U.S.C. students have started fall classes, with their rivals U.C.L.A. to follow suit at the end of the month. We never thought we’d envy U.S.C.’s dining choices until a flurry of inventive and affordable eateries sprang up in The Figueroa Corridor, West Adams, and surrounding streets to push Chano’s Drive-In far from our minds. Grub Street is here to help new and returning Trojans stow away the ramen in a look at a few of the best new restaurants in the area for U.S.C. students. Check it out:
U.S.C. Eating Guide for Students
• Bacaro: This wine bar on Union seems designed for a post Ragazzi Room-study break, opening early evenings to serve grass-fed burgers, grilled bacon and brie pizza, and Italian small plates, with everything $7 or under and sharing encouraged. 2308 S. Union Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007
• Mo-Chica: Chef Ricardo Zarate offers students a lesson in geography, culture, and work ethic, preparing gorgeous plates of ceviche and gourmet Peruvian standards like lomo saltado by day, before going to his night job as executive chef at Venice’s Wabi-Sabi at night. Just a hop away from campus in Mercado Paloma, most plates are under $10 and could earn a 4.0 GPA at three times the price. 3655 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007
• Rivera: If your roommates’ parents insist on taking you to dinner, nudge them towards John Rivera Sedlar’s exploration of new Latin cooking and grasshopper-salt-rimmed cocktails. Nestled Downtown, it is one of the city’s hottest bites. 1050 S. Flower St. Los Angeles 90015
• URBNMRKT: The new kid on the block is just a hop from Mercado Paloma in a former loading dock and keeps everything at $8 and under, offering hot and cold sandwiches like Philly steak and cheese, BBQ pork shoulder, and Italian hoagies, as well as ingredient-driven salads and soups. There is also a small but steady list of breakfast items alongside an avalanche of coffee and tea choices. 3434 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90007
• Wurstkuche: You might be too young to get your hands on a 8.5% Delirium Tremens, but you can write home all day about your first bite of rattlesnake and rabbit sausage and introduction to a diverse mix of Angelenos in the Arts District. Food and beer is all priced under $8 and is quite filling. If you can’t get a small batch brew, don’t worry, you’re in college, you’re not supposed to drink anything that makes sense yet. 800 E. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
