The Brief

Some people treat New Year’s Resolutions as opportunities to run a half-marathon or brush up on Spanish. I, on the other hand, dedicated my 2023 to reviewing and ranking the 100 most epic sandwiches in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

I had accomplished similar feats in 2021 and 2022 with Los Angeles pizzerias and taquerias, respectively, and shared results on my social media accounts, and now on my podcast, The LA Food Podcast. Sandwiches, however, were an entirely unique proposition.

If you’ve ever sat down and tried to identify the dishes that are absolutely essential to Los Angeles, chances are that sandwiches made multiple appearances on that list.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 2009, sandwiches such as The Godmother from Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica and Philippe’s French Dip near Union Station were the first recommendations locals would offer me as a hungry-but-broke 18-year-old. Even on the ritzier side of the equation, it’s not uncommon to spot celebrities chowing down on the tuna melt at Croft Alley in Beverly Hills, or the Spicy Sushi Sandwich from Erewhon Market across the region.

More than any other food, sandwiches offer an almost uncanny glimpse into certain rhythms and quirks of our city, culinary and beyond. So, with more than 100 sandwiches under my belt and in my belly, here are four lessons I learned about our city and its relationship to foods between bread.

But first…

Determining the rules of the road

As I traversed the city for everything from French Dips to katsu sandos, it quickly became apparent that my goal would require some guardrails. First, I had to define what constitutes a sandwich. I decided to adopt a broad definition anchored in the nomenclature used on restaurant menus. Simply put, if a restaurant referred to an item as a “sandwich,” it was fair game. The only exceptions to this rule were wraps, burgers and hot dogs.

Secondly, ranking these sandwiches called for a meticulously thought-out rubric. Mine consisted of five overall categories, the first three of which judged the basics of sandwich-making and made up 75% of the overall score: Bread, Fillings and Construction.

The final two categories, which accounted for the remaining 25% of a sandwich’s score, measured the intangible factors that render a Los Angeles sandwich iconic. The Experience category assessed factors such as ambiance, historic significance, and overall influence on Los Angeles’ culinary scene, while the Personal Satisfaction category was determined by asking myself how long I would happily wait in line to have the sandwich again. The longer the wait time, the higher the score.

The five categories added up to yield a score out of 100%, which one could easily compare to the grades earned in school. For example, the Banh Mi Dac Biet from My Dung Sandwich Shop in Chinatown earned a very respectable 86% (B or B+ territory), carried by its masterful construction and astonishing value, while the previously mentioned sandwich, The Godmother, earned a 92% (A or A-) on the merits of its superb bread and the extra points afforded by the timeless experience that is ripping off a ticket and waiting for your sandwich amid the seemingly endless selection of imported sodas and snacks.

Now for those lessons…

Italian sandwiches inspire a degree of allegiance usually reserved for sports teams and spouses

Enjoy the ocean breeze with the Mickey's combo at Mickey’s Deli in Hermosa Beach.

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Brian Feinzimer

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Prior to 2023, I had no idea what an “Italian” sandwich was. This may be due to the fact that I myself hail from Italy, and in Italy we have no such thing as an “Italian” sandwich. In Italy, you’ll find all kinds of cold cuts and cheeses served between all kinds of breads, but if you approach an Italian lunch counter with a request for an “Italian sandwich,” you’d better be prepared for some quizzical looks.

In Los Angeles, almost every neighborhood boasts a bustling deli whose signature sandwich is an “Italian sandwich," consisting of something that looks like a torpedo roll, three or four deli meats, provolone cheese, something pickled, some variation on a vinegar-based dressing, and an assortment of crunchy, fresh vegetables. Some delis even add mustard and mayonnaise, but this is a controversial choice that some patrons consider an affront.

One thing that became clear over the course of my sandwich journey is that Angelenos aren’t just passionate about Italian sandwiches, they are incorrigibly fanatical about their local deli’s Italian sandwich. Were I to compile a dossier of the direct messages I received imploring me to review an Italian sandwich that the plaintiff swore would be the best Italian sandwich to ever grace my taste buds, it would serve as a pretty convincing pitch for Netflix’s next cult-inspired documentary.

