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Not so sweet
Forbes has the inside track on Phoebe Pham, a 33-year-old private cake maker who is currently turning out what has to be some of the most original — and in some cases entirely NSFW — cakes anywhere in Los Angeles. Pham, a 2016 Le Cordon Bleu graduate, operates Cali Cake Dealers out of her Garden Grove garage, turning out intricately-designed cakes for any occasion and anyone, be it a gang celebration (seriously) or a tongue-in-cheek gift for a sheepish friend. She started life as a traditional baker but found a side hustle with groups who couldn’t get their cake ideas made by anyone else, and has since parlayed the work into full-time money. For those who like the work but want a more traditional look, there’s her regular safe-for-work account Sweet Escape as well.
Corporate changes
McDonald’s is set to overhaul some 550 California corporate and franchise locations in the coming years, adding ordering kiosks and even table service. The modernization effort comes with a healthy dose of corporate skepticism about the loss of important entry-level jobs, reports LA Times.
Teddy time
Teddy’s Red Tacos is getting all kinds of love these days, including from LA Taco, who profile the upstart South LA vendor with a cool new video showing off all the tricks of the truck.
Chicken news
Another day another hot chicken street food pop-up. This one’s called Chips N’ Chicken, and it lands next to Machos Tacos on Vermont and Prospect in Los Feliz. The hook here is that all of the hot chicken is also covered in Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust, as one does.
Pharmacy days
LA Times digs into the history behind Fair Oaks Pharmacy, the 103-year-old mainstay in South Pasadena. As expected, the decor and the phosphate recipe remain largely untouched.
Pizza knowledge
Check out this fun video of a few friends traversing Los Angeles in search of the best slice of pizza — or at least the one that most closely approximates the kind found in New York City. The group hits up Prime Pizza, Mozza, and more, and comes away with a clear Westwood winner.
