Meet the Faces and Organizations in Broken Bread Season 2
Episode 1: The Future of Restaurants
Avenue 26 Street Market
Avenue 26 Street Market, named after longstanding Mexican food stand Avenue 26 Tacos, is a Lincoln Heights night market that housed a wide array of food vendors every night. The open-air market was shut down by the City of L.A. in August 2021, citing complaints from local residents of the market's lack of trash cans, dangerous vehicle traffic in the narrow alleyway and claims of "public urination and defecation" and "crime and violence." There is currently no timeline for the night market's return.
No Us Without You
No Us Without You was formed by partners Damian Diaz and Othón Nolasco during the pandemic when the restaurant industry crumbled in early 2020 and back of the house workers found themselves without a job and ineligible for unemployment. The public charity is aimed at providing food relief to the most disenfranchised hospitality workers affected by the pandemic and currently distributes over 160,000 pounds of food every week, according to their website.
Visit the No Us Without You website and stay connected on social media:
- @NoUsWithoutYou on Instagram
- @NoUsWithoutYouLA on Facebook
Spago
Spago is the flagship restaurant of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, located in the heart of Beverly Hills along Canon Drive. The fine dining restaurant serves up farm-to-table California cuisine, with rotating seasonal menus that utilize local California produce and products.
Visit the Spago website and stay connected with Puck on social media:
- @WolfgangPuck on Instagram
- @Wolfgang Puck on Facebook
- @WolfgangPuck on Twitter
Bé Ù
Located on the edge of Silverlake and East Hollywood, Bé Ú was opened by Uyên Lê in February 2021 and serves up Vietnamese comfort food at affordable prices. After a decade-long career in community building, urban planning and workers' rights, Lê started Bé Ú to implement her own ideas on equitable workplaces with her own restaurant, prioritizing worker health and safety and offering liveable wages.
Visit the Bé Ù website and stay connected on social media:
- @BeUKitchen on Instagram
Hawaii Supermarket
Hawaii Supermarket is a supermarket specializing in Asian groceries shoppers may be hard pressed to find at their local chain grocery store. The market is situated at the heart of San Gabriel Valley at 120 E. Valley Blvd.
Visit the Hawaii Supermarket website and stay connected on social media:
- @HawaiiMKT on Instagram
- @HawaiiSupermarket on Facebook
- @HawaiiMKT on Twitter
Episode 2: From Seed to Table
Shiku
Shiku is a mom-and-pop food stall located in Grand Central Market serving homestyle Korean food from their Andong-style soy-braised chicken to their hambagu steak rice plate. Headed by husband-and-wife duo Kwang Uh and Mina Park, Shiku is dedicated to sharing and preserving Korean vegetables lost to factory farming. In line with Shiku’s mission to amplify Korean vegetables, the vegetables utilized in their recipes are derived from Korean seeds provided by farmer Kristyn Leach of Second Generation Seeds.
Visit the Shiku website and stay connected on social media:
- @ShikuLosAngeles on Instagram
- @ShikuLosAngeles on Facebook
Kristyn Leach
Kristyn Leach is a farmer based in Winters, Calif. growing produce for Namu Restaurant Group. Her work focuses on preserving Korean heritage varieties and natural farming practices, growing produce to grow and preserve seeds. Leach is a member of Second Generation Seeds, a collective of Asian American growers devoted to "helping communities of the Asian diaspora discover and deepen their cultural heritage through seeds."
Visit the Second Generation Seeds website and stay connected on social media:
- @SecondGenerationSeeds on Instagram
Connect with Kristyn Leach on social media:
- @Namu_Farm on Instagram
Alice Waters
Alice Waters is a celebrity chef and restaurateur whose influence began in the 1970s when she opened her restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkley, CA. The iconic chef lives by slow food values and eating simply, devoted to changing our relationship with our food and our planet. Her mission to bring farm-to-table education to schools manifested in 1995 when she founded the Edible Schoolyard Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the “transformation of public education by using organic school gardens, kitchens, and cafeterias to teach both academic subjects and the values of nourishment, stewardship, and community.”
Visit the Edible Schoolyard Project website and stay connected on social media:
- @EdibleSchoolyard on Instagram
- @EdibleSchoolYrd on Twitter
- @EdibleSchoolyardProject on Facebook
Stay connected with Alice Waters on social media:
- @AliceLouiseWaters on Instagram
- @AliceWaters on Twitter
Compton Community Garden
The Compton Community Garden is a system of community gardens owned and operated by the neighborhood. Founded by Sheridan Ross, who spent his retirement developing urban gardens and healthy living programs, Compton Community Garden aims to bring "hope and restoration" to the community by providing space for growing produce and offering classes in gardening.
