Bicycle Bread Company

4-6pm

Tuesdays and Thursdays
Corner of 29th/Ellendale


Thursdays
Corner of 30th/University

I can't remember who told me about this place long ago (Adam?) but today I finally decided to get over there on my bike and pick up a loaf.

The Bicycle Bread Company folks are super friendly and told me a lot about their project.  They've been baking for two years, and they have an idea about bringing people together through baking. I might be mis-interpreting a bit, but it seemed to me that they were specifically interested in getting neighborhood families good bread, not just students. Though when I visited, it seemed that it was mostly students who were standing around the bread table chatting and trying samples. I'm not sure if their motivations are entrepreneurial, anarchist, christian, or some combination. There was definitely a vibe...and it wasn't an anarchist vibe specifically (i.e., you had to ask if the bread was vegan (they say it is, but they list honey as an ingredient, so it's not strictly vegan) and everyone seemed like they had showered within the last few days) Maybe it's just that they like to bake, why be suspicious?  They also have a website that has news and info about styles of bread and locations.

I tried the rosemary bread and the cranberry orange bread. Both were very springy loaves, but with a solid sandwich bread crumb. I bought a loaf of the rosemary bread, but as I was munching my huge sample slice on the way home, I realized it's a very sweet loaf, despite its savory flavor. Perhaps the sweet cranberry would have been a better option. I'm not really sure what to do with the bread. I don't think it will be good with PB&J given the rosemary, and we don't really eat bread with dinner, unless it's hard bread or bread that I bake, which isn't so sweet and also definitely not Christian or entrepreneurial. I anticipate that this bread will be good for tofu sandwiches with avocado.

Definitely a project worth supporting, no matter where their motivations or inspirations lie. We need more bakeries in the neighborhood, that's for sure, and once they establish themselves in a storefront, perhaps we can convince them to make big-holed round loaves of so-called "artisan" bread for the neighborhood bourgeoisie.

Mayura Amrit (Authentic South Indian delight!)

1277 W. Jefferson Blvd, LA, CA 90007
323-766-9775
310-559-9645
www.mayura-indian-restaurant.com
Go here Now. This new restaurant with a full range of south Indian delicacies is the smaller cousin of Mayura Amrit in Venice, CA. The food is simply spectacular. Dosas, Uthappams, Chicken, and Mutton populate the menu along with a host of vegetarian dishes. We tried the Spinach Masala Dosa, a large sheet of spongy flat bread impregnated with spinach and beautifully folded to hold a mixture of potatoes and other veggies. The Vegetable Chettinadu was mind-numblingly delicious with its (for us) uncommon mix of spices in a kind of stewy goodness.
The Nan was superb as was a side dish of lentil-vegetable soup.

The friendly owners are from the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state in south India. According to the proprietor, Chettinad cuisine is famous for its use of a variety of spices; it's one of the most aromatic in India. You should believe him and you should believe us that this is some of the best Indian food we've had in a long long time.

The decor is spartan, the place having been stripped of most of its former fast food Chinese kitsch (but the Buddha is still there, happier with authentic Indian cuisine).

They deliver with a minimum 15 dollar order and 3 dollar delivery charge.

Visit our old review: