Los Angeles Downtown News 04-19-21

Let the ‘Bad Times Roll’ The Offspring reflects current events on latest studio album

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Marrying Bicycles and Art Changing the future of bike commuting Page 4

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Fighting ageist bigotry

By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist ging is not for sissies” is an overused cliché; however, consider that clichés exist because there is a common-sense truth to them. In the United States, there’s much that requires bravery as we all deal with growing older. Who thought aging itself would be a courageous act? And I just noticed that the word “age” is inside the word “courageous.”

I consider ageism to be a completely ridiculous “ism” because many of us will face it — if we’re lucky. The exceptions are people who die young, such as Janis Joplin, James Dean, Tupac Shakur and Billie Holiday. Although they had struggles of their own during their shortened lives, they didn’t have to face age discrimination. This leads to my main point: The time to take on age bigotry is when people are young.

Ripe people, aka seniors, are less apt to have influential, wide-reaching spheres of influence due to a few factors: not keeping up with technology, exhaustion, and not being listened to seriously. I can attest to experiencing all three of those factors.

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• Technology: Embarrassed at my inability to deal with ever-changing social media platforms, I continue to avoid Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Besides, unless you’re a famous model in her 60s, who cares what older women have to say? That said, I do have contemporaries who are facile with these services. I keep trying to justify not taking the time to learn them with, “Not one more GD thing! I’ve got enough to do — what a time suck!” Meanwhile, I feel guilty and left behind.

• Exhaustion: After having a career of on-camera and behind-the-camera positions thwarted by blatant misogyny, it’s difficult for me to rev up the energy to fight ageism in addition to sexism. I am already doing whatever I can to thwart these things, OK? Can’t an older woman catch a break? I thought a lot of this biased crap would be handled by now. We were so hopeful in the 60s and 70s, but backlashes were in store for us all. The backlash for people over a certain age is tricky because we either get erased, ignored or caricatured.

I think about how “Saturday Night Live” responded in 2013 when Kenan Thompson said he wasn’t going to play one more Black woman in drag. He threw his wigs down like a gauntlet, and within weeks they hired stellar Black comic actors Leslie Jones, Sasheer Zamata and now Ego Nwodim. That was great! Now I’d like to see cast members refuse to do one more senior citizen gag. Their annoying and insulting mimicry of old people is not that funny and is a form of minstrelsy.

Come on, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon and the other women in the show — the future careers you could be saving are your own! Throw down your support hose and walkers and say, “Hire some actual older people for this cast!”

• Skepticism: Skepticism is sometimes called for but can morph into cynicism. I have to manage my cynicism almost every day. Trying to get “diversity” and “inclusion” advocates to include aging on their diversity agenda is like trying to diaper a rattlesnake.

Worse, I don’t see many older people being inclusive of their own contemporaries when they put together panels, announce speaker lineups, or cast projects. You are complicit in ageism if you don’t even notice that older people are missing.

All that said, I can’t be shaking my finger all the time. I have ageism baked into my

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bones, just like everyone else. We are brainwashed to believe that “newer and younger” is better. We have basically created a culture of planned obsolescence when it comes to honoring years of experience.

Countering that, we have lots of people who are actively extolling the virtues of aging, especially online. And our president, Joe Biden, is undoubtedly a standard-bearer here. Even though he is still the butt of ageist jokes, one reason he won while Hillary Clinton lost is that numerous studies have shown that people generally trust older men more than older women. That’s easy to understand when we see older, primarily white men in leadership positions while older women seemingly vanish into thin air, replaced by a younger version.

It’s disconcerting to have people relate to me differently now that I’m over 65. I have been spoken to more slowly, more loudly, have had assumptions made about me, and been young-splained to. (I just made that term up.) No wonder there’s the cliché about crabby “get off my lawn”-type elderly people. They’re just sick of being talked down to.

If you’re a younger person, do the right thing and call out ageism now before you become too old to stand up effectively for yourself and be heard. Don’t be a sissy!

Ellen Snortland has written a column continuously since the early ’90s. She also coaches writers. Contact her at ellen@authorbitebybite.com.

