Tweet
VINELAND AND BURBANK: ARMENIAN BAKERIES, "PERFECT" DOUGHNUTS + GREAT LEBANESE FOOD
LA Weekly, CA
Oct 21 2013
By Farley Elliott
Vineland Ave. and Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood is a famous
intersection, at least to some. The perfectly silly Circus Liquor is
there, with its overbearing polka dotted clown sign lording it over
everything else in sight. Of course, that sign (and its parking lot)
gained a bit of notoriety in the mid-'90s as the spot where Alicia
Silverstone's character in Clueless was mugged.
Nowadays, you'll find a lot more than just Circus Liquors at
Vineland and Burbank. For one, there's a big brown strip mall on the
northwestern corner, with a Fatburger right up front, beckoning in
the hungry and disoriented. There are further delights inside the B-V
Shopping Center, like a Middle Eastern borek shop with just a single
table, some fantastic Lebanese food and a Korean barbecue/noodle/sushi
shop, all rolled into one.
Circus Liquor's Valley-famous signage will always rule this
intersection, but peek around the corners of the adjacent strip mall,
and you might find some pretty damn good eats there too.
Sis Bakery Sis is a storefront only bakery that specializes in Armenian
delights like maneishe and lahmajun, the almost pita-sandwich-like
treat that is traditionally topped with ground beef or lamb. There's
basically nothing else to order from the cash only counter, unless
you include those boreks, which are soft, filling and a steal at $3
or less.
Those in the know -- read, the large Armenian community of the Valley
-- call ahead to order the boreks, maneishe or lahmajun by the box, or
spring for the mini versions to take to a party. Considering there's
literally only one table with a chair haphazardly pushed into the
front window area, you shouldn't be hanging out at Sis Bakery anyway.
That is, unless you want to bask in the glow of the cold drink cooler,
where GazÅ~Mz sodas are plentiful and you can by your yogurt drink by
the gallon. Sis Bakery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on
Sundays when they close at 3:30 p.m. They do not accept credit cards.
11009 Burbank Blvd. #123, North Hollywood; 818-760-7520.
Arabkir Pastry Bakery Just down the way is Arabkir Pastry Bakery,
which focuses on the sweeter stuff. Glass cases take up nearly the
entire room, with a small rack for breads and any day old stuff in the
corner against the window. There is, of course, lots of baklava to be
found, along with an impressive array of cream-filled delights. Cookies
abound and fruit tarts line the bottom shelves, bright and shiny from
their sweetened glaze.
See also: Slauson and Crenshaw: Barbecue, A Fish Fry + Hungry Hot
Dogs in South L.A.
If you're looking for something more substantial, the cake case to the
left has you covered. As with Sis, this is a takeaway place that does
a pretty heavy call ahead business, so don't expect to sit and enjoy,
unless you're excited by the prospect of getting flakes of pastry on
your shirt while you sit in your car with the air conditioning on.
Arabkir is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays
until 6 p.m. and is cash only. 11009 Burbank Blvd. #120, North
Hollywood; 818-508-5222.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2013/10/vineland_and_burbank_armenian.php
From: A. Papazian
LA Weekly, CA
Oct 21 2013
By Farley Elliott
Vineland Ave. and Burbank Blvd. in North Hollywood is a famous
intersection, at least to some. The perfectly silly Circus Liquor is
there, with its overbearing polka dotted clown sign lording it over
everything else in sight. Of course, that sign (and its parking lot)
gained a bit of notoriety in the mid-'90s as the spot where Alicia
Silverstone's character in Clueless was mugged.
Nowadays, you'll find a lot more than just Circus Liquors at
Vineland and Burbank. For one, there's a big brown strip mall on the
northwestern corner, with a Fatburger right up front, beckoning in
the hungry and disoriented. There are further delights inside the B-V
Shopping Center, like a Middle Eastern borek shop with just a single
table, some fantastic Lebanese food and a Korean barbecue/noodle/sushi
shop, all rolled into one.
Circus Liquor's Valley-famous signage will always rule this
intersection, but peek around the corners of the adjacent strip mall,
and you might find some pretty damn good eats there too.
Sis Bakery Sis is a storefront only bakery that specializes in Armenian
delights like maneishe and lahmajun, the almost pita-sandwich-like
treat that is traditionally topped with ground beef or lamb. There's
basically nothing else to order from the cash only counter, unless
you include those boreks, which are soft, filling and a steal at $3
or less.
Those in the know -- read, the large Armenian community of the Valley
-- call ahead to order the boreks, maneishe or lahmajun by the box, or
spring for the mini versions to take to a party. Considering there's
literally only one table with a chair haphazardly pushed into the
front window area, you shouldn't be hanging out at Sis Bakery anyway.
That is, unless you want to bask in the glow of the cold drink cooler,
where GazÅ~Mz sodas are plentiful and you can by your yogurt drink by
the gallon. Sis Bakery is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on
Sundays when they close at 3:30 p.m. They do not accept credit cards.
11009 Burbank Blvd. #123, North Hollywood; 818-760-7520.
Arabkir Pastry Bakery Just down the way is Arabkir Pastry Bakery,
which focuses on the sweeter stuff. Glass cases take up nearly the
entire room, with a small rack for breads and any day old stuff in the
corner against the window. There is, of course, lots of baklava to be
found, along with an impressive array of cream-filled delights. Cookies
abound and fruit tarts line the bottom shelves, bright and shiny from
their sweetened glaze.
See also: Slauson and Crenshaw: Barbecue, A Fish Fry + Hungry Hot
Dogs in South L.A.
If you're looking for something more substantial, the cake case to the
left has you covered. As with Sis, this is a takeaway place that does
a pretty heavy call ahead business, so don't expect to sit and enjoy,
unless you're excited by the prospect of getting flakes of pastry on
your shirt while you sit in your car with the air conditioning on.
Arabkir is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays
until 6 p.m. and is cash only. 11009 Burbank Blvd. #120, North
Hollywood; 818-508-5222.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2013/10/vineland_and_burbank_armenian.php
From: A. Papazian