If there are two things we love in L.A.—it's definitely music festivals and a bevy of diverse food options. If you're heading to FYF Fest this weekend, we've got you covered for what to nosh on inside the venue at the L.A. Sports Arena & Exposition Park and outside at nearby restaurants.
Vietnamese nachos from Mandoline Grill Truck (Photo via Facebook)
INSIDE FYF FEST:
The festival folks are touting an event with plenty of options (with nearly 50 food trucks and vendors), even for those who are vegan or gluten-free. Some mainstays include Kogi BBQ Truck, The Grilled Cheese Truck and Dogtown Dogs, but they also have some of our other faves (including some from San Diego) on the list like Sage Bistro, Southern Fried Vegan, Tony's Darts Away, Donut Friend, Kitchen Mouse, Mandoline Grill, and Viva Pops. You can view the entire list here.
As for drinks, they've got Stumptown Coffee and Juiced Served Here, among others. They'll be having local craft breweries serving up frothy pints of beer, and though that list isn't out yet, we know that Golden Road Brewery will be there.
Chichen Itza (Photo via Facebook)
OUTSIDE FYF FEST:
Chichen Itza
Hydrate with horchata or jamaica before you head off to the show, and make sure to grab an order of cochinita pibil tacos or reina tamales made with a pinwheel of chaya, roasted pumpkin seeds, hard-cooked eggs, steamed in a banana leaf served with a light tomato sauce are a great way to prep your belly for a day of dancing. An absolute must for a trip to Chichen Itza is an order of the signature paunchos, crispy fried corn tortilla, split and filled with black bean puree, topped with lettuce, shredded turkey, pickled red onions, and a slice of avocado. —Krista Simmons
Chichen Itza is located at 3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, (213) 741-1075
URBNMRKT
This is the ultimate sandwich shop in the area, with soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and heaps of healthy options for grab-and-go. In addition to the standard issue BLTAs and turkey clubs, they also have beef dips and burritos. They serve both breakfast and lunch, so no matter what time you're rolling into then show you'll be good to go. —Krista Simmons
URBNMRKT is located at 3434 S Grand Ave # 1, Los Angeles, (213) 821-8001
Amazebowls (Photo via Facebook)
Amazebowls
If tacos seem a bit too heavy for you, then start the day with a fresh breakfast bowl made with açaí berries, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and agave-blended and topped with granola. They also sell fresh smoothies, too. —Krista Simmons
Amazebowls is located at 445 S. Figueroa St., Suite 2700, Los Angeles, (213) 400-5534
Mercado La Paloma
In addition to the awesomeness that is Chichen Itza, you can also grub out at Burger Plaza Grill, Thai Corner, and Oaxacalifornia, among many others. To boot, there are plenty of cool shops to pick up Mexican nicknacks and Dia De Los Muertos trinkets, which can easily be added to your attire for extra swagger. —Krista Simmons
Mercado La Paloma is located at 3655 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, (213) 748-1963
Photo courtesy of the Melt
The Melt
This Bay Area-based grilled cheese chain is the brainchild of Jonathan Kaplan, who was behind the little hand-held Flip video camera, and San Francisco celeb chef Michael Mina, who serves as a consultant on the project. They serve everything from classics, like aged sharp cheddar on white bread, to the crazy, like the Ballpark Melt, which is made with aged sharp cheddar and an all-beef frank with mustard on San Francisco sourdough. —Krista Simmons
The Melt is located at 35 S Figueroa St., (213) 344-4903
Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak (Photo via Facebook)
Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak
This University Park spot whips up some of my favorite things—Philly cheese steak sandwiches and sweet potato fries. It features a pretty large menu with options that even cater to the vegetarians or the folks who'd rather eat chicken than steak. They do it so right and use rolls from Amoroso, a Philly bakery. Sandwiches range from about $6 to $8.50, so it won't put a hole in your wallet.
Figueroa Philly Cheese Steak is located at 3844 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 748-9073
Pizza Studio (Photo via Facebook)
Pizza Studio
Pizza Studio is like the Chipotle of pizzerias. You can build your own pizzas here with unlimited toppings for about $8, and it doesn't take them too long to bake (usually in about 5 or 6 minutes). The cool part is that you have a lot of choices here where you can select from five doughs (from rosemary-herb to gluten-free), sauce, cheese and toppings. And if you want to go the easy route and have them choose for you, they've got some of their own creations you can just pick and choose from, like Margherita or Veggie Lovers.
Pizza Studio is located at 3584 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 763-6123
California Gogi Korean Grill
Okay, we've got another restaurant that runs along the same vein as Chipotle—but this one's for Korean bibimbap...and it's pretty good and cheap (under $10). Get your rice bowls (you can choose from brown or white rice, or salad), which type of meat you'd like—beef bulgogi, spicy pork, tofu and more—a sweet selection of banchan (with some pickled goodies and kimchi), and a variety of sauces. They also have some Korean-fusion tacos and sandwiches in the mix, if you feel so inclined to try them.
California Gogi Korean Grill is located at 3742 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 744-1910