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Changing the future of bike commuting through art

By Andrew Checchia LA Downtown News Contributing Writer ars define Los Angeles. The spaghetti highways, the luxury cars, the infamous traffic — automotive transport is the default way for people to navigate the sprawling metropolis centered around LA. Still, even with nearly 6 million registered vehicles in LA County alone, not everyone gets around on four wheels. Millions commute by the bus and train networks every year, especially on the subway Downtown. But Fabian Wagmister, a multimedia digital artist and UCLA professor who founded the first digital media lab at a film school, wants to promote a simpler kind of transport: biking.

“About 10 years ago, I lived Downtown and I started commuting to UCLA by bike.

When I started commuting by bike, it really changed my life,” said Wagmister. “It gave me a cognizance of the city. It made me realize I did not know Los Angeles. The Los Angeles you get to know from a car or even public transport is kind of a decontextualized fiction.”

Wagmister’s love of bicycling — which he said changed his relationship with his body and his mental and physical health — inspired him to use his bike as more than just a means to get where he was going. Years ago, he looked to the artistic possibilities of his wheels and gears. That inspired numerous multimedia projects, including exhibitions in Ecuador and Wagmister’s native Argentina.

“I started making the bicycle my main tool for expression,” said Wagmister. “The bike became my brush, and the city became my canvas. Because I’m a digital media artist, I started outfitting my bike with sensors. It was first a personal transformation, then a transformation as an artist.”

Outside of his love of bicycling, Wagmister’s artistic career led him down a multidisciplinary professional path where he brought teams together to combine fine arts (from film and visuals to digital media) with both STEM fields and the social sciences (namely engineering, computer science, sociology and urban planning). Together with partner Jeff Burke, a dean at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, he directs the Center of Research in Engineering, Media and Performance (REMAP), which uses each of those disciplines to spearhead a diverse array of creative projects, including the recently National Science Foundation-backed initiative for “Civic Bicycle Commuting.”

“All of this — this bicycling life, this passion — led to this idea of a collective bike commuting system that is both a transportation solution for low-income people and a public art creation,” said Wagmister. “(It’ll be) almost like a bikepool. Like carpooling but bikepooling.”

The basic idea for the initiative, also called CiBiC, was to embrace the health and environmental benefits of bike commuting while curbing new cyclists’ safety concerns about riding alone in a city built for cars.

Wagmister and the team of Burke, Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris (a dean at UCLA’s Luskin

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School of Public Affairs) and Eli Kaufman (the executive director of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition) got together to work on a landmark digital media initiative that will simultaneously connect commuters, create safe routes around the city, and allow everyone to contribute to a work of public art.

“Promoting creativity in people is one of the most revolutionary ideas you can have.

When you awaken creativity in people, they apply it to everything else in their life. There’s this social force when people are creative together,” Wagmister said. “I believe that people who realize they’re creating this collective mural together, it will motivate people to participate. The idea is that these interactive, digital murals will be in Union Station or a community center so that people will see it in real time.”

The project will survey communities and use algorithmic tracking data to plan optimal bike “flows” throughout the city. Once these routes are established, new commuters will be put into groups led by veteran riders who will lead them along the routes. These pods will take commuters to their destinations, sacrificing a little efficiency for the sake of comfort as they go to work.

Once enough data is collected and riders are moving throughout the city, Wagmister plans to create an experimental artwork he calls an “interpretive cartography.” Riders will alter the artwork in real time as they commute, hopefully helping them feel like they’re contributing to an ever-evolving creative project. They can then view the art on the CiBiC app that will be associated with the project or the proposed public installations in places like Union Station.

“The important thing — and that’s where the great challenge is — is it has to be a great piece of art. (Bike commuters) have to say, ‘Wow! We made that,’” said Wagmister on the still-developing artistic output.

As Wagmister and the team work out the design details, they plan to prototype three 10-mile flow corridors by April 2022. They are surveying four Downtown neighborhoods near Union Station: Chinatown, Solano Canyon, Lincoln Heights and the William Mead Housing Project. Eventually, the project will include hundreds of routes across the city, allowing commuters from distant ends of Los Angeles to reach jobs without a drop of gas.

“We do think actually that our project is so timely with the pandemic,” Wagmister said “We think that (CiBiC) gives people a lot of self-efficacy, autonomy. It empowers people.

You’re not dependent on your car, on gas. It gives people in communities a sense of resiliency. The most important part in the end is getting people on bicycles as part of their daily life. I know what it’s done to me. It’s a very empowering and enjoyable experience.

