Harlem Place Cafe

After visiting the Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk, my friends and I went to Harlem Place Cafe as one of my friends already knew about this place and thought that we should try it out. The artwalk in Downtown L.A. is usually held every second Thursday of the month and there are also other food places to try out including several food trucks during Artwalk night.

This place is in a "hidden" location at the end of a short alley next to the Museum Of Neon Art. I like the fact that there are art work (graffiti art, paintings, and photography) on the wall. It's also a "hip" place for the young crowds. While they play "cool" music, the music was very loud, making it hard to have a conversation with your friends and/or when ordering your food. How do you enjoy your meal and conversations with your friends if you have to yell over the music just to be heard?

Since this was my first time here, I had only tried the pulled pork sliders. My friends ordered the same, so there wasn't much to try out or get opinions on other foods or get photos of other food. The pulled pork sliders were pretty good though and it was reasonably priced for the portion with a soda. Each plate came with two sliders and cole slaw. The customer service was generally good, but we thought it was strange that they didn't give out numbers so that they could remember who ordered what. We had to remind our server once or twice about our orders, but he somehow forgot about one of my friend's order and he returned with three sliders for forgetting my friend's order which was awesome. Each plate of sliders usually came with two, but my friend got one extra on the house for the inconvenience.

Urth Caffe - Downtown Los Angeles

I don't visit coffee places very often, but when I do, I enjoy the quaint little ones. Starbucks is so overrated! Over the weekend, I visited Urth Cafe, located in Downtown Los Angeles, CA and met up with a few members from the Pleasure Palate meetup group. When the event host mentioned Hello Kitty latte and other characters that were drawn on the foam of the lattes, I was pretty much sold and I was so excited see that part! It has an indoor sitting area as well as a large outdoor patio area. It gets pretty busy here on the weekends, so both indoor and outdoor areas get full. Boba teas and hot teas do get served here, so if you're not a coffee drinker, it's ok. They will also make characters by requests on the foam on your tea lattes as well! This is certainly a great place to hang out with your friends. The only thing that I don't like about this place is that while the music that they play is nice, it's also a bit too loud. There is already enough talking amongst the customers and at the counter all of which are loud enough already, so when you're sitting inside and talking with your friends, it's hard to hear them if you're not shouting over the music.

 I ordered a Cafe Mocha

Coffee Break

While the outside doesn't look appealing, attractive or interesting and the business name seems odd, don't let the outside fool you. Coffee Break in Walnut, CA is a quaint, comfy cafe with a hint of homeliness to it and it serves more than just coffee and tea. The interior is very chic and modern. This is a mom and pop resturant that has been in business for over 15 years although it has changed ownership many times during its many years in business.

While the place is very small, it is more than just a break for coffee. It serves a variety of tea, coffee, and hot dishes. They have dine in and take out orders. The prices are very reasonable and you get a lot for your money. There are also always specials going on, so if you are a student at one of the nearby colleges, keep an eye out for them. It is right across the street from Mt. San Antonio College (junior college) and about one mile away from Cal Poly, Pomona (state college), so you can imagine that this place gets very busy for their weekday lunch and dinner during the regular school year.

I have been here many times before, though it has been awhile. I usually like to order green tea and some kind of rice dish. I've decided to venture off and ordered the iced Almond Coffee and the Satay Beef with Fried Noodles and Pumpkin. To my surprise, both were very tasty. I like my coffee to taste like coffee with a sweet taste.

 

Satay Beef with Fried Noodles and Pumpkin

Iced Almond Coffee