MIS NEIGHBORS

Often when I tell people I’m from Boyle Heights, they make reference to a couple of things: Eastside Luv Wine Bar is popular amongst twenty and thirty somethings; Murals have also been brought up; And the obvious, but gladly not so prevalent these days: “Oh, East L.A.? Isn’t it scary?” (eye-roll).

But the most common reference has to be about food. Ahhh, yes, the food!

It’s nothing new. Bloggers, food critics, yelpers— foodies of all kinds, Eastsiders or not–have been hunting down street vendors and hitting up spots they‘ve heard/read about for years (we all remember the Breed St. Scene).

So if Boyle Heights has been deemed a “food desert,” how is it that we are highly recognized for our food?

Several street food vendors and restaurateurs I know attribute the popularity of our neighborhood’s food to the inherited Latino culture’s “love for making food.” They say it’s a satisfaction to watch people eat their food. Hmmm….I guess that’s why my favorite quesadilla vendor (no name dropping) always asks, “te gusto?” With a mouthful of cheese and crema, all I can do is give her a thumbs up.

When I talk to older generations of Boyle Heights residents, some of their fondest memories also include food. I wonder how many food critics flocked over in the 1930s and 40s to review places like the original Canter’s Deli on Brooklyn Avenue? Although, foodies are no longer searching for pickled herring or corned beef on rye—once popular eats in Boyle Heights— they do search for tacos, huaraches, pambazos, and quesadillas with lots of cheese and a great salsa.

Look at what “tweeteros” were nom-nom-ing on recently in Boyle Heights:

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