The bike as a daily facilitator of a better life.”

Ideally, that empowerment will attract commuters who never would have thought to bike to work, even with robust city planning or infrastructure. And with their changes in routine, despite the deeply ingrained car culture in Los Angeles, they could help the city move one step closer to a sustainable future.

A landmark digital media initiative will simultaneously connect commuters, create safe routes around the city, and allow everyone to contribute to a work of public art.

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APRIL 19, 2021

Julia Cinquemani and Christopher McDaniel perform in “Sechs Tänze.”

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patrons to a starstudded celebration

By Bridgette M. Redman LA Downtown News Contributing Writer fter a year of struggles, the Los Angeles Ballet artistic directors are inviting their patrons to an entertaining evening of all-out celebration.

This year marks 15 years since the company opened with its LA-specific “Nutcracker” in 2016. Now a mainstay of the community, LA Ballet will hold its annual ballet gala virtually starting at 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 1. The event will showcase dances from throughout its history.

“First and foremost, we hope that it will be fun for the audiences to revisit the old pieces that they’ve seen over the past 15 years, a retrospective of what we’ve done,” said co-Artistic Director Thordal Christensen.

“Hopefully, it will be a light evening of celebration.”

“Gala 2021” is a fundraising effort for the ballet, which, like other performing arts groups, has struggled to survive over the past year. The group has had to cancel performances and change the way classes were presented.

“We usually have a big party with a

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lot of people. This year we can’t do that,” Christensen said. “We started the company 15 years ago, and we have been able to survive through many different economic crises, pandemics and difficulties of all kinds, and we’re still here.”

To make the evening memorable, Christensen and his co-artistic director, Colleen Neary, have recruited heavy hitters in the world of dance to make special guest appearances. They include Paula Abdul, Robert Davi, Siedah Garrett, Harry Lennix, Nigel Lythgoe, Neal McDonough, Kenny Ortega, Joe Pantoliano, Jane Seymour and Adam Shankman. The event is directed by Ryan Parma.

“This is a beautiful virtual gala,” Neary said. “There will be celebrities who will present the pieces as they come on.

Some of them have been past honorees.

They’re all dance lovers.”

Catering to donors LA Ballet is pulling out the stops to ensure the virtual experience is as memorable as its in-person galas. It has partnered with Crustacean of Beverly Hills to provide meals at various levels to patrons.

Allynne Noelle and Ulirk Birkkjær in “Agon.”

Photo by Reed Hutchinson

“Depending on the level that they buy in, they’ll get a full dinner,” Neary said. “It will be very exciting and very celebratory.”

“We hope it is going to be a light celebratory evening that people can sit in their sofas whether wearing pajamas or a tux,” Christensen added. “They can have a glass of champagne and celebrate.”

The levels are: • Élevé Individual Seat: $600 per seat.

It includes virtual admission to the 2021 gala and a three-course prix fixe individual dinner that can be picked up at Crustacean Beverly Hills.

• Pas de Deux Seat Sponsorship: $2,500.

It includes virtual admission to the 2021 gala, a three-course prix fixe dinner for two picked up at Crustacean Beverly Hills, and an Ivory Gala 2021 Tribute in the program.

• Grande Pirouette — Half-table sponsorship: $5,000. It includes virtual admission to the 2021 gala, a three-course prix fixe dinner for four picked up at the Crustacean Beverly Hills, and a Bronze Gala 2021 Tribute in the program.

• Grand Jeté — Table sponsorship: $10,000. It includes virtual admission to the 2021 gala, a three-course prix fixe dinner and specialty cocktail delivered from the Crustacean for up to 10 dinner guests, and a Gold Gala 2021 Tribute in the program.

• $25,000 Tour de Force: It includes virtual admission and recognition as a 2021 gala sponsor, a four-course prix fixe meal and specialty cocktails delivered from Crustacean for up to 15 dinner guests, a

Photo by Reed Hutchinson

Platinum Gala 2021 Tribute in the program, recognition in all of LA Ballet’s 2021-22 season promotional materials, admission for 10 and backstage access to one performance in LA Ballet’s 2021-22 season, and an opportunity to observe a rehearsal or company class.

• $50,000 Benefactor: It includes recognition as a benefactor of the gala, a VIP table for up to 20 guests with an option for an in-home gala dinner service with a server from Crustacean Beverly Hills, plus all of the benefits of the Tour de Force.