Visit the Compton Community Garden website and stay connected on social media:
- @ComptonGardens on Instagram
- @ComptonGarden on Facebook
Wahpepah’s Kitchen - Chef Crystal Wahpepah
Wahpepah’s Kitchen was opened by Crystal Wahpepah in Oakland, CA with the objective to "acknowledge that we live on stolen land" and "educate communities and organizations on the health benefits of Native food ways using the knowledge passed onto her." An enrolled member of the Kickapoo nation of Oklahoma, Wahpepah uses ancestral ingredients in her recipes to bring recognition to Native American tradition and foodways to the table.
Visit the Wahpepah's Kitchen website and stay connected on social media:
- @WahpepahsKitchen on Instagram
- @WahpepahsKitchen on Facebook
Crenshaw Dairy Mart
Crenshaw Dairy Mart is an artist collective and art gallery dedicated to "shifting the trauma-induced conditions of poverty and economic injustice, bridging cultural work and advocacy, and investigating ancestries through the lens of Inglewood and its community." But it wasn’t always an art hub. The original Crenshaw Dairy Mart first opened its doors in 1965 as a local convenience store, serving the Black residents of the recently desegregated neighborhood. Keeping the dairy mart’s name and original sign was intentional for founders Patrisse Cullors, noé olivas and Alexandre Dorriz, all of whom actively seek to archive and preserve the area’s history. The reimagined space debuted in February 2020 hosts exhibitions, installations and visiting artists year-round.
Visit the Crenshaw Dairy Mart website and stay connected on social media:
- @CrenshawDairyMart on Instagram
Grand Central Market
Grand Central Market, one of Los Angeles' longest-standing public markets, first opened as the "Wonder Market" in October 1917. Originally touted as "the largest and finest public market on the Pacific Coast," Grand Central Market has since evolved to a thriving microcosm of immigrant cuisine and bustling activity. Today, Grand Central Market is home to over 40 stalls hosting legacy vendors like China Cafe and Roast to Go and rising stars like Eggslut and PBJ.LA.
Visit the Grand Central Market website and stay connected on social media:
- @GrandCentralMarketLA on Instagram
- @GrandCentralMarket on Facebook
Episode 3: Food as Resistance
Sara’s Market
First known as Hilda’s Market upon its first opening in East L.A. over 60 years ago, Sara’s Market is a family-run corner market handed down three generations. Today, Sara’s Market is headed by Sara and Steven Valdes and carries small, local producers for things like wine, coffee, chorizo and tortillas. Owners Sara and Steven Valdes also allow food trucks and other vendors to sell in front of her store, making Sara’s Market a haven for pop-ups and food trucks especially when restaurants closed down due to the pandemic in early 2020.
Visit the Sara’s Market website and stay connected on social media:
- @SarasMarket on Instagram
- @SarasMarkets on Twitter
- @SarasMarket on Facebook
Goat Mafia
Goat Mafia is a birrieria dedicated to preserving classic birria, originating from Jalisco. Helmed by chefs Juan Garcia and Ivan Flores, Goat Mafia is lauded for its traditional birria taco recipe over 100 years old, according to their website. Though Goat Mafia is firmly rooted in the classics, their menu also pushes towards modern takes like their chivadillas that use beets as a meat substitute.
Visit the Goat Mafia website and stay connected on social media:
- @The_Goat_Mafia on Instagram
- @TheGoatMafia on Facebook
Kernel of Truth
Kernel of Truth is an L.A.-based tortilleria on a mission to get traditionally-made, quality tortillas back into homes and restaurant kitchens. Co-owners Ricardo Ortega and Ommar Ahmed started making tortillas in a small kitchen in Boyle Heights in 2014 and expanded to their small factory space in 2018. Today, Kernel of Truth tortillas are used in restaurants across L.A. and can be found on shelves at Sara’s Market in East L.A., Cookbook in Echo Park and Highland Park, and El Machete at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market.
Visit the Kernel of Truth website and stay connected on social media:
- @KernelofTruthOrganics on Instagram
Milpa Grille
Milpa Grille serves up fast Mexican eats and pays homage to the Mesoamerican milpa system of cultivation where corn, beans and squash are planted together to help each other grow. Opened by Deysi Serrano in 2018, the restaurant pays tribute to the practice of milpa through their dishes, featuring the three core ingredients throughout their menu. Additionally, Serrano offers the restaurant’s infrastructure to budding chefs who don’t have a brick and mortar yet. Currently, two other businesses operate under Milpa Grille’s roof: Macheen and Cafe Cafe.
