a life of its own and I found myself including everything from recipes and cooking tips to hikes and historical information about local spots in the neighborhood and beyond. What I didn’t realize when I started the newsletter was that I was essentially writing a love letter to friends and family near and far. It is a letter from our home and a love letter to this place, one that I and many others feel so deeply connected to.
So, consider this Dispatch a love letter from all of us here in Northeast L.A. to you. Also let it serve as an invitation to come and experience for yourself the energy of this place, and what makes it one we are all so fiercely dedicated to. Now more than ever would be a good time to come and explore. I promise that a visit here will leave you feeling fulfilled on many levels. You can also know you will have done your own part in contributing to the revitalization of a community that could use some extra love in the months ahead.
Where exactly is Northeast L.A.?
I’ve created this guide based on where our house sits, at the top of a hill in Glassell Park. Our neighborhood is a few miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles, sandwiched where the 5 and 2 freeways come together. From our perch on the hill, which is a bit of an island, we can see the fireworks at Dodger Stadium on Friday nights and have ocean views on clear days. From our backyard, we look out at Occidental College, the Eagle Rock (yes, there is one) and the mountains of Angeles National Forest beyond. The neighborhoods that fan out in every direction from here include Cypress Park, Atwater Village, Highland Park, and then Silverlake to the West, Eagle Rock to the East, and Pasadena to the Northeast. Whatever direction you go from here, you’ll find places to eat, drink, shop and explore.
I’m sharing here some of our favorite haunts, all within a three-mile radius, more or less. Also, please note that I live by the motto, “You should never waste a good hungry/thirsty/coffee/stay,” and each of the places shared here have been vetted as such. It’s about eating and drinking and staying well, of course, and it is also about feeling good about who you choose to give your money and your time to.
EAT/DRINK
Starting the day
Proof (Atwater Village) – This bakery has the best croissants in L.A., the most exquisite pastries and cakes, and outstanding coffee. Everything is done right here, and if you come at 11:30 a.m. they’ll be putting out sandwiches. Get one even if you save it for later.
Civil Coffee (Highland Park) – Every Saturday we do a big out-and-back urban hike that includes a few sets of the Eldred Street stairs, which are the oldest wooden stairs in L.A. and start where the third-tallest street in the country ends. We stop at Civil Coffee, where we sit in the sun on their back patio and admire the impressive bougainvillea-filled wall. If we are lucky, we will run into friends and have a visit with artist Jon Huck, who some might call the Kevin Bacon of this part of town. Breakfast people especially love their painterly avocado toast, chilaquiles and barbacoa tacos.
Collage (York Blvd.) – At this tiny café, you order your coffee and then sit outside to drink it, talking to the locals (or not), and watching the neighborhood dogs cruise by. It’s easy to recognize the collage of colorful tiles on the wall out front that give the café its name, and there’s a secret patio accessed by a little gravel path one door down. Governor Gavin Newsom was even here a few weeks ago talking with the owners, who also own nearby Shorthand, the stationery shop. Sadly, they lost their other Collage outpost and Side Pie Pizza, the pizza place of Altadena, in the recent fires.
Belle’s Bagels (York Blvd.) – This is our go-to for bagels and all the fixings. I get big props on the mornings I grant my teenagers permission to stop here for bagel sandwiches on their way to school. Pro tip: If you plan to eat in, instead of waiting in line to order, sit at the bar and place your order with the bartender.
Bub and Grandma’s (Eagle Rock Blvd./Glassell Park) – Andy Kadin opened this deli after running a successful wholesale bread bakery for several years. Pick up fresh loaves and baguettes and plan to sit and have a meal in this charming light-filled diner. It’s hard to go wrong with one of their breakfast or lunch sandwiches. Everyone who comes here has their favorite and I’m partial to their simple egg sandwich. On Sunday and Monday nights, they stay open for BG Nites featuring live jazz and a diner menu.
Lunch and such
Mariscos Zaza (Frogtown) – This is so much more than a taco spot. I like to think of it as a lunchtime vacation. Located behind the Mexican seafood restaurant Loreto and open Thursday-Sunday, a meal here immediately transports you to Mexico. My favorites are the seafood cocktail, shrimp burrito, and fish tacos, and I often find myself ordering a beer without thinking twice, no matter the day.
Skaf’s on York (York Blvd.) – One Lebanese friend says the food here is as good as her grandmother’s and I wouldn’t doubt it. We come for chicken shawarma wraps and cabbage salad for lunch and always save room for pomegranate-strawberry sorbet.
Joy on York (York Blvd.) – At least once a week you can find our family at Joy, owned by Vivian Ku, who also owns Silverlake’s beloved Pine & Crane. We have a standing order that always includes Chiayi chicken rice with shallot oil and pickled daikon, lotus root, and thousand-layer pancakes with everything. Also, the minute the temperatures hit triple digits, we head to Joy for their sublime Taiwanese shaved ice.
