Here’s a list of iPhone applications that can help you find your favorite Los Angeles food trucks and satisfy your itch for itinerant eats. 

Los Angeles Street Food

Sutro Media’s app features Twitter feeds from popular food truck services to keep you informed about their next location. With the GPS map integration, you can navigate the streets of L.A. to get to your favorite meal cart fast. The app also provides meal cart reviews and an “eat it” feature to highlight must-eat entrées. Download the app to track down Los Angeles Street Food.

Road Stoves GPS

This app, by Road Stoves, is perhaps the most versatile and comprehensive. It provides real-time truck tracking from food trucks that broadcast their locations via GPS. This means you can see where the truck is, and where it’s going. The app gets GPS feeds from the most popular Los Angeles food trucks including Kogi, Grilled Cheese, South Philly Experience and more. You can also check out detailed menus and get the latest Twitter feeds from your favorite food trucks. Get Road Stoves GPS and find food on the go.

The Dim Sum Truck

Are you just craving dim sum? Use this app to get instant GPS tracking of The Dim Sum Truck. The app, from Shiva Media, also features the official Dim Sum Truck menu, Twitter and Facebook integration and an events calendar. Find the Dim Sum Truck in Los Angeles with this app.

Buttermilk

From Ground Up Logic, this app help you locate delicious buttermilk pancake bites and Hawaiian bread cinnamon french toast sticks from the Buttermilk truck anywhere in Los Angeles county. In addition to location and maps, browse the menu and get news from the company. Download the Buttermilk app to find this food truck roaming the streets of L.A.

Finding L.A. Food Trucks With Cloud Source Labs

Ciao Bella and Da Burger Boss. Both of these apps come to the app store by way of Cloud Source Labs, and both do essentially the same thing. Whether you’re craving delicious and authentic Italian or you need a burger fit for a Godfather, these apps let you place an order directly from your iPhone and check their schedule to find out the next location. You can even check out and with the integrated electronic shopping cart so your meal will be paid for when it gets to you. You’ll also get access to Twitter feeds for location updates and news.

Whatever your craving, you don’t want to find yourself on a street corner wondering where your lunch just ran off to. With the right iPhone app and a full-tank of gas, you can combine your hunter-gatherer instincts with cutting-edge technology to grab a fresh, hot, delicious meal on the go from some of the best Los Angeles food trucks.

Looking for great eats outside of L.A.? Check out this list of iPhone apps for tracking food trucks.

I take few vacations, but had the pleasure of spending last week traversing between New Jersey and New York City. There are many highlights to the trip: seeing Jersey for the first time, braving the Jersey Shore (totally worth it) for some time on the beach, and spending time in the beautifully daunting Manhattan. It is here where I discovered Stumptown, an impressive “coffee shop” that serves, for the aficionados out there, some of the most refined coffee around.

Located in ACE Hotel, another gem of a destination, Stumptown is a small corner café that doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not. The style is hip, masculine, yet austere enough for customers to know that the proof is in the pudding (well, in this case, the coffee!)

It was early afternoon when I arrived with two friends, and we were all awaiting our first injection of caffeine for the day. We agreed upon our orders prior to arriving: three iced coffees and one espresso to share. As you can see in the photographs, the presentation is as important as the flavor. This shouldn’t suggest that there is something to hide; rather, there is a science behind this company’s roasting and serving techniques. The iced coffee comes in a perfectly chilled bottle, which shouldn’t be transferred to a cup, although one with ice will be offered if you so wish. For you beer drinkers out there, the bottle looks like the relative to the Red Stripe beer bottle. Same size and shape!

But this beverage is far from the likes of alcoholic brew. As a daily coffee drinker, I rely on a little cream and a little sugar to get me through the cup. No need here! I sucked this thing down with no problem, and enjoyed every sip. It was a wonderful blend of strong sweetness, nuttiness, and a nice lingering aftertaste that I, well, simply can’t describe. And I felt great after my consumption, perfectly energized throughout the rest of the day, and certainly no “cracked-out” feeling accompanied by bulging forehead veins. You all know what I’m talking about!

In addition to our iced coffees, we sampled the espresso. I must admit that I’m not an espresso drinker, but I was with two people who drink it and judge it often, and their report was stellar. I didn’t get any flavor adjectives to share with you, but one said “this is the best espresso I’ve ever tasted.” The other just closed his eyes and said, “oh my God.” And he’s not even religious!