Visit the Milpa Grille website and stay connected on social media:
- @MilpaGrille on Instagram
- @MilpaGrille on Facebook
- @MilpaGrille on Twitter
Macheen
Headed by chef Jonathan Perez, Macheen serves up modern breakfast and brunch with a Latin American twist. Macheen operates inside Milpa Grille in Boyle Heights from Monday through Saturday and conducts pop-ups at Smorgasburg L.A. on Sundays.
Stay connected on social media:
- @_Macheen_ on Instagram
- @MacheenTacos on Facebook
Boyle Heights Bridge Runners
Boyle Heights Bridge Runners is a community running club based out of Boyle Heights on a mission to empower and strengthen community through weekly group runs. Initiated in 2013, the running crew meets every Wednesday at Mariachi Plaza at 7:45 p.m. and welcomes all levels of runners.
Stay connected on social media:
- @BoyleHeightsBridgeRunners on Instagram
- @BoyleHeightsBR on Twitter
Angry Egret Dinette
Angry Egret Dinette is a torta and sandwich shop started by Chef Wes Avila, serving up genre-bending L.A. street food in Mandarin Plaza in Chinatown. The casual eatery is lauded for its cuisine-blending dishes like the highly requested Roy & Jon burrito, filled with duck adobo, a kimchi omelette and salsa macha white rice.
Visit the Angry Egret Dinette website and stay connected on social media:
- @AngryEgretDinette on Instagram
- @Angry Egret Dinette on Facebook
Steep L.A.
Steep L.A. is a modern tea room located in the heart of Chinatown and was founded by Lydia Lin and Samuel Wang in September 2019. Inspired by their Chinese tea drinking experiences within their respective families, Lin and Wang opened Steep to offer the “serenity of tea ceremony” to the “fast-paced” Los Angeles setting. Steep L.A. offers a selection of premium black, green oolong and pu-er teas sourced from China and Taiwan.
Visit theSteep L.A. website and stay connected on social media:
Episode 4: Returning to Chinatown
Hop Woo
Hailing from a family of cooks, Liang Ye "Lupe" Ning opened Hop Woo with his wife, Judy, in 1993 in the heart of Chinatown. Hop Woo serves up Chinese American favorites like orange chicken and beef steak with asparagus as well as traditional dishes like roast duck. The restaurant gained infamy in the neighborhood for being a Latino-friendly Chinese restaurant after customers learned of Lupe’s Spanish fluency, which he picked up during his time living in Mexico before settling down in Los Angeles.
Visit the Hop Woo website and stay connected on social media:
Phoenix Bakery
Phoenix Bakery, located along North Broadway in Chinatown, has been owned and operated by the Chan family since 1938. Well known for their fresh strawberry whipped cream cake, the long-standing Chinese bakery serves cakes and pastries made from recipes passed down across three generations.
Visit the Phoenix Bakery website and stay connected on social media:
- @PhoenixBakery on Instagram
- @PhoenixBakeryInc on Facebook
Pearl River Deli
Pearl River Deli is a Chinese restaurant headed by Chef Johnny Lee and whips up Cantonese and Chinese classics like char siu, pork belly and their famous Hainan chicken. The restaurant is temporarily closed as of October 2021 as they relocate from their former location at Far East Plaza to another location just a few blocks down North Broadway in Chinatown. Until reopening, Pearl River Deli is hosting pop-ups throughout L.A. You can stay up-to-date with Pearl River Deli’s relocation and their pop-ups by connecting on Instagram.
Stay connected on social media:
- @PRD_LA on Instagram
- @PearlRiverDeltaLA on Facebook
Endorffeine Coffee
A former biochemist, pastry chef and Endorffeine Coffee founder Jack Benchakul opened Endorffeine inside Far East Plaza in Chinatown. Benchakul personally brews every drink at Endorffeine, serving up everything from classic espressos to Thai-inspired specialty drinks like their pandan vanilla latte.
Visit the Endorffeine Coffee website and stay connected on social media:
- @Endorffeine on Instagram
- @Endorffeine on Twitter
- @Endorffeine on Facebook
Episode 5: Owning the Block
Simply Wholesome
Simply Wholesome is a family-owned, long-standing health food store and vegan restaurant located along Slauson Avenue. Owned and operated by the Keeling family, the community mainstay has provided groceries, meals and knowledge to the community since 1984. Some of their lauded dishes include their spinach patties, vegetarian tacos, vegan sweet potato pie, and their vegan banana pudding — raved by vegan TikTok star Tabitha Brown. Through their grocery store, the Keelings support over 116 small Black and brown businesses, giving businesses the opportunity to showcase products on the shelves at Simply Wholesome.
