Looking across the city from the peak at Griffith Park just before sunset you can really take in just how enormous Los Angeles is. Spectacular panoramic views across mountains, buildings as far as the eye can see and, in the background, a low but constant hum of traffic. Coming from a small town in Ireland, it's easy to feel out of place when you experience the sheer scale of the place.
On this latest stay, I have been filming a new series for Food Network at Sunset Gower studios in Hollywood. It's been an amazing experience filled with all the cliché's you see in the movies: lights, cameras, ear pieces, make-up artists, stylists and, of course, chairs with your name on them.
While shooting the series, Sofie and I have been staying in Silver Lake, close to downtown LA. The area is a haven for hipster shops and great food spots and was once home to some of the first motion picture studios. The house we’ve been renting is nestled high on one of the historic staircases of the city, once used as means for locals to easily access street cars, trolleys and buses.
However, the historical charm wears thin when you have to truck bags of shopping or groceries up them. It has felt more like home here compared to our stay in Venice Beach and we have been thoroughly enjoying all the neighbourhood has to offer.
From a food perspective, weekends provide plenty of great options to choose from. Saturday mornings are best spent at the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market at a pedestrianised section of Sunset Boulevard where producers offer some of the freshest fruit and vegetables, with a diverse selection to choose from.
One stall sells clean eating vegan empanadas filled with Swiss chard and quinoa while another hawks dirty big American-style breakfast burritos, showing both sides of the American food story.
Brunch at roadside stop Dinette in nearby Echo Park is a must, with picture-perfect rectangular waffles drenched in maple syrup with butter and a careful sprinkle of sea salt and a delicate squash flower frittata dotted with goats cheese that will have your mouth watering. Dinner is an easy choice at the city’s best Thai joint, Night + Market Song, with a kitsch interior the perfect setting for enjoying addictive party wings and memorable tamales with catfish and pork fat baked in a banana leaf humming with fragrant Thai heat.
There is no shortage of food inspiration in Silver Lake and these recipes are staples of the Silver Lake brunch scene, which should give you a taste of this unique area of Los Angeles.