• $100,000 Directors Circle: It includes recognition as a presenting sponsor of the gala, a chef’s table for up to 30 people with the option of in-home gala service from a chef and server of Crustacean Beverly Hills, and all the benefits of the Tour de Force.

The VIP Table and Chef ’s Table may be altered to adhere with the May 1 COVID-19 guidelines.

“The difficulty that we as an arts organization have had with what we’ve gone through is to stay connected with our audience,” Christensen said. “We hope to reconnect through the gala, and we look forward to seeing them soon.”

Spotlighting a storied history The company has a lot of history to celebrate. Founded by Christensen, Neary and Executive Director Emerita Julie Whittaker, LA Ballet focuses on classical ballets and new work.

They perform in venues citywide, including Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Royce Hall at UCLA, Redondo Beach Per-

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Petra Conti and Kenta Shimizu perform in “Swan Lake.”

Photo by Reed Hutchinson

LA BALLET INVITES PATRONS TO A STAR-STUDDED CELEBRATION, 5 forming Arts Center, the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica and the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Neary said the repertoire is based on three pillars, and it was from those three pillars that the pieces were chosen to be featured in the gala. The three pillars include: • New creations that are done by choreographers coming in and creating world premieres with the dancers.

• Existing masterpieces, especially those in the Balanchine repertoire.

• Full-length classical ballets such as “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote,” “Sleeping Beauty” or “Giselle.”

“All of these pillars are classics, and we’ve picked certain wonderful ones that represent the three pillars,” Neary said.

During its 15 years, it has become recognized as a world-class ballet company and presented 41 productions encompassing 69 works, including 15 commissioned world premieres. Arts education programs were developed such as “Power of Performance (POP!),” which offers free tickets to underserved or disadvantaged children, seniors, veterans and their families.

One of their programs, “A Chance to Dance,” pivoted this year to offer free virtual classes to an international audience of all ages.

Gala and auction proceeds will go to support the LA Ballet and its performances and outreach programs.

“These have been hard times for everyone this past year,” Christensen said. “Hopefully, we will get out soon. There is good news about opening up, and we’re looking forward to seeing not only our patrons but also our dancers again.”

2109 Sichel Street, Los Angeles ● www.SacredHeartLA.org

“Gala 2021: Fifteen Years of Outstanding” with a performance by Los Angeles Ballet WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 1 INFO: losangelesballet.org/event-gala-2021

APRIL 19, 2021

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Julien Baker talks college, her album and being in the public eye

By Claire Spinner LA Downtown News Staff Writer ulien Baker speaks with poise beyond her 25 years. The Nashville singer/songwriter displays the profound self-awareness of someone who is conscious about the impact of her words. The honesty she exhibits on her new album, “Little Oblivions,” translates seamlessly in the real world.

This is perhaps most apparent in her deep social conscience. Baker takes the time to acknowledge the suffering of those who have lost friends, family, jobs or homes during the pandemic before explaining that it has been admittedly healthy for her.

“I’m not rocketing through life in a tour van,” she said. “I’m sitting at home with my instruments and I’m taking in everything and giving myself time to process it. So, it’s been healthy for the most part, to be honest.”

In the months before the pandemic, Baker took a break from touring and releasing music to return to school at Middle Tennessee University and earn her degree. This was a cathartic step for the young singer. School was a stable environment for Baker — one that took her away from the public eye.

“I was taking these courses that had almost nothing to do with music,” Baker said. “I wasn’t playing shows. Pretty much nobody on campus knew who I was. I was just a student drinking really bad coffee and sitting through lectures all day.”

Baker found that her time in school was fulfilling in unexpected ways.

“My life actually had way more possibilities than I had allowed myself to think about,” Baker said.

“I had much more autonomy over what was happening in my life. It was so fulfilling to me because I had radically shifted gears from what my life had consisted of and still found myself able to be a whole person when I was removed from a profession in which I am constantly being observed and seen.”

Baker is frequently referred to as a role model for many. Having been open about her mental health, sexuality and sobriety for many years, the break from the spotlight was refreshing. Baker said it was not always easy to be as candid as she is now.

