Eat in Los Angeles: The Gumbo Pot

Jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage, served with cornbread and sweet potato salad with apples and raisins


Seafood Gumbo with shrimp, crab, file, and okra, served with cornbread and vegetarian collard greens

The Gumbo Pot serves delicious New Orleans cuisine at The Original Farmers Market at 3rd and Fairfax.

When we stopped by last week, I tried the Jambalaya with chicken and andouille sausage, cornbread, and sweet potato salad with apples and raisins. The jambalaya had generous portions of chicken and sausage, and a bold and smoky flavor as promised. The cornbread complemented the jambalaya well. The sweet potato salad was also quite good. It provided a nice, cool balance to the spicy rice dish. My mom ordered the Seafood Gumbo with shrimp, crab, file, and okra, which she seemed to enjoy as well.

If you've visited The Gumbo Pot recently, what do you recommend trying?

The Gumbo Pot
Website | Yelp

6333 W. 3rd Street #312, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Open: Monday - Thursday 9 - 9, Friday - Saturday 9 - 10, Sunday 9 - 8

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Eat in Portland: Mumbo Gumbo

Jambalaya with chicken, Andouille sausage, peppers, onions, celery, and a side of cornbread

Mumbo Gumbo is a food cart that specializes in Cajun and Creole style food in Southwest Portland. When my mom and I visited a couple weeks ago, she ordered the Jambalaya, which is made with chicken, Andouille sausage, peppers, onions, celery, and a side of cornbread. It's everything I want in jambalaya and then some. It comes with a good helping of Andouille sausage. Overall, it's a pretty spicy dish so make sure you've got some water nearby.

If you've stopped by Mumbo Gumbo, what did you try?

Mumbo Gumbo

Facebook | Yelp

930 SW Washington St., Portland, OR 97205

Open: Monday - Saturday 11am - 6pm

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Eat in San Francisco: Brenda's Meat & Three

Brenda's Fried Chicken with hot pepper jelly and sides of Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, and Okra and Tomato Maque Choux




BBQ Spare Ribs with sides of Collard Greens, Mashed Potatoes, and Red Beans & Rice

In late August, I tried Brenda's Meat & Three — a Southern restaurant, known for their Cajun and Creole cuisine, located on Divisadero between Golden Gate and McAllister in NoPa — for the first time for "supper" with my dining companion, who's been eager to visit. I've previously had Brenda's Oakland for delivery, which was quite good, so I knew I was in for a treat. According to their website, Brenda's Meat & Three was opened in 2014 and is a specific style of restaurant, where patrons pick one meat and three sides for their meal.

For our meats, we tried Brenda's Fried Chicken and the BBQ Spare Ribs, both of which were perfectly cooked, flavorful, and tender. Since we both got a plate, we got to try six sides, which everyone knows are often the favorites. For our sides, we had a bit of everything: Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, Okra and Tomato Maque Choux, Collard Greens, Mashed Potatoes, and Red Beans & Rice. Many of these were classics we were excited to experience Brenda's take on, while some were new to us. I remember the Okra and Tomato Maque Choux being surprisingly good. 

Overall, everything was well-made and they executed everything on their expansive menu pretty well. The service was very attentive. If you plan to visit, I would recommend going with a friend you can share with, if you also want to try various sides. (You can also get the 4-sides option.)

Brenda's Meat & Three

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Yelp

919 Divisadero St., San Francisco, CA 94115

Open: Daily 8am - 9pm

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Eat in Los Angeles: The Pie Hole

Earl Grey Tea pie


Mexican Chocolate pie


Cappuccino

Although I've known about The Pie Hole for a couple years, I finally visited their Arts District location last week. Located on Traction Avenue on the eastern side of Downtown Los Angeles, this pie shop serves an impressive selection of pies in sweet and savory flavors as well as any type of coffee you desire.

When I stopped by with my mom, we ordered a slice of the Earl Grey Tea and the Mexican Chocolate pies. I also got a cappuccino and she a drip coffee. The pies were fantastic. The Earl Grey Tea had that delicate earl grey flavor that I love, a flaky pastry crust, a thin layer of chocolate in between, and was topped with pistachios. The Mexican Chocolate pie was made with a thick chocolate filling, a crumbly graham cracker crust, and a healthy portion of whipped cream. These pies were nothing like I've had before and completely satisfied my craving for pie, which has lasted for what's felt like years. This is one of those places where you know the food is made carefully and with a lot of love.

To top it off, they serve some great coffee, too. I've heard from several people that the coffee is a must-try, and even the main event if you're not in the mood for dessert. My cappuccino was huge and prepared perfectly. My mom also enjoyed her organic drip coffee.

The next time I visit, I'll try a Chicken and Cornbread Pot Pie or a Mac and Cheese Hand Pie. You can learn more about The Pie Hole by watching this video by The Bold Italic.

Looking for more photos from The Pie Hole? Here you are.

The Pie Hole

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714 Traction Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Open: Monday - Thursday 7am - 10pm, Friday 7am - 11pm, Saturday 8am - 11pm, Sunday 8am - 10pm

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