Of all the Italian sandwiches I tried on my journey, and there were many excellent ones, including the timeless classic at Claro’s Italian Markets in the San Gabriel Valley and the gourmet number at pop-up Delco Rose Hoagies.

But the Italian sandwich I won’t soon forget is Mickey’s Combo at Mickey’s Deli in Hermosa Beach. Served on a glossy, golden roll that struck the perfect balance between crusty and plush, this sandwich’s construction was impeccable, with the well-balanced combination of salami, prosciutto cotto and mortadella forming a magisterial spiral around ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions and some punchy yellow pepperoncini peppers.

It also didn’t hurt that you’re chowing down on the sandwich mere steps away from the beach, with the ocean breeze billowing through your hair and your only care in the world being whether that stain of Italian dressing on your shirt will come out in the wash. The score: 92% according to the rubric.

Some say Los Angeles is a taco town, but you could just as easily call it a torta town

The textures and flavors of the carnitas torta from the Tortas Ahogadas Ameca will stay with you long after your meal is over.

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I once had a lengthy conversation with a friend about the differences between Mexican food in the Bay Area versus Los Angeles. He hypothesized that it comes down to San Francisco being a “burrito town,” and Los Angeles a “taco town.” While I was immediately taken with his brilliant characterization and have been pawning it off as my own for years, my sandwich journey has made me rethink my stance. It strikes me that for almost every excellent, mind-blowing, hyper-regional taco in Los Angeles, there is a torta equivalent.

While this is partially a function of the tortilla and the bread of choice being mere vehicles for the ingredients that fill them, there’s more to the story. This may seem obvious, but certain tortas only work because bread is the vehicle. In fact, though essentially every type of taco could be replicated in torta form, not every type of torta could be remade as a taco.

A torta ahogada, for example, hinges on a roll robust enough to soak up salsa while remaining intact enough to stand up to a hearty serving of meat. A torta cubana (which is distinct from the Cubano sandwich of Cuban origins) simply would not work, architecturally speaking, in taco form, and don’t even get me started about the popular breakfast delicacy that is a guajolota (a torta stuffed with a tamal).

Once you accept Los Angeles as a torta town, and especially if you allow yourself some leniency with how you define a torta, you begin to see that they’re just as well represented as tacos, and that our city offers some truly stellar ones.

Some of my favorites were the ethereal cemitas at Cemitero Poblano in Boyle Heights, which supplies the bread for many of the other cemiteros around town, and the decadent pambazos from El Sazon de Mary, a take-out only operation in Virgil Village.

The torta that keeps me up at night, however, is the torta ahogada from Tortas Ahogadas Ameca in East Los Angeles. The key to this sandwich is the bread — Ameca uses a classic birote salado, a sourdough demi-baguette of sorts that’s got the perfect amount of crusty stiffness to soak up the sauce while still playing home to a heaping serving of refried beans and carnitas. It’s finished off with a pink nest of pickled onions, and your job is simply to decide whether you’re courageous enough to eat it with your hands. The score: 90% according to the rubric.

Certain sandwiches have become so overrated, they are now underrated

The 555 pastrami sandwich from Brent’s Deli brings the party to the table with each bite.

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Brain Feinzimer

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There’s a phenomenon in Los Angeles sports in which observers begin referring to a certain player as an “unsung hero,” only to then praise said player’s under-the-radar qualities to such an extreme degree that the player quickly goes from being underrated to overrated. We might call this “The Austin Reaves Effect,” for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers.

When it comes to sandwiches, I’ve noticed the opposite effect happening. Certain sandwiches have achieved such lofty heights of popularity, success and iconic status, that Angelenos begin writing them off as “overrated.”

For example, people following my journey on social media suggested I skip places such as Philippe's or Busy Bee Market in San Pedro, arguing that their reputations for outstanding sandwiches were rooted more in nostalgia than in deliciousness.

However, while eating at Brent’s Deli in Northridge, another eatery that certain voices told me not to bother with, it dawned on me that certain sandwiches might be experiencing a reverse Austin Reaves Effect.