Dune (Atwater Village) – This is my go-to spot when I’m bringing sandwiches to a friend or picking up lunch for a road trip heading north, as the 5 freeway is just blocks away. Grab extra napkins for the messy deliciousness that is this rainbow of a meal. For me it’s a toss-up between the green herb falafel sandwich and the pickled beets one. Luckily if you are sharing, you can get them both.
Bar Sinizki (Atwater Village) – This recent addition to the neighborhood feels like a bit of a hideaway on an otherwise bustling street. The room is like a little Eastern European jewel box and their day-into-night menu means you can pop in anytime. My favorite thing to order is the trout rillettes and, if you are feeling decadent, the pierogies doused in brown butter and topped with sour cream are otherworldly.
Little Flower (Pasadena) – I find myself gravitating to Christine Moore’s Little Flower more than ever since the fires. Christine is a friend to many, and she takes extra care of her customers and her community. Christine and her son Colin saved their Altadena home using buckets of water from their swimming pool and it will be years before they are back in it. That said, Christine has made it her mission to feed and provide support to everyone who walks in the door. I never hesitated to go here before for Christine’s hearty, healthy breakfast and lunch dishes, pastries, and coffee drinks and everything seems to taste better knowing that it is comforting everyone else who is eating there, too. This is also the place to grab a card or gift, as Christine stocks the shelves with her favorite provisions and cookbooks. If you go, be sure to grab a bag of the handmade caramels or marshmallows that she’s famous for.
Dinner and Drinks
Dunsmoor (Eagle Rock Blvd./Glassell Park) – For many years we didn’t have any nighttime out-to-dinner restaurants we could get to easily. Then came Dunsmoor. We still pinch ourselves when we come here, because this is a restaurant that was beyond worth the wait. When you walk through the door, you can turn yourself over to Brian Dunsmoor and his team for a night that always ends well. For us, sitting in front of the fire is like going to Cotogna in San Francisco, and all we had to do was walk down the hill. There’s good wine, lively conversation, candlelight, and American heritage fare. Some nights you may want cornbread and pork and green chili stew, and if we are sharing the restaurant with friends or family, we will opt for bigger-ticket items like the rainbow trout or beef ribeye.
Dunsmoor Bar (Eagle Rock Blvd./Glassell Park) – Most people don’t realize that there’s also a bar just around the corner from the entrance to Dunsmoor, and it is an experience in and of itself. When you walk in you are greeted by an Alice Lam arrangement and the whole room feels like you are in North Berkeley, which for me is always a good thing. If you are a burger person, get there early to get one of the just 20 burgers they prepare nightly.
The Grant (Eagle Rock Blvd./Glassell Park) – This is our go-to spot to meet up on Friday after work. It’s got a distinct Art Deco vibe and it’s easy to post up at one of the low velvet banquettes and watch the action at the back-lit mirrored bar. We consider ourselves extra lucky if Lenny the Community Cat deems to stop by our table.
Queen Street (York Blvd.) – On New Year’s Eve just before sunset, we took our bikes out for a spin. A ride through the Occidental Campus ended not surprisingly at Queen Street, our go-to for oysters. It’s always good to start with an oyster shooter and a shot of beer and maybe a side of fries while we peruse the Charleston-inspired menu.
Checker Hall (Highland Park) – We’re always happy when we decide to come to Checker Hall. The dining room is lively and the iron balcony terrace overlooking the street gives it a New Orleans vibe. We love their elevated Mediterranean menu, and the pro tip is to get here in time for the Happy Hour $10 chicken schnitzel sandwich.
Barra Santos (Cypress Park) – This is another little happy neighborhood spot that doesn’t disappoint. It’s fun to sip 8 oz. pours of Sky Duster Lager and snack on James Beard semifinalist Melissa López’s menu of traditional fare.
EXCURSIONS
Culture
Norton Simon Museum (Pasadena) – We like to visit Van Gogh’s Portrait of a Peasant at the Norton Simon, which sits on the western edge of Pasadena, across from the corner where the Rose Parade officially begins each year. It’s fun to admire the building itself, which was designed by Frank Gehry and is covered in dark brown Heath tiles. It’s pleasant to meander through the sculpture garden. And now through March 24th you can see Diego Velazquez’s Queen Mariana of Austria, which is being exhibited on the West Coast for the very first time on special loan from the Prado Museum.
El Alisal (Highland Park) – Charles Lummis’s house that he hand built is a fun hidden gem that is open to the public on the weekends. Lummis features prominently in Susan Orlean’s The Library Book and he was a colorful character, to say the least. He walked from Cincinnati to Los Angeles and became the first city editor of the Los Angeles Times; he founded the Southwest Museum and was at one time the City Librarian. If you go to Civil Coffee, see if you can find the black-and-white photograph of Lummis in his famous green corduroy suit.
Hike
Arroyo Seco trail (Pasadena) – Eastsiders love to walk “the Arroyo,” a trail that runs nearly 8 miles along a stream bed south of the Rose Bowl. I like to park near Little Flower and walk on S. San Rafael Ave. to the La Loma Rd. entrance. From there, you can dip down under the bridge to meet the trail. Paths crisscross the dry streambed, and it makes for a good out-and-back loop.