These beverages are certainly impressive. Another stand-out element to Stumptown, however, is the overall thought they put into the coffee drinking experience. As you can see above, the espresso is accompanied by a glass of water. Why? Well, you must cleanse your palette of course.

Have you ever seen that before? If not, then on your next trip I recommend you do. Stumptown opened in Manhattan in 2009, but was founded in 1999 in Portland, Oregon. There are nine locations overall, mostly in the Northwest. You can find them online at: http://stumptowncoffee.com/.

As an unabashed foodie, I often wonder how I can eat well without it resulting in a larger pants size. I’m sure you can relate. Sometimes you feel like a salad, but you don’t want to resort to lettuce with lemon juice, or a few pieces of sashimi on top of seaweed that will just make you hungry as soon as you get home.

When a friend suggested we eat at Tender Greens in West Hollywood a couple weeks ago, this conundrum that seemed to be solved. We had just finished a decently grueling hike in Rustic Canyon, and we while we were basking in the pride of exercise and fitness, our hunger was becoming more and more prominent. With locations also in Walnut Creek, Pasadena, Hollywood, Santa Monica, Culver City and San Diego, I think the word is getting out that you can eat big but also healthy with the variety of “greens” this place has to offer.

My first visit was met with an order of Tuna Cakes. The dish included two lightly seared tuna cakes flavored with chives, cayan pepper and lemon. The cakes were lean and cooked perfectly. No filler of bread crumbs with this one! They lay on a bed of arugula, corn and a light tomato sauce, and were finished with finely shaved ginger – a particular favorite of mine, and perfect for the pallet after a long hike.

For my partner in greens, the order came down to the Chipotle Barbeque Chicken and Tomato Bisque Soup. I was fortunate enough to get a taste of the soup, and it was very nice – made with fresh tomatoes and finished with a drizzle of olive oil. The Chipotle Chicken Salad is a perfect example of Tender Greens’ effort to properly feed you with healthy mixings. This salad was large. On top of romaine hearts lay avocado, queso fresco, crispy tortilla strips and green onion all in a cilantro lime dressing. The flavor was powerful yet very clean!

These items are just a few of the many this place has to offer. The salad menu is lengthy and includes variations of many greens, meats and other toppings. There’s also a list of “Simple Salads” for the less hungry, and “Comfort Soups” for those going in a different direction. Tender Greens prides itself on using mostly fresh picked produce from Scarborough Farms in Oxnard, CA. They also rely on grain-fed hormone/antibiotic free cows, chickens raised on the range in Northern California and tuna caught on the line in the Pacific Ocean.

Based on their philosophy of freshness, a commitment to the local farmer and an understanding that healthy food can also be plentiful food, Tender Greens is a destination I’m proud to endorse. Enjoy your salad!

The first weekend of the month brought Mothers Day, and Dianne and I decided to take a trip down to San Diego for a little home cooking at her parents’ house. As we arrived I could smell all of the deliciousness wafting out of the kitchen. When I asked what we would be having, Larry (Dianne’s Dad) said “London Broil, Ribs, Potatoes, and salad” and let me tell you that it was a feast! The London Broil was super tender and cooked to a perfect medium rare with a homemade gravy with green peppers and mushrooms. The ribs fell off the bone and the garlic bread was some of the best I have ever had. Naturally, we filled up like normal and took plenty home.

The next weekend I was off to Reno for the “Goin’ for Broken” race being put on by the 24 Hours of Lemons guys. The drive from Long Beach to Reno while towing a trailer takes about 12 hrs with stops, so we got into Reno very late as we did not leave until about 4PM. After waking up in a Motel 6, I decided that I wanted a good local breakfast joint to get this day started, so we used Yelp and found Pam’s Glorified Ham and Eggs. The menu had all the normal stuff so I asked the waitress what the best thing was. She replied that the Chef George’s Benedict was the most ordered item, so I dove right in. Now I love Eggs Benedict and many of its variations, but this blew them all out of the water. The dish consisted of two pieces of English muffin, each topped with a chorizo patty, basted egg, and chipotle hollandaise sauce. It was so rich, flavorful and unique that I have never had a better Benedict, and I doubt that I ever will.