The sandwich I tried at Brent’s was The 555, which features grilled RC Provisions pastrami generously stacked beneath the timeless combination of melted Swiss cheese and slightly sweet coleslaw. It’s sauced with a lovely one-two punch of mustard and Russian dressing, and served between the flaky, buttery crevasses of a perfect onion roll.

The only explanation for this sandwich not being the toast of the San Fernando Valley is that patrons have become jaded to its charms, so much so that the sandwich is now criminally underrated and underappreciated for how truly special it is — the reverse Austin Reaves Effect, if you will. The score: 91% according to the rubric.

Sandwiches offer a stunning snapshot of our city’s culinary state-of-play

The Olympic sandwich from Open Market will make you feel God-like after consuming it.

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Brian Feinzimer

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Upon embarking on my sandwich journey, it was immediately clear that I’d be experiencing flavors from across the cultural spectrum. From the Korean egg drop breakfast sandwiches at places like Egg Tuck with locations in Koreatown, Hollywood and Westwood Village, to the Armenian basturma sandwiches at Sahag’s Basturma in Hollywood, sandwiches are perhaps the best food vehicle through which to experience the food of the world, rivaled only perhaps by rice-based dishes. In a county where there are at least 224 languages spoken, sandwiches act as an edible interpreter.

Sandwiches are also a great way to learn about the many policy and social issues that face Los Angeles’ restaurateurs these days. I personally learned a lot thanks to All Day Baby in Silver Lake, which I visited for their epic breakfast sandwich built on a house-made biscuit. Co-owner Lien Ta has not only been a pivotal part of founding Regarding Her Food, the Los Angeles-born organization dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs in the food and beverage industry, but a leading voice advocating to make the city’s Al Fresco dining program permanent.

Finally, sandwiches are a reminder of the uniquely precarious times restaurants and those who make their living in them have had to endure in recent years. There are inspirational success stories, such as LaSorted’s in Silver Lake (visited for their excellent mortadella sandwich served on hand-crafted focaccia) or beloved breakfast sandwich pop-up Calabama, which both began as “pandemic pivots.” But there are also sobering reminders of the tough economic conditions that continue to plague restaurants, with certain sandwich shops I visited, including Korean fried chicken specialists Michin Dak, closing permanently since I reviewed their sandwiches.

One sandwich shop that captures what makes Los Angeles’ culinary scene great is Open Market in Koreatown. Founders Ralph Hsiao, Brian Lee, Yoonna Lee, and Andrew Marco have spoken about the restaurant’s dual mission to celebrate Los Angeles’ diverse tapestry of flavors, while creating a space for community to counteract the pandemic-wrought isolation many still feel the effects of.

Their Olympic sandwich features a dainty Clark Street Bakery baguette layered with grilled lemongrass chicken, pickled radishes, and a crispy layer of fried chicken skin for crunch. There’s a lovely smattering of herbs, a generous slathering of spicy serrano mayo and a sprinkling of Nam Jim to bring it all together. The score: 90% according to the rubric.

Next up for me in 2024? Noodles.

The author is a communication professional by day and spends nights and weekends searching the L.A. area for his next meal. His exploits can be tracked via his TikTok and Instagram and his weekly podcast, The L.A. Food Podcast, with his co-host, Father Sal.

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.

It’s official: Eight Democrats and two Republicans say they have filed paperwork for the June 2 primary ballot in the California governor's race, setting up a wide-open contest in which two Republicans who have consistently led in polls could shut out all other Democrats.

Here are the 10 candidates:

• Xavier Becerra, Democrat, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and former California Attorney General
• Chad Bianco, Republican, Riverside County Sheriff
• Steve Hilton, Republican, Fox News contributor and former adviser to conservative British prime minister David Cameron
• Matt Mahan, Democrat, mayor of San Jose
• Katie Porter, Democrat, former U.S. representative representing Orange County
• Tom Steyer, Democrat, billionaire entrepreneur and former presidential candidate
• Eric Swalwell, Democrat, U.S. representative from the Bay Area
• Tony Thurmond, Democrat, state superintendent of public instruction
• Antonio Villaraigosa, Democrat, former mayor of Los Angeles and former Assembly Speaker
• Betty Yee, Democrat, former state Controller

Steyer became the last to officially file on Friday, the deadline for submitting candidacy paperwork.

