The Choosy Foodie: Los Angeles - Issue #10

Gluten-Free Guides, GF Restaurant Gems, Netflix Pop-Up & "No Kill" Meat Updates

Jul 05, 2023

**If you’re reading this newsletter and haven’t subscribed yet, please do and support my work. It’s free! You’ll get future issues sent to your inbox once a month!**

Hi all,

Hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend filled with delicious food! I can tell you that the BBQ’s of America were definitely fired up (cringeworthy pun inserted…🙃)! I ended up reading this enjoyable article on the history of LA BBQ - figured I’d share it.

But now that we’re done drooling over the potluck table and trying to ask our buzzed friends and family “is THAT gluten-free!?”… it’s time to ease back into more comfortable territory.

So, I’m starting us off with a couple “in case you missed it” guides from Eater LA on the gluten-free as well as vegan scene (both published or updated in the last few months):

I highly recommend digging into these articles!

With that, let’s get to it…

WHAT'S COOKING LOS ANGELES?!

1) Thunderbolt in Echo Park - This cool-vibe cocktail bar opened up just a few years ago. With some laid back couch seating and a bar snack menu that is entirely gluten-free, it seems to be becoming a crowd favorite. It’s also one of the featured restaurants on Eater LA’s “Where to Eat Gluten-Free” guide linked above. Here’s a snip from their IG:

2) Ranch Side Cafe in Lake View Terrace - According to Eater LA, this sister-run restaurant is the only spot in the San Fernando Valley serving up Ethiopian food. The best part? Their injera is gluten-free and there are plenty of vegetarian options to choose from along with other cuisines. Here’s a snip from their IG:

What Else is Simmering…

(pop-up restaurant news)- Netflix Bites 🎥👄is a new pop-up restaurant inside the Short Stories Hotel put on by none other than Netflix (🎵🔊tudummm). Chefs and personalities from its hit culinary shows are being featured - which is rad - but menu details are currently pretty elusive.
(restaurant news)- True Food Kitchen opened at the Century City Mall🥗recently. It’s 44th location so far, the beloved chain with healthier ops lives on.
(restaurant news)- Trying to stay afloat since the pandemic, plant based restaurant Nic’s on Beverly recently closed🔏😔down operations.
(restaurant news)- Another plant-based spot, a sports bar in Silverlake called Junkyard Dog also closed🔏😔.
(product)- Emmy’s Organics makes GF, GrF, DF & V cookies & brownies🍪that are organic, Non-GMO, and made with simple, delicious ingredients (so pretty much they have everything going for them at this point…)
(product)- Little Sesame has a divine, organic caramelized onion hummus🧅 you can get at Sprouts. (fyi the ingredients seem GF/DF but it’s not label-verified)
(product)- Bobo’s PB&J’s🥜🍓(GF) is a newer product from Bobo’s that looks like a cross-bread between their original product and a Smucker’s Uncrustables. (In other words, it looks bomb AF).
(product)- Rawmyun is ready to serve up some nostalgia. This new GF, V, & Non-GMO instant ramen🍜has no artificial ingredients and comes in several different exciting flavors.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

(article)- Lab-grown (cell-cultured) meat, now dubbed “no kill” meat, was recently approved for sale🚫🥩🔬💰in the US. Although we may not see products become mainstream for several years or longer, renowned chefs like Dominique Crenn & Jose Andres already have plans to serve up cultivated chicken (with a high price tag, I’m sure). The speed at which the USDA & FDA approval came was quite fast, and although there may be many proponents, questions of scalability, sustainability, and safety remain in the industry at large.
(cookbook)- Sometimes you just want a veggie burger with real veggies in it, no? This new cookbook, “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way”🍔🌱📖has got a lot of great ideas!
(article)- An update on the Daily Harvest debacle😱🧪… Last year one of their products caused liver toxicity and sent several hundred people to the hospital. Now, new studies are showing that it was probably something called baikiain (an analog of the amino acid proline) in the tara flour.
(article)- VegOut recently named some of their top vegan friendly countries to visit this summer. As far as transportation, you might want to consider Alaska Airlines which recently added 3 new vegan meal options🌱.
(article & images)- These colorful, vibrant ceramic sculptures of oozing ice-cream🍦🫠are putting a smile on my face.
(article)- Enjoying this piece on why we love the experience of eating at old restaurants 🏡🍽️ (nostalgia, comfort, appreciation, reflection, etc… it all plays a part).

Twitter: @NoContextBrits

Closing Thoughts…

As always, feel free to hit reply and shoot me an email or DM on Twitter. I’d love to hear your feedback on how I can improve this newsletter to better suit our free-from community.

I’ll be in your inbox next month!

Hugs,

Noam

🙆🏻‍♀️ website: noamleead.carrd.co
📖 book editor: Happier Being by Dr. Tal Leead