Culinary Saviors of the Covid 19 Apocalypse

The Covid 19 lockdown in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles was rough. Infection rates, hospitalizations and deaths got as high as anywhere in the world. Businesses were shut down, traffic non-existent (the one positive thing) and going anywhere without a mask, even to take out the garbage, unthinkable.

We had just begun our relocation to the LA area when all this unfolded. What normally takes 6-8 weeks (finding and buying a new home, getting everything moved in) took almost seven months, as the world ground to a halt and we found ourselves confined to a 600 square foot corporate apartment smack dab in the middle of the valley.

Our life, like most people’s, became one long day of sedentary monotony, broken only by excursions to the grocery store, Target, the farmers market and takeout.

While I recognize we were (and are) very fortunate to be able to do any of those things, it is the last one - the variety of mom and pop restaurants offering food from around the world - that helped us transcend the monotony and experience moments of joy.

Following are a few of our favorites…

Jerry’s Pizza
Two weeks before lockdown I had walked to Jerry’s for a solo dinner. Marissa was still in the Bay Area, I was a bit lonely and figured pizza, the ultimate comfort food, would help.

My expectations were low. It had been our experience that pizza in California just isn’t that good, and is usually over-priced.

Jerry’s immediately proved me wrong. The dough was flavorful and just the right kind of chewy. Toppings were fresh and also full of flavor. The price was fantastic - a small pizza (half of which I took home) and a beer for under $20.

The first weekend after Marissa moved down, and we found ourselves in need of the comfort that only pizza can bring, we picked up from Jerry’s. I was so happy to have something that helped say, “everything is going to be alright…” to give her during those first few weeks.

Pascal Patisserie & Café
The best croissant outside of Paris? Available now at a non-descript strip mall in Woodland Hills, California.

Pascal Patisserie and Café. Another pre-lockdown discovery that sustains us to this very day.

I had stopped for a treat on a solo trip to the Encino farmers market. This may have been the same weekend as the Jerry’s discovery (I was looking for comfort everywhere.) The strip mall was near our apartment, tucked into a forgettable corner adjacent the Orange Line and nearly indistinguishable from the thousands of other strip malls throughout the valley.

Inside, the air was filled with the scent of butter, sugar and yeast, a gleaming case filled with beautiful French pastries. If it weren’t for the sunshine and concrete outside, I would have believed I was in the heart of the Marais, stopping for a bite before heading to the Louvre.

I ordered an almond croissant to go, planning to nibble it a bit as I drove. I had a bite before starting the car and didn’t leave the parking lot until the whole thing was gone.

I couldn’t believe how perfect this croissant was. It was flaky and buttery and light, with crispy, caramelized corners. The almond filling was substantial but not overdone. Not too sweet, either. It was truly perfect.

I introduced Marissa to this perfection some time after she had moved down and by the last couple of months of our stay we were enjoying a croissant weekly. Every Thursday I would take a detour during my regular morning walk, heading to this camouflaged French outpost to pick up a freshly-baked-still-warm wonder in pistachio, our favorite.

To this day, if our plans take us near the area, we will go a little early just to get one - devouring it in the parking lot just like that first time. Perhaps we will do so tomorrow.

Furn Saj
Our first trip down here after I had accepted the job was not an easy one. The traffic intimidated us, the complete change in atmosphere from the Bay Area unnerved us, and the grieving process for our soon to-to-be former life started really kicking in.

We took a drive out to Granada Hills for Lebanese food at Furn Saj. The warmest people, the tastiest shawarma and the hugest portions of everything, made us feel so much better. The relief was temporary, but sublime. And it would only get better.

We didn’t get back right away - Granada Hills wasn’t that close and lockdown made everything further away - but we thought about it often. Finally, we made it back, and that is when we discovered Mana’ish.

One of the most flavorful, texturally pleasing, beautiful-to-look-at, all-around-delicious things I have ever eaten. Think of it as a pizza speaking Arabic instead of Italian (and yes, these things do speak. At least, they talk to me all the time.)

We ordered a soujouk and cheese mana’ish, Lebanese style. Lebanese style means it is topped with tomatoes, mayonnaise and pickles. Just when you think something can’t get any better, someone puts mayonnaise and pickles on it. Voila! - like magic.

The happiest of happy endings? They have now opened a location in Calabasas, exactly 13 minutes from our home (when traffic cooperates.)

Versailles Comida Cubana
The first time I tasted the Pollo Versailles, I knew this was a special place. Juicily infused with citrus and garlic, every mouthful a fiesta of flavor and texture. And the Lechon Asado, roasted pork so luxurious one could nap on it, also features a beautiful balance of sweet meat, tangy citrus and mellow garlic, topped with the slightly sharp crispness of pickled onion.

Combine these with fried plantains, black beans and rice and you have a meal that I would be proud to have as my last.

The men - all I ever saw at the Encino location during the pandemic - at Versailles put the finishing touches on an already fantastic place. Friendly, calm, competent and - I don’t know how to describe it but - just how I picture people in Cuba to be. Every time I picked up our enormous orders (they are just as generous a value as Furn Saj) I left feeling that everything was going to be alright.

It’s not over.
Now that we are vaccinated and these favorite places are opening back up for seating, it will be fun to eat-in. It will be nice to linger, try something else from the menu on a whim, maybe get to know the people who work at and own these places.

However, as the pandemic recedes we are keen to begin exploring more and more of what our new home has to offer. Los Angeles is vast. It is immense. And it is full of delicious food.

We’ve only gotten started.