Visit the Simply Wholesome website and stay connected on social media:
- @SimplyWholesome on Instagram
- @SimplyWholesomeLosAngeles on Facebook
Nappily Naturals & Apothecary
Nappily Naturals is a wellness shop and healing space owners Umaar Norwood and Sharon Williams-Norwood like to call a "house of wellness." The holistic space was founded in 2018 after the husband-and-wife duo realized the lack of natural beauty and health stores made by and for Black people. Starting as a full-service beauty wellness center that offered organic, plant-based and natural beauty products, Nappily Naturals has also expanded to be an herbal apothecary.
Visit the Nappily Naturals website and stay connected on social media:
- @NappilyNaturals on Instagram
- @NappilyNaturals on Facebook
Sole Folks
Sole Folks is a social enterprise aimed at empowering and supporting emerging design entrepreneurs with professional mentorship, resources and retail channels. The Sole Folks cooperative and retail space in Leimert Park, features exclusively Black labels and houses a co-op space stocked with manufacturing product photography tools for up-and-coming design entrepreneurs to get started. Their incubator program, Sole Folks Lab, offers brand building curriculum, business resources, professional mentorship and startup capital for underserved creative entrepreneurs.
Visit the Sole Folks website and stay connected on social media:
- @SoleFolks on Instagram
- @TheBodyShopHTX on Facebook
Nature’s Thirst Trap
Nature’s Thirst Trap is a smoothie and juice bar specializing in natural fruit and vegetable raw juices. Started in 2017 by owner Imani Jackson, the smoothie and juice bar is committed to "refreshing urban communities with raw juices and love." Some of their juices include their "Beet it Up" beet juice and the "Gin and Juice" ginger juice, which are also served up at the Voodoo Vegan food truck.
Visit the Nature's Thirst Trap website and stay connected on social media:
- @NaturesThirstTrap on Instagram
- @NaturesThirstTrap on Facebook
Voodoo Vegan
Voodoo Vegan is a food truck helmed by Chef Whitt that serves up authentic Creole cajun vegan food to the greater Los Angeles area. Some of their popular dishes include the vegan shrimp po boy and their "Who Dat Mac" baked mac n’ cheese.
Visit the Voodoo Vegan website and stay connected on social media:
- @VoodooVeganFood on Instagram
Treehouse Co-Living
Treehouse Co-Living is an intentional community located in Hollywood and founded by Prophet Walker and Joe Green. Through community dinners, community events and living in close proximity, the co-living project offers a new way of living that centers around connection and aims to cure loneliness.
Visit the Treehouse Co-Living website and stay connected on social media:
- @TreehouseCoLiving on Instagram
- @TreehouseCoLive on Facebook
Episode 6: Tijuana
Tijuana No!
Tijuana No! is a Mexican ska, rock and punk band from Tijuana, active throughout the 90s and early 2000s, whose songs covered topics like government corruption, immigration and racism.
El Casimiro
El Casimiro is a kitchen and taproom in Tijuana on Av. Revolución, one of the busiest streets in town. Helmed by chef Joe Figueroa, who built a name for himself with his food truck, El Casimiro pushes the envelope by giving Tijuana flavors and local ingredients a new dimension like the croquetas de quesabirria, deep fried tortilla balls filled with beef birria.
Stay connected on social media:
- @El.Casimiro on Instagram
Honduras 504
A reference to the Honduras country code, Honduras 504 is a restaurant in Tijuana that specializes in Honduran cuisine, helmed by chef Lilian Mejia with her husband José Aguilar. The restaurant is known as a popular stop for migrants to stop for a meal and a call to their families back home just before reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. With donations from friends and family, Honduras 504 feeds 1,000 meals to migrants every week.
La Antigüita
Esther Morales had been deported nine times between 1989 and 2010. After her last deportation, Morales decided to stay in Tijuana and opened her own restaurant, La Antigüita — a restaurant that serves warm food like tamales and champurrado to migrants and asylum seekers reaching the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to opening La Antigüita, Morales had been cooking in the U.S. for 20 years. To date, La Antigüita has delivered over 10,000 meals to 12 shelters around the city of Tijuana and employs other women whose stories mirror Morales’.
Stay connected on social media:
- @LaAntiguitaTamaleria on Facebook