Sometimes I park near Loquat Coffee (Cypress Park) and hike up to the SRF and back. It’s a good spot for coffee and to check out what the kids are wearing. You can also get Fondry pastries here, rather than waiting in line at their York Blvd. location.
It’s also fun to walk through Elyria Canyon (Glassell Park) up to the SRF and then come back down for Huevos Rancheros and Café de Olla at Tierra Caliente (Glassell Park).
Get Centered
Self-Realization Fellowship (Mount Washington) – This is one of the crown jewels of the neighborhood and anyone who knows me will tell you it is one of my favorite spots to visit. Housed in what was originally the Mount Washington Hotel, which opened in 1910, this is the SRF’s International Headquarters. I always feel better after a stroll through the gardens and sitting a spell on a bench in the Temple of Leaves, where they say founder Paramahamsa Yogananda often gave classes.
Highland Park Yoga (York Blvd.) – This place has a vibe you feel the minute you walk in the door. It’s good energy all the way. The highlight for me is Nora Brank’s Tuesday night Yoga & Meditation Class.
Music
Lodge Room (Highland Park) – The Lodge Room is one of the best neighborhood spots for live music, and we love to go here even if we aren’t that familiar with who is playing. Take for example the night we saw Khruangbin long before they became who they are today. Located on the second floor of a Masonic Lodge that was built in the 1920s, the intimate space features original cherry-wood walls and these incredible Egyptian murals that always remind us of a long-ago trip to Aswan. We like to hit Checker Hall for a pre-show drink, which is in the front part of the building, or the nearby Gold Line (Highland Park), where the vibe is very much vintage record shop meets Japanese vinyl bar.
SHOP
These are just a few of my favorite places to shop locally.
LA HOMEFARM (Eagle Rock Blvd.) – A few years ago, I got a Kickstarter request to support a new grocery store that was going in on Eagle Rock Blvd. Little did I know that I would find myself there pretty much daily once they opened and that owners Lauri Kranz and Dean Kuipers would become such special friends. We shop here for produce and dry goods, as well as wine and flowers. Lauri peppers in housewares and estate sale treasures, so consider yourself warned. I did go in for eggs one day and walked out with a lamp. There are ceramics from Mt. Washington Pottery and Cy.ramics, Cathy Callahan textiles, and Frogtown Flora bouquets. Lauri and Dean immediately started creating produce boxes for those displaced by the fires and continue to do so thanks to the outpouring of support from local farmers and chefs.
Dotter (York Blvd.) – Annika Huston’s boutique features a mix of comfy women’s clothing and shoes alongside carefully chosen housewares, cards, books and a special section for children. Two doors down is Annika’s Two Sons, with clothing and accessories for men. Annika’s husband Travis heroically fought the recent fire to save the home they have been lovingly restoring in Altadena the past few years, and she’s been doing her part at the stores to support other people displaced by the fires with art shows and clothing giveaways.
Shorthand (York Blvd.) – This is my kid-in-a-candy shop kind of store. It’s for letter writers, card senders, lovers of journaling and seekers of that just-right pen.
Blockshop Textiles (Atwater Village) – The Stockman sisters started this company years ago and became slightly famous for their Sidewinder and Sunwave woodblocks prints. Now their textile and design studio is open to the public and they sell everything from robes, and scarves, to pillows and dog beds. Since the fires, they’ve even opened the space to the community as a place for adults and families to drop in and gather. They have spots for displaced parents to work and decompress and a schedule of workshops and snacks for kids.
READ Books (Eagle Rock Blvd./Eagle Rock) – I love nothing more than walking into the used bookstore READ (pronounced “red” as in you’ve read the book OR “reed” as in you plan to do so, your choice according to Florence, the shop dog) and seeing what strikes my fancy. I always seem to find exactly what I’m either looking for or need to read, and I must admit their cookbook section is a dangerous spot I can never pass up.
The Left Bank (Frogtown) – My daughters and I pop into the Left Bank whenever one of us needs something for a special occasion or a little pick-me-up. It’s a well-curated vintage and consignment women’s clothing store and we always seem to come out with something.
STAY
I’m a hotel person by nature, and for years I have dreamed of opening a boutique hotel in the neighborhood. (Bunkhouse, if you are reading this, let’s talk.) That said, we don’t have much of anything in the way of great hotel stays, and you will be better off finding a home stay to plant yourself for the time you are here. A few spots I might recommend include Mt. Washington Gem, a tranquil A-frame bungalow with mountain views; a Glassell Park oasis with pool and hot tub within walking distance to the Eagle Rock Blvd.; the charming Ave 33 Treehouse, also in Glassell Park; a tiny home or a Spanish bungalow in Highland Park. If you do prefer a hotel, you’ll have to go further afield, and for that I’d recommend Downtown L.A. Proper, Silverlake Pool & Inn, and Hotel Covell.
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