Former Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon exited the race earlier this week, endorsing Swalwell instead.

What's next?

The secretary of state’s office says it will verify the paperwork their campaigns submitted and publish an official list of primary candidates by March 21.

The top two vote recipients in the primary, regardless of party, will advance to the general election. But the two Republican frontrunners enjoy more consolidated support from their base than their Democratic counterparts, who risk fragmenting the Democratic vote. At the February state Democratic Party convention, delegates were so split that no candidate earned enough votes for the party endorsement.

With the current field, there’s a 27% chance of a Republican faceoff in November, according to statistical modeling by Democratic strategist Paul Mitchell.

The prospect is worrisome for many Democratic leaders, including state party leader Rusty Hicks, who earlier this week penned an open letter calling for those without a “viable path” to victory to drop out before the Friday deadline to file paperwork. And for those who remained, he pleaded, drop out by April 15 at the very latest if they couldn’t make “meaningful progress.”

The call appeared to fall on deaf ears, as eight of the nine announced Democratic candidates stayed in. Even if someone drops out now, their name will still appear on the primary ballot as long as they qualify, risking siphoning votes away from other Democrats.

Discounting the risk

When asked about the risk of a November shutout at a Thursday gubernatorial forum, several Democratic candidates brushed it aside while insisting they each would be voters’ best choice.

Villaraigosa told CalMatters the GOP base will coalesce behind just one candidate when President Donald Trump makes an endorsement.

“When that happens, that person is going to surge up and the other (Republican is) going to go down, it’s as simple as that,” he said.

Of the Democratic attendees at the forum, only Porter acknowledged the risk of a crowded field of Democrats.

“I think it is terrifying to think about what Trump would do to Californians if we had a governor who at every turn cooperated with him rather than stood up for our California values,” she said. “So I don’t think it’s a certainty, but I do think it’s a risk, and I think the stakes are very, very, very high.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles is headed to state after winning the Los Angeles Unified School District’s 45th annual Academic Decathlon.
The Eastside school claimed the top prize — the Superintendent’s Trophy — earning 44,336.10 points out of 60,000 points. Abraham Lincoln High in Lincoln Heights scored 40,181.70 and is among the eight LAUSD schools advancing to the state competition.

The LAUSD teams will compete at the California Academic Decathlon on March 19-22 in Santa Clara. 

Decathletes representing Garfield High are Derek Dominguez, Ana Santos, Davian Valladares, Joseph Villa, Liana Lopez, Julie Lopez, David Ventura, Kimberly Palacios, and Briana Zuniga.

Villa was among the top students who earned the highest district-wide scores, coming in third with 8,267.5 points out of 10,000 points.

Board member Rocío Rivas, who represents East LA, said Garfield’s win “reflects the real progress taking shape across our district and the momentum we’re

building as they represent our communities at the California Academic Decathlon.”

The district said it holds 23 state titles – more than any district in California – and 19 national titles. 

“At Los Angeles Unified, we are proud to represent one of the most diverse student communities in the nation,” said Academic Decathlon Regional Director Dr. Neena Agnihotri in a statement.

“Our Decathletes come from many cultures, languages, and life experiences, and that diversity is one of our greatest strengths,” Agnihotri said.

Also competing in the California Academic Decathlon are: Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, Van Nuys High School, John Marshall High School, Bell High School, The Science Academy STEM Magnet and Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy.

This story appeared first on LA Local.

FIFA World Cup organizers expect more than 150,000 extra visitors to flood the Los Angeles area during eight World Cup games this summer, and all of them are going to need places to sleep.

AirBnB, the short-term rental giant, is kicking up its efforts to recruit more properties to the platform by offering a $750 bonus to first-time hosts in World Cup cities.

The company courted new hosts with lunch and a special workshop Thursday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, where the games will be played. Other short-term rental companies — like Vrbo and Booking.com — are also promoting rentals near World Cup stadiums.