“I don’t think I ever understood how difficult it could be to open myself up like that,” Baker said. “I just continued trying to be as honest as possible even when it was painful, but what I realized I had done was build up this impossible, unsustainable standard for myself. Being in school, I didn’t feel like I was representing something all the time. I only had to represent and be accountable for myself.”

Baker quickly added she is proud of the positive impact her music has had on fans.

“I saw that my music was making some sort of positive impact on the world — at least I hope — and I can continue to use the power that I know I have through the recognition of my art to make positive impacts in a greater way,” she said.

In February 2020, Baker’s newest record had been completed. Just a few weeks later, the pandemic stopped any plans of taking the album on the road. Baker admitted it may have helped her in the long run, giving her time to process the emotional and forthright album she had written.

“I did not realize just how much time I needed to process this record, because it is actually quite emotionally salient for me,” she said. “I was writing about things that are much closer experiences in my life chronologically than I had been on the first two records.”

Baker reflected on the writing process for her third record. Though she had been candid on her first two albums, Baker said this record felt more personal in some ways.

“I shifted the goal of my songwriting from making something that I thought was beautiful but had a clear specific message about the ideologies I wanted to promote in the world. I stopped trying to capture everything in an ideology as much,” Baker said. “I just wrote songs about my feelings.”

The result is a record that is beautiful but poignant. The darkness of the material is balanced by the sense of hope that shines through her music.

Baker hopes that audiences will engage in her discussion of life, mental health, faith

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Julien Baker completed her newest record in February 2020, but the pandemic stopped touring plans.

Photo by Alysse Gafkjen

and growth in a way that is meaningful to them.

“I hope my music continues to be a conversation with the listener and ultimately a piece of data in the giant discourse of all music,” she said.

Baker also hopes that her music encourages listeners to be open about their own expression as well, in spite of any criticism they may receive.

“I think a lot of people get discouraged from expressing themselves because they are afraid of doing it wrong. I think that if we reframe conflict and opposition as an opportunity for discourse, especially in music, but also in other things, then people would express themselves more freely without fear of being penalized for it.”

What it ultimately comes down to for Baker is the concept of worthiness and validity of expression. She said that she has grown a greater appreciation for sharing her music regardless of how it is perceived by critics and audiences.

“I’ve gradually gotten to a place where I don’t think my music has to be the best music ever for my experiences and my right to express them to be valid,” Baker said.

“I am proud of my music because it is the art that I made. It is meaningful to me because I was able to take things that happened in my life and turn them into something creative, where I could analyze and understand them better. I think that’s the purpose that music serves.”

Julien Baker julienbaker.com

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The Offspring is letting the ‘bad times roll’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor he Offspring lead guitarist Noodles finds the punk ambassadors’ latest album, “Let the Bad Times Roll,” timely.

“It’s all inspired by things we’ve seen happen in the world the last few years,” said Noodles about the Offspring’s first new album in 10 years.

“The pandemic certainly put it into perspective. There’s so much division in the world right now. People are so angry. There’s a lot of injustices, and we’re seeing that play out — the subsequent reaction to the injustices. We touched on this a little on the record and more.”

Released April 16, the Offspring’s 10th studio album features the first single and title track “Let the Bad Times Roll.” Written in 2019 and recorded in 2020, the song reflects the country’s ongoing challenges. The tune charted at No. 11 and No. 25, respectively, on the rock and alternative radio charts, and was the No. 1 most-added song on rock radio for two weeks. It has been streamed 4 million times.

The SoCal band has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide; won countless awards; and toured consistently, playing more than 500 shows in the last decade.

Besides Noodles, the Offspring features singer Dexter Holland, drummer Pete Parada and new bassist Todd Morse.

“Let the Bad Times Roll” was just about finished before the pandemic, according to Noodles.

“The pandemic, though, allowed us to take a little deeper look at some things.

We polished it up here and there. It’s a solid, really good record.”

The Offspring was, admittedly, a little hesitant about releasing a record when it couldn’t tour on it. But, Noodles said, it had to hit the market.

“We couldn’t withhold it anymore,” he added. “We wanted the fans to hear it.”

The album opens with the political “This is Not Utopia.”

“It, to me, sounds like vintage Offspring, but Dexter may be singing in a different key or range,” Noodles said. “That’s something we’ve experimented with over the last couple records.

