There are a few good lunch options near my work. If you’re anyone but me.
There’s Subway, which if you know me, you know I think smells like a public restroom.
There’s Quiznos, which smells like a public restroom, but toasted.
There’s an Indian buffet place that is basically stuffed inside a Thai massage parlor and always has a gang of thugs that look like this lurking in the back:
There was, for a brief period, Flourish Cafe, a good, but expensive, vegan spot. They recently closed, though, leaving me with nothing. Or so I thought.
Live music often makes me panic so typically I ignore the El Rey Theatre. Turns out I have been doing myself a disservice since they are home to one of my new favorite spots–Cowboys and Turbans, a super cheap, and ultra fast Mexican and Indian fusion restaurant.
Lunch is usually around $6-$8 and should keep you full pretty much all day, unless you are a bottomless pit.
The first time I got the spinach tofu tandoori burrito. Completely vegan and seriously delicious.
Immediately after lunch a food coma of Thanksgiving proportions ensued and I went into unibomber disguise so nobody would talk to me.
Now I alternate between the burrito and the naanwich (also spinach tofu), on wheat naan.
The little shreds on top that look like cheese are actually chic pea strips. Not everything is vegan here since they serve chicken and quesadillas, and masala cheese fries (!), but there are plenty of vegan options, including a coconut based masala sauce with no dairy.
From left to right are the masala, a super spicy red sauce and an equally spicy and maybe more delicious green sauce.
Once I went to the El Rey location for lunch and then, in an effort to be inconspicuous, went to the Silverlake location for dinner. The owner saw me both times. As we left after dinner, he looked at me and my date and said to us “see you guys later” and then pointed at me and said “especially you.”
Embarrassing, maybe, but not enough to stop me from going back for lunch the next day. And basically 3-5 times a week ever since.
