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Mall stunts
The latest Southern California social media stunt is a standalone vending machine sponsored by the folks from Foodbeast and Cup Noodles, wherein participants can post a selfie with the machine in exchange for free food and other prizes. The vending machine is currently located at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, and will be available for use through the end of the month. Check out the video below to get a sense of what’s going on, beyond the hashtags and branded selfies, of course.
Stories in everything
LA Times writer Frank Shyong has a great new tale out about the cross-cultural connectivity of dishes and neighborhoods, like avocado toast in East Hollywood. It’s an engrossing read, and one made all the better by the owner of Wah’s Golden Hen going to dine at Sqirl for the first time ever.
Seafood stories
Check out this awesome pop-up event with chef Beau Schooler from the Rookery Cafe in Juneau, Alaska. The James Beard semifinalist chef is doing a dinner on Thursday, March 21 with a focus on super-fresh seafood. The Fava collaboration event is the first of many for the company, and runs $169 a pop. Check out the menu and more details here.
Wax Paper rules
The fine folks at Wax Paper have partnered up with prolific food writer Katie Parla for a monthlong sandwich special at their Chinatown location. The sandwich is in celebration of Parla’s upcoming book Food of the Italian South, and runs now through the end of March.
Tailgating time
KCRW went on a Northeast LA food crawl surrounding Filipino food recently, and the results look absolutely delicious. From the classic Jollibee to Auntie Dee’s in Eagle Rock, the crew — including Lasa co-owner Chase Valencia — really tried to fit it all in. Go give the story a read and a listen.
Get out and dine
Orange County Restaurant Week is here. The reduced-price dining celebration spans the entirety of the county, from restaurants like Bluegold to Del Frisco’s Grille, and runs until this Saturday.
Ice cream arrangements
Speaking of ice cream, gold-topped Nobibi has finally opened in Arcadia. The Chinese-based company came to life late last month at 1108 S. Baldwin Avenue, doing gold foil-touched soft serve ice cream, bubble teas, and a variety of other wild desserts. The company still has plans to expand through out Oregon, Washington, California, and Texas.