Go Metro to Thai Town in Search of Walt Disney

The Metro Red Line Hollywood/Western Station is the gateway to Thai Town.

While many people enjoy taking Metro to discover ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles, for my special needs son and I, culture is secondary. Food and bookstores drive us. Still, after taking the Metro Gold Line umpteen times to Pasadena and trekking down Colorado Boulevard to Vroman’s Bookstore, SoCal’s oldest and largest independent bookstore, with a lunch stop at Russell’s Restaurant, I thought it was time to broaden our horizons.

“How about taking the Metro Red Line to Thai Town?” I asked my teenage son.

“Do they have bookstores? Maybe they have a biography of Walt Disney.”

“Dunno. Let’s explore.”

“Maybe we can stop for chicken fried rice and no vegetables? I hate vegetables.”

“Deal.”

And so on a recent Saturday morning, we hopped on the Metro Red Line subway in North Hollywood and within a few minutes got off at Hollywood and Western where we had the choice of venturing into Little Armenia or Thai Town. Since I doubt if you could order chicken fried rice with no vegetables in Little Armenia, we took a short stroll toward Bangkok, Thailand.

Actually, it’s an apt description. Los Angeles is known as Thailand’s 77th province. Like Los Angeles, Thailand’s capital Bangkok is known as the City of Angels. There are about 80,000 Thai immigrants living here, many in Thai Town, which is spread along Hollywood Boulevard between Normandie Avenue and Western Avenue in Hollywood.
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Tamale hunting on the Gold Line Eastside Extension

By now I think we’re all aware of the culinary delights that await Metro riders traveling into East L.A. on the the new Gold Line extension. But last week Metro Media Relations released a press release that caught my eye (and my appetite) with a list of tamale vendors along the Gold Line that are regarded as some of the best in L.A.

I take my role as car-free lifestyle blogger seriously, so as my colleague Steve Hymon reported on the Metro Board meeting all last Thursday, I took it upon myself to go tamale hunting in East L.A. with the Gold Line as my “tamale trolley” and Metro’s press release as my map.

One disclaimer before I report my findings: I’m not a tamale connoisseur. While I’ve grown to love these traditional Mexican treats, I was not raised on them. In my household my mother would make the Venezuelan equivalent to tamales – hallacas – and I would refuse to eat them because they were wrapped in green plantain leaves. As a child I had a strict rule against eating anything green. Luckily, tamales are wrapped in non-green corn husks.

Metro’s press release lists seven tamale vendors within walking distance of four Gold Line stations – Soto, Indiana, Maravilla, and Atlantic. I decided to ride out to the end of the line (Atlantic) and work my way back.
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Reader input: more Arts District dining recommedations

All week I’ve been scouring Yelp! for the best restaurants along the new Gold Line Eastside Extension. The goal was not to make an exhaustive list of every restaurant,  but to present those that Yelp reviewers seemed to enjoy the most. My method for deciding what made the cut necessarily left many establishments out of the listing – nothing personal.

This being said, my decision to rely on Yelp is not the written in stone, and Arts District based Source reader and National Association of Railroad Passengers representative Ryan Stern emailed The Source with a list of his additional suggestions for hungry Gold Line riders looking to eat near the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station.

Since I love when our readers send us suggestions I’m going to add Ryan’s recommendations to our foodie guide. Here they are:

Zip Fusion (0.3 miles away)
3 stars based on 65 reviews.
Reader Ryan Stern says: “Fantastically fresh and innovative sushi with a brilliant “fusion” menu and an inviting atmosphere; I dine here multiple times each week!”

E3rd Steakhouse and Lounge (0.3 miles away)
3 stars based on 89 reviews.
Reader Ryan Stern says: “Their generous, high-quality portions aren’t limited to steak; the poultry, seafood, or veggie lover in your party will be equally at home (plus they’ve got an extensive bar selection!)”

Cafe Metropol (0.3 miles away)
3 stars based on 38 reviews.
Reader Ryan Stern says: “Continental with a dash of Mediterranean, this is my preferred brunchspot on the weekends!“

Novel Cafe (0.3 miles away)
3.5 stars based on 8 reviews.
Reader Ryan Stern says: “Starbucks has nothing on this place– a complete coffee and tea menu; plus hot breakfast fare and freshly prepared sandwiches“

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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Maravilla, East L.A. Civic Center, and Atlantic

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching.  The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat. And now the L.A. Times has joined the fray, calling the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line a “food nirvana”.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper.  I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers, and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

The final stops on our East L.A. dining tour are relatively close to one another, located on the last mile of 3rd Street, and thus the Maravilla, East L.A Civic Center, and Atlantic stations will be bundled together in this post.
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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Soto

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching.  The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat. And now the L.A. Times has joined the fray, calling the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line a “food nirvana”.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper.  I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers, and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

Next stop, the underground Soto Station.
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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Indiana

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching.  The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat. And now the L.A. Times has joined the fray, calling the Eastside Extension of the Gold Line a “food nirvana”.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper.  I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers, and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

Next stop, we venture to the Indiana Station where the Eastside Extension makes the transition for 1st Street to 3rd Street.
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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Pico/Aliso and Mariachi Plaza

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching.  The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper.  I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers, and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

Next stops: the Pico/Aliso Station and Mariachi Plaza Station, just east of the Los Angeles river.
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Foodie guide to the Gold Line Eastside Extension – Little Tokyo/Arts District

Ramen is just one of the many foods to be found a short walk from the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station. Photo: Fred Camino

The eight new stations on Metro’s growing rail system will lead Angelenos to some fantastic options for munching. The internet is buzzing about the possibilities and even the Mayor has chimed in with his two cents about where to eat.

Metro has put out a map of restaurants (PDF) along the line, but the inclusion of places like McDonalds, Subway, and Pizza Hut left me wanting to explore the dining options a little deeper. I love a Quarter Pounder as much as the next guy, but I decided it would be best to look to the local reviewers on Yelp! to find out if Metro missed any gems along the Gold Line that don’t involve golden arches.

My general methodology goes like this: restaurants must be located within half a mile (about a 10-minute walk) from the stations, they must receive at least four stars from Yelp reviewers and there has to be a minimum of 10 Yelp reviews in order to make the cut. If some restaurants listed don’t match this criteria, I’ll make note of it.

First up, the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station.
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