Last Friday night was very special to me (in a non-Katy Perry way). After remembering/ re-learning three years of legal education in nine weeks (thus forcing me to go on hiatus), persevering through three draining days, and waiting four months for results, I learned that I'm a member of the California Bar!
As a newly-minted attorney, I'm reminded of why I decided to pursue this career in the first place, and am inspired to stay true to those roots. Instead of rain-making, I hope to direct my energies towards leaving this world in a better condition than it was last year, even if it's in the slightest way. (Ask me how I'm doing in a few years to see how jaded I've become). I think I'll be okay, especially with people like Father Greg Boyle to inspire me.
Many Angelenos are familiar with Homeboy Industries, a youth program founded by Boyle to help rehabilitate kids, namely former gang-members, and integrate themselves into a functioning society. As more men and women sought Father Boyle's help, Homeboy Industries continued to expand with new divisions such as Homegirl Cafe. Watch this video!
Homegirl Café, a division of Homeboy Industries, is a social enterprise assisting at-risk and formerly gang-involved young women and men to become contributing members of our community through training in restaurant service and culinary arts. Homegirl Café offers a one year training program within the food and service industry, empowering young people to redirect their lives and providing them with hope for their futures. [ more here ]
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| Lunch menu |
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| Lunch menu |
Everything on the menu sounds delicious, so I had a tough time choosing my lunch. I ended up going with the Kale Grilled Cheese sandwich with roasted tomatoes, red onions, kale & fresh herbs, and chopped bits of smoked bacon. The cheese was a Mexican cheese blend, which was an interesting departure from your typical cheddar cheese flavors. 'Twas yummy. The sourdough bread, freshly-baked at the cafe, was delicious, too -- and this is coming from someone who isn't even really a fan of sourdough. But the real highlight were the smoked bacon bits! You can't tell me you're surprised...
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| Kale Grilled Cheese - $11 |
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| Nom! |
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| House Salad - baby greens, sliced jimaca, mango, apple, and roasted pumpkin seeds - $10 |
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| Veggie Grilled Cheese - fresh veggies and roasted tomatoes with jalapeno pesto - $11 |
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| Taco Platter - choice of three - $10 |
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| Pork Carnitas w/ apple-tomatillo slaw and cilantro |
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| White Fish w/ cabbage jicama slaw, crema fresca, morita salsa, and cilantro |
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| Red Mole Chicken w/ habanero pickled onions, sesame seeds and cilantro |
Even though there are several homegirls working, it gets busy during lunch hours so as you can imagine, service can be somewhat slow. Our server (I wish I knew her name) felt so horrible for "neglecting" us that she gave us a dessert plate on the house! I didn't feel neglected at all, but how can I turn away a delicious-looking dessert sampler such as this? So I didn't. Thank you. :)
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| This gives away how behind I am on my posts. Oops. |
Definitely check out Homegirl Cafe! Great food, kind service, and worthy cause.
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cuisine: American w/ a splash of Latin-American
location: Downtown LA (in Chinatown)hours: Mon: 8am - 1:30pm; T-Fri: 8am - 2:30pm; Sat: 9am - 3pm; closed Sun.
websites: { HC | yelp | twitter | FB }
attire: Casual
parking: street or small lot in the back
note: They cater, too!
