Monkish to open in Echo Park

Places that were kid friendly never bothered me. If it bugs you, don’t go. That said, trust me, once you give your Mrs. some baby batter, it’s a whole other world. Beauty that cannot be defined. That said, if I’m not feeling a Pizza Port vibe at the time being, then I’ll go to a normal where it’s all saucy and shit.

 

the good news is Monkish opening in Echo Park will do away with having to discuss with out-of-town visitors whether it's worth it to drive to or Uber it to Monkish. Instead we can discuss what a good ole time can be had doing some combination of Monkish, Highland Park, Homage, and Creature Comfort

 

I really don't get why they would open a location in this part of LA. Maybe I don't get it b/c I don't regularly attend Dodgers games or b/c I'm old and don't go out much on the weekends anymore. I think they would have been better off either within walking distance to HPB/Homage, or in the Arts District. At least Arts District feels more like their vibe and with good places to eat nearby. I just don't want to see them over expanding and then this new location drains their resources and hurts their overall operations.

 

This part of LA is super hot right now. From Sunset Junction all the way southeast to around the 110. They are building massive apartment buildings up and down there right now, and the restaurant options in that area are better than the arts district in my opinion. Its a bit of an older crowd in Echo Park I feel like as well. I know people that live in the Chinatown area with the breweries and that's kind of all that is there. The old Scout building used to be there as well, so had to go there for work once a week.

Yes, Dodger game days are a bitch and are a nightmare to find parking and get around, but thats only 81 days a year. The rest of the year is usually somewhat chill, and they will be right around new restaurants and shops, and on a heavy foot traffic street.

 

Exactly this. It'll be interesting to see how "hot" Echo Park stays over the years moving forward, but it is definitely the trendy spot recently. I'd consider it safer/cleaner than most parts of downtown too.

 

Good to know! Maybe I'll have to check out the scene over there one day. Thanks!

 

The only thing near HPB/Homage besides a whole bunch of new apartments is LAX-C. There’s a ton of food near where the new Monkish spot will be including Quarter Sheets which is an incredibly popular pizza spot. So popular my buddy who lives a block away refuses to go there because he doesn’t want to deal with their lines/crowds even though I keep trying to convince him to try ‘em out.

 

Your buddy does know he could've always ordered takeout from them, right? They also take reservations now, so waiting in line is a thing of the past.

 

I have told him both of these things and yet

 

“Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”

Is your friend Yogi Berra?

 

Quarter Sheets pizza is great but the best thing about Quarter Sheets are the cakes from partner Hannah Ziskin, previously from House of Gluten

 

Probably me, though I haven't tried them yet. I love Chicago style pizza and fully admit they are tomato sauce bread bowls. They are goddamn delicious tomato sauce bread bowls. Masa, also in Echo Park, makes a pretty true to form Chicago style pizza (confirmed by my girlfriend who lived in Chicago).

Sheets looks more like Detroit style pizza, which is OK but a little too greasy in my opinion.

 

Quarter Sheets is closer to Grandma-style than Detroit.

 

was in Echo Park and a couple doors north of Little Joy, there's a sign saying Monkish and Helen's Ramen coming soon + a notice of non-responsibility sign dated in early March which would indicate tenant improvement construction is starting soon but nothing appears to be going on as of this weekend.

The notice of non-responsibility is in the name of HLS LA Inc whose ownership appears to be related to a Helen's bar chain from China - anyone know if there's any connection between the two businesses?

 

Any stout releases I've seen for Monkish the past couple of years have been via online sales that sold out in minutes, though it's nice you don't have to stand outside in line for hours to get those beers anymore. Wish they would allow proxies for people like me who live out of state, but a couple of trips to LA a year are a treat.

 

You will not hear me besmirch the cakes at Quarter Sheets-- or *anything* at Quarter Sheets, for that matter-- but for my money, the Sicilian Corner is the reason to go back again and again, as often as possible. It's fan-fucking-tastic. Pretty much no matter what they decide to throw on top of that sumbitch, it's guaranteed to be delicious. The sesame crust is perfection. And the rotating toppings are part of the appeal, I'd say-- if you don't go often (which I don't), you're not really sure what you should expect, but you're *CERTAIN* that it's going to be a little bit different, and absolutely wonderful.

But yeah... EVERYTHING is damn good there. Salads. Starters. Desserts. ALL the different types of pizzas. It's excellent. I think I'm going to make the 40-minute trek to go there this week for a revisit.