The Hungry Pocket

In the sprawling metropolis better known as Los Angeles, it is no problem finding cuisine from any corner of the world. However, compared to other big American cities like New York and Chicago, it is slim pickings on the West Coast when it comes to greasy little gyro stands or the late night shaworma shacks. That is why Santa Monica is home to such a gem in The Hungry Pocket Falafel House. The name is a mouthful in itself!  And a mouthful of falafel is exactly what you will get especially if you pop in Monday or Wednesday from 3-9 p.m. This is the Hungry Pocket’s all you can eat falafel sandwich night and a favorite dinner destination for people looking for a good deal. 

“The record is 9 falafel sandwiches. People try to beat it, but the record has been 9 sandwiches for about ten or eleven years now.” owner Mike Lafev recounts.

That sounds like an extreme amount of sandwiches to eat in one sitting. That also sounds like an open invitation and challenge to hungry Santa Monacans citywide. And the residents of this city do know a thing or two about the Hungry Pocket. While it has received plenty of acclaim from newspapers and bloggers alike, it is the neighborhood customers that are Mike Lafev’s bread and butter.

“Businesses come and go, but we’re pretty steady. We have alot of regulars coming back.” says Mike

The restaurant itself is rather unassuming. Nested in a small mini-mall across the street from the Santa Monica City college, the Hungry Pocket seats no more than 20 people. When school gets out, the place becomes a madhouse. It has been this way as long as most people can remember, and Mr. Lavaf is the best person to go to for a quick history lesson on the Hungry Pocket.

In 1968 an Israeli family owned the property, way back when the restaurant was named Uncle Mustache. From there a Lebanese family purchased the place and changed the name to Hungry Pocket. In 1984 Mike, an electrical engineer at the time, purchased the Hungry Pocket, made an instant career change, and has been running the restaurant ever since. Taking on the ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ mentality, not much has changed with the Hungry Pocket in his 25 years of operation. Except the Uncle Mustache name, everyone agreed that had to go.  

From Israeli to Lebanese to now Persian proprietary, the Hungry Pocket has changed hands from almost half of the Middle East. While ownership has changed, the menu has always stayed intact; shaworma, gyros, kabobs, and of course falafel. In a region that has been embattled in everything from politics, to religion, to border disputes, leave it to some simple Mediterranean comfort food to bring people together.  

“Israelis, Iraqis have there differences on the street, Turks and Greeks too, but in here everyone seems to get along, they can all agree on the food.” Mike explains

The Hungry Pocket Falafel House is not simply making Mediterranean food and sending people on there way. It is a place that is serving up solidarity one falafel sandwich at a time.  

D.K.'s Does Donuts Right

It was not too long ago that my 98’ Grand Cherokee bit the dust. As everything under the hood seemed to go up in smoke, so was the notion that I was going to be able to function sans motor vehicle in L.A. To the contrary getting rid of a three thousand pound hunk of metal, glass, rubber, and plastic was the most liberating thing I have ever done. Commuting via bicycle and public transportation in Los Angeles is a daunting to downright terrifying notion for most people. I would be lying if I said biking this city does not have its pitfalls, or that there are no crazy people on the bus, but with some street savvy and knowledge of the metro routes, it is a very doable endeavor. Sometimes forcing yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way try something that regularly would be out of the question. Converting from a recreational biker to one of necessity gives you an entirely new perspective on the city, its streets, neighborhoods, people, and food.  I am more inclined to check out a restaurant on a bike than in a car. Parking is not an issue, it does not take much to work up an appetite, and last time I checked the 405 does not have any eateries on the shoulder. Biking and eating in Los Angeles is nothing less than an adventure. I am not trying to spearhead L.A.’s anti-car culture, or lead some sort of green movement. I just want to have my Pastrami Sandwich, and eat it too.

Go Nuts for Donuts

The Donut is certainly one of life’s sweet treats. This well rounded deep fried confection is definitely in the hearts, minds, and stomach’s of Angelenos as well. Simply do a web search for donuts and you will find hundreds of listings peppered across the SoCal landscape. However, the mega franchises have little to no representation in the L.A. donut scene. Dunkin Donuts has zero locations in the Los Angeles area, and Krispy Kreme has a meager three shops. Which literally and figuratively says ‘you can take your corporate donut back to New York City!’ In L.A. the ma and pop donut stand is alive and well. In Santa Monica no place embodies the independent donut shop like D.K.’s

D.K.’s which stands for Dave and Karen’s was ironically the name of a big donut chain which fizzled out around the same time Cong Tao purchased the shop on 16th and Santa Monica Blvd. some 30 plus years ago. Today D.K.’s is still at the same location, but just a couple years back Mr. Tao hung up the old donut roller, retired in his home country of Thailand, and handed the reins to his son Sean. Being younger than the shop itself, yet still being around it most of his life, Sean Tao gives his own take on small business, service, and of course donuts.

“L.A. is a hip place, clubs open and close, shops open and close, we want to broaden our horizons. If there is something that our customers want we’re going to put it on the menu.”

While recognizing what customers want, which are the apple fritters, French curlers, eclairs, buttermilk bars, and glazed donuts, Sean understands the importance of keeping things fresh in the donut shop too. What better way to broaden your horizons than with a bacon maple log? You will find the bacon maple log, or simply the BML, on the top shelf along with D.K.’s other avant garde creations. One week there will be churros and the next week it may be crumb cake, or bread pudding, or something else. D.K.’s is like that box of chocolates. The one where you never know what you’re gonna get. That is the fun of walking into D.K.s. You may see something new and exciting but you can still always fall back on that familiar old fashion.

“Our customers come back. They know what old fashion donuts are like. These are handmade. They’re not made by a machine.” Sean explains

“D.K.’s is a staple of Santa Monica. We’re pro Santa Monica, we’re pro small business. We don’t like the corporate model. We keep it real. If you don’t see it on our shelves we’ll probably make it for you.”

D.K.’s certainly is a staple of Santa Monica. Perhaps it is not as famous as the Santa Monica Pier, but it has found its niche amongst the hospitals, car dealerships, offices, and residents in the surrounding area. It is always good to support your local business‘ so why not do it with a bear claw, coffee, and a big grin on your face at D.K.’s?