The day after Thanksgiving, all the remaining living turkeys in the US will collectively sigh in relief for making it that far, retail workers will start screaming in anticipation of the ridiculous number of Black Friday customers, and everyone else will start screaming in frustration trying to find a parking spot.
No one can argue that Black Friday tends to be a hectic day in the US, and everyone needs sufficient energy to do whatever they plan to do on that day. We have no shortage of food options here in LA to keep us grinding, and I’ve put up this list of black-colored local food so you can enjoy your Black Friday activity with style and no empty stomach.
Entrées
1. Squid Ink Pasta by Maccheroni Republic
If you visit Maccheroni Republic for dinner, expect to wait for your table; their dishes are good. People love their squid ink pasta—which is the first thing that comes into my mind every time someone asks me where they can find black-colored food (and they come with either fish ragout or creamy bisque sauce.)
#SpoonTip: If possible, ask to be seated at the patio. You’ll love it.
2. Heirloom Black Rice by Lukshon
Lukshon offers South-East Asian dishes with a modern twist developed by Chef Sang Yoon. Their Heirloom Black Rice is one of the most popular items, and for good reason. The sweet Chinese sausage complements the nutty flavor of the black rice, and the aroma from onion and roasted garlic just binds them all together.
3. Black Bean Noodles by Young King
It is a tradition in Korea to celebrate Black Day on April 14th, where single people gather and eat jjajangmyeon, also known as black bean paste noodles. This noodle item by Young King is enveloped in thick, sweet and salty black bean paste, and if you have to be single to eat this, well, I just want to say that it is one of the big perks single people have.
Desserts
4. Black Sesame Block Pop by Blockhead Shavery
Blockhead Shavery is a tiny gem in located Sawtelle, and their selection of desserts is just right to wash off that ramen with. Besides this black sesame popsicle, you can also have a big bowl of black sesame shaved ice, topped with glutinous rice cake, oreo, and coconut cream sauce.
5. Cookie & Cream Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream by Creams & Dreams
Creams & Dreams is conveniently located near 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, so you can enjoy your ice cream while doing that gift-shopping. All of their ice cream is freshly made to order, and you can literally see cool (as in both cold and amazing) puffs of liquid nitrogen being poured into the ice cream mixture.
Cookies and Cream is a classic flavor, and you can’t really go wrong with this choice. Just don’t get too busy Snapchatting the ice cream-making process that you leave your order melting on the counter.
Drinks
6. Charcoal Lemonade by Juice Served Here
Activated charcoal binds very easily to toxins and other unwanted molecules in our body, and that’s why consuming drinks with activated charcoal in them is a popular detox method. This concoction by Juice Served Here is flavored with sugar cane and lemon, so you can detox without having to worry what charcoal tastes like.
7. Charcoal Skinny Lemonade by Nekter Juice Bar
UCLA students might want to try this very similar drink offered by Nekter Juice Bar. They add agave nectar instead of cane sugar as a sweetener, and you can find it easily in their location in Westwood. Their drinks come in huge bottles; those chicken tenders and pizza slices you ate past midnight stand no chance.
8. BLK Water
Even though the color is unusual, this drink tastes literally just like regular, clear and colorless water, which throws me off every time. This bottle of alkaline water infused with fulvic trace minerals are thought to be beneficial for our health due to the content of amino acids and natural electrolytes. Something that’s good for both my my hydration level and my aesthetic? I’ll take two, please.
Bonus: La Bruxa by Tacoteca
La Bruxa literally means “The Witch,” and I think Tacoteca provides an excellent example of what a potion from a witch tastes like with this drink made of jalapeño-infused mezcal, banana, lime, cilantro, and activated charcoal. A potion for a pair of legs at the price of my voice has nothing on this brew.
I remember the times when I thought that the color black in food meant nastiness and pure bleh, but I’ve grown. I hope the food mentioned above makes your holiday more enjoyable and your desire to explore LA’s food scene stronger. Now, excuse me while I paint my nails matte black and take pictures of my hand holding a bottle of charcoal lemonade.