A South American Day In Los Angeles

There are two kinds of staycations. The kind where you want to completely relax and treat your city as though you are a tourist in it, experiencing all of the things that are so fill in your city here. And then there is the type of staycation in which you want to feel like you’ve gotten far, far away. As in, to another country, without having spent a dime on airfare and skipping the jet lag. I recently took the latter kind when I realized my dreams of traveling through South America might stay just dreams until my dreams of a larger bank account came true. I took a South American “staycation” in Los Angeles. Here are a few places I “travelled” through.

Coupa Café
If you’ve seen The Social Network, then you’ve seen Coupa’s coffee cup. The original Facebook Headquarters in Palo Alto are right around the corner from Coupa Café’s Bay Area location. Mark Zuckerberg used to refuel his brain on Coupa’s Venezuelan Coffee. A little secret about Venezuelan coffee, it is nearly impossible to find anywhere other than Venezuela and Coupa Café. Coupa has coffee farms in Venezuela that grow coffee beans explicitly for them. I started my meal with the Degustacion—a little taste of many traditional Venezuelan bites like fried plantains wrapped around a light cheese, mini arepas filled with cheese and ground beef, and cachapas—corn griddle pancakes. My main course was the Pabellon—a hearty and dynamic dish of spiced shredded beef, black beans, rice, sweet fried plantains and cheese. As a digestive (or just for something delicious) I had their spiced hot chocolate, melted down from Venezuelan chocolate. This accompanied the only dessert that has ever made me lose all control—their Tres Leches cake, soaked in three types of milk and topped with creamy meringue. Beverly Hills shoppers might be passing by, but in the thick, jungle plants, hand-painted tiles and warm yellow walls of Coupa, you don’t realize Wilshire Blvd is a block away.
419 North Canon Drive Beverly Hills

Pabellon at Coupa Cafe

Tres Leches Cake at Coupa Cafe

Puerto Madero Market
If there is one thing Argentina is known for besides beautiful women, it’s their carnivore culture! They have mouth-watering meats. Puerto Madero market is a clean, well-organized Argentinian market in Santa Ana, complete with a small café. Here you’ll find shining cases of Argentinian sausage, Chorizo, as well as other specialties like Pan Dulce and Empanadas. In the café you’ll find hand-made sandwiches stuffed with the famous meat.
2715 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Redondo Beach

Chorizo

Tropicalia Brazilian Grill
Located near the great Greek theater, Tropicalia is a perfect place to grab some Brazilian grub before a show. Most Americans think formal Churrascarias when they think Brazilian food, but Tropicalia is small and cozy with plate glass windows, wood tables and Los Feliz locals in no hurry. Its romantic wine bar offers over 50 wines by the glass as well as imported Brazilian beers. You wouldn’t expect it, but this restaurant is known for it’s salad—the Salad Brasileira, made with lettuce, toasted cashews, tomatoes, plantains, avocados and hearts of palm with balsamic-dijon vinaigreete. Another favorite is the Braziribs that are barely on the bone to begin with. These are braised for hours and seasoned with a pepper sauce, a combination of BBQ sace and Indian curry, and served with yucca flour on top.
1966 Hillhurst Ave Los angeles

Just like on any ordinary vacation, I gained weight and took long food-induced naps.

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