The third weekend Dianne and I were off to Palm Springs for the Lions 4-L2 convention. Dianne has spent ample time in Palm Springs, so after we fulfilled our duty at the convention she could not wait to show me some of her favorites. We ended up at Sherman’s, a popular establishment and Kosher Deli. I looked over the menu and then the waitress shared the specials with us… and I cried out with joy, “Pastrami Benedict please!!” Now I know that I said that I would never come across a better Benedict just in the previous paragraph, and this was not better but right on par. The pastrami was tender, thinly cut, and just salty enough to balance the rich gravy-like hollandaise sauce. The plate was served with perfectly crisp potatoes and strong coffee. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every bite.

Last but not least, Dianne and I headed out for the TJ of the AZ, Tucson. Our friend Kyle was getting married and we could not wait to party with our friends. We stayed at the Lowes Ventana Canyon resort, and it was beautiful. With a big pool, great rooms, and always something to do the weekend went by way too fast. As far as food went, there are two meals to talk about. The dinner at the wedding was fantastic. I had the chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes, with a side of asparagus and a light salad. The meal was delightful and kept the hangover from being too bad, but the meal that took the cake was breakfast the morning that we left town. We wanted to find the best breakfast place in town so we searched and came up with Bobo’s.

Bobo’s ended up being the perfect breakfast place. It is super divey like Babe’s, but cheap like no other breakfast dive that I have ever been to. They had all the usual suspects, including my fave Chicken Fried Steak, which is exactly what I had. It was perfectly cooked, covered in some of the best sausage gravy I have had in a long time. They also have killer biscuits and gravy and we ended up with three huge orders of them as well. I have to say that the best thing that I tasted at Bobo’s by far though was the banana pancakes. We were talking to the waitress about them and she brought us one for free. It was unbelievable, like bananas flambé, with brown sugar and tones of bananas and not to mention it was as big as the entire plate. Best of all it was not in need of any syrup or butter. If you ever go to Tucson check this place out!!

It has been a fun-filled month of eating and traveling. Here’s hoping you enjoyed May as much as I did!

Until Next Time, Keep Eating Long Beach… or wherever else you may be,

Cliv

As many of you know I love the Dodgers, so myself and Brian Han (one of our new contributors) try to head up to the Ravine at least a few times a month. But as with everything there is always a meal that has to ensue to make it a well rounded experience. Recently my good buddy Boobs was in town from Boston and wanted to catch a Dodgers game, so my brother Brett, Taylor (Padres Fan), Brian, Boobs, and I all piled into the SDL and headed up to the game. We usually hit Ciro’s Tacos on Evergreen in Boyle Heights before games, but decided to switch it up a little and go just up the street to Manuel’s Original El Tepeyac Cafe.

When you first drive up, go ahead and park in the lot if there is space and then prepare to get in line. The restaurant is not very big at all. They have maybe ten tables and room for another ten diners at the counter. If the place is full a line forms outside the door and sometimes past the driveway. Make sure that you let someone know how many are in your group and then just wait and take in what this part of LA has to offer. Once you do get seated take a look at the menu, but if it is your first time then all you need to order is the Hollenbeck.

El Tepeyac is known for many things, but the Original Hollenbeck is what I believe to be the flagship. It is a very large burrito filled with Chili Verde (funny that it is not actually green sauce), avocado, beans and rice with a large amount of the Chili Verde and pork chunks all over the top. It is a great burrito! For the first time ever, I strayed from the Original Hollenbeck and decided to try something new, going for the Machaca Hollenbeck, which was an easy choice as I love machaca. Machaca is shredded beef, onions, bell pepper, and egg all scrambled together. Like the orignal Hollenbeck, the machaca version came with beans, rice, and avocado. I think that I like it more then the Original and am happy that I decided to branch out. Brett, Taylor, and Boobs all got the original and all really enjoyed it. Brian, wanting to truly compare Ciros and El Tepeyac, got the tacos with rice and beans.

We all stuffed ourselves and had a great meal, but I would have to say that I like Ciros much better. Tepeyac is just too much of what I feel to be a tourist trap kind of place. They charge for everything including chips. When you walk into Ciros they put a big basket of chips on the table and then a bowl of diced avocado that is all gratis. I also have to say that I was unimpressed with the preparation of the burrito that I got. All of the meat was at one end, and the other fillings were at the other. I would just expect them to put a little more care into the food that they are making, but at the end of the day these are just little gripes of a foodie, as the overall experience is one that all Angelinos should have at least once.

Until Next Time, Keep Eating LA!

Cliv