Renting out houses, apartments and rooms in Los Angeles and Inglewood is less of a cavalier process than it was a decade ago.

Lawmakers in many places have developed tighter short-term rental regulations in hopes of cracking down on neighborhood disruption, collecting more tax dollars and preventing scarce housing stock from being converted into full-time vacation rentals.

If you’re a local who is hoping to make a few extra bucks by renting out your place this summer, here are three tips to get you started, straight from active short-term rental hosts and property managers.

Get the ball rolling soon

It takes time to get a space properly listed for short-term rental.

Many local governments, including the city and county of L.A., as well as Inglewood, require hosts to apply for permits. Approvals can take two to four weeks in the city of L.A., said Lisa Giuntoli, whose company Nonpareil Stays manages 45 short-term rentals in the area.

Giuntoli said short-term rental listings perform better in web searches the longer they remain online, and for the World Cup, in particular, visitors are booking places well in advance.

“It takes a minute to get up to speed,” she said. “If you’re interested, do it now.”

Do your homework on local rules

Each local government sets its own guidelines for short-term rentals. Several have revamped their ordinances in recent years.

Hosts can bear some responsibility for how their rentals affect the neighborhood. Inglewood, along with the city and county of L.A., requires permitted hosts to keep their renters up to speed on noise regulations and other local rules.

Not everyone can get a permit. Inglewood requires permit applicants to have lived within the city for 10 consecutive years. In the city of L.A., secondary residences and rent-stabilized properties aren’t eligible to become short-term rentals.

Perrita King, a Leimert Park resident, said she has still been able to keep her extra space listed by renting to people looking to stay longer than a month, such as traveling nurses.

If you live in the city of LA, you can check here to see if your property falls under rent stabilization.

If the logistics seem daunting, consider a specialist

If you’re not interested in waking up at 1 a.m. to help out a renter who lost their key, there are a few different ways to hire a specialized short-term rental manager.

Companies like Nonpareil Stays manage portfolios of dozens of short-term rentals. King, the Leimert Park host, said she goes through a web-based company called Fairly.

You can also narrow your search through Airbnb’s co-host network, which allows you to filter prospective managers by location and other factors.

Longtime Republican Rep. Darrell Issa will not seek reelection, he announced Friday.

His decision comes four months after his San Diego-area congressional district was redrawn to favor Democrats and shortly after San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican, filed papers to run in the same district.

Issa, a longtime GOP stalwart, said he was endorsing Desmond in a statement announcing his decision to retire.

“This decision has been on my mind for a while, and I didn’t make it lightly,” he said. “But after a quarter-century in Congress — and before that, a quarter-century in business — it’s the right time for a new chapter and new challenges.”

A history of reshuffling

Issa represented the San Diego area in Congress for more than 20 years. He briefly retired in 2019 when his seat, now represented by Democrat Mike Levin, became more competitive. He returned to Congress in 2021 after winning a seat in the 50th District, which was redrawn after statewide redistricting later that year. He moved to his current seat in the 48th District in 2023.

The newly configured seat attracted a slew of Democratic challengers after it became more competitive when voters approved Proposition 50 last fall. The redistricting measure was designed to give Democrats up to five additional seats in the U.S. House and counter similar redistricting efforts in other states that favored Republicans.

Desmond had previously announced that he would run in the 49th District against Levin.

“They drew me into this district, but the truth is I’ve been serving this community for years,” Desmond said in a statement to CalMatters. Prior to Prop. 50, Desmond lived in the 49th District. He now lives in the 48th. “I’ll fight every single day to make life more affordable, more safe and more free.”

Crowded field of Democrats

In the 48th District, two Democratic candidates — Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former opponent of Issa's, and San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert — lead a crowded field eager to flip the district blue. No candidate garnered enough support for the party’s endorsement last month.

California Republicans have been reshuffling for months as their districts were redrawn.

Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, one of the longest-serving members in Congress, is now running in the 40th District against Republican incumbent Young Kim of Orange County. His present district, the neighboring 41st, was moved entirely out of conservative pockets of Riverside County to Los Angeles County.

Issa briefly contemplated a congressional run in Texas in December after the new districts were created but decided against it.