“For example, on ‘Gone Away,’ his vocals are kind of out there. When we did a stripped-down version of that song, he’s not hiding his voice behind the heavy bass, guitar and drums. That was a risk for him. He wasn’t entirely sure he would be comfortable doing it. But fans have been asking us to do that song in the studio.

That’s one example of when his voice is a little different.”

Noodles explained the Offspring’s goal on this record was to focus on one song at a time in the studio. Once the members had a group of songs, they decided which ones worked together. If there was a hole, they would write a song to fill it.

“It had been a long time since we put out an album,” Noodles said. “We didn’t want to reinvent ourselves. That would be a dumb move at this point. Fortunately, there’s a certain kind of music we love and we always gravitate toward. It’s easy for us to do a record we thought for sure would be an Offspring record.”

Noodles worked on “Let the Bad Times Roll” during the pandemic, but otherwise he didn’t handle COVID-19 very well. In the beginning he drank a lot, but he is unsure if it’s uncommon.

“My wife and I started watching ‘Top Chef,’ and the two chefs have said the same thing,” he said. “They weren’t handling it well in the beginning. I thought I have to pull myself together and live a little healthier.”

The Offspring is already talking about writing more new music, as it’s been an inspiring time.

“Once the press assault is over, we go back to writing music,” Noodles said with a laugh. “We just love playing music together. I can’t wait to do it in front of an audience again.”

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The Offspring offspring.com

The Offspring had been asked by fans to record an acoustic version of “Gone Away,” which it did on its new album, “Let the Bad Times Roll.”

Photo courtesy of The Offspring

Tracklisting “This is Not Utopia” “Let the Bad Times Roll” “Behind Your Walls” “Army of One” “Breaking These Bones” “Coming for You” “We Never Have Sex Anymore” “In the Hall of the Mountain King” “The Opioid Diaries” “Hassan Chop” “Gone Away” “Lullaby”

APRIL 19, 2021

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Covered DINING California will help New Dunkin’ latte honors the Dodgers

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor unkin has signed on to sell coffee and doughnuts at Dodger Stadium for several years, starting with the 2021 season that began April 9.

Once the stadium returns to full capacity, Dunkin’ hot coffee, iced coffee, espresso and hot chocolate will be served at 13 sites throughout stadium, including the flagship location at the new Centerfield Plaza. That plaza will offer a more robust menu of hot coffee blends, premium espresso beverages, and a tap system for iced coffee.

To celebrate the new partnership and kick off the 2021 season, Dunkin’ will launch the Dodgers signature latte, a blueberry The Dodgers signature latte is a crisp latte made with Dunkin’s espresso and topped with whipped blueberry crisp latte made with cream, caramel drizzle and cinnamon sugar. The Dodgers signature Dunkin’s espresso and topped with latte will be available at greater Los Angeles Dunkin’ restaurants and whipped cream, caramel drizzle to order ahead on the Dunkin’ app for a limited time starting April 9. and cinnamon sugar.

“Since first bringing Dunkin’ to the West Coast in 2014, we’ve Photo courtesy of Dunkin’ seen an incredible amount of support from our customers throughout Southern California,” said Molly Wiley, Dunkin’ field marketing director.

“We’re thrilled to partner with such an iconic sports franchise and bring Dunkin’ to Dodger Stadium, providing Dodger fans with an elevated coffee experience that will keep them running through the 2021 season and beyond.”

Corey Norkin, the Dodgers vice president of global partnerships, said he’s excited about the partnership.

“Dunkin’ has the unique ability to connect with Dodger fans at their local restaurants throughout Southern California, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Dodger family,” Norkin said.

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Bombay hot chicken Photo by Eddie Sanchez

House sausage

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Photo by Eddie Sanchez

Covered DINING California will help

Jungli: South Asian wild child

By Frier McCollister n Hindu and Urdu, the word “jungli” loosely translates to “wild child,” or an unruly denizen of the Indian jungles.

Operating as a ghost kitchen for the last month or so, Jungli offers changing weekly menus offering creative takes on South Asian cuisine.

Jungli is the wild brainchild of Rupal Patel and her cousin, Abhi Patel, who intentionally birthed the concept during the pandemic lockdown.

“I think Los Angeles is one of the greatest culinary destinations in the world,” Rupal said. “I so appreciate the depth of culture and ethnic cuisine that’s available here.”

However, there was something missing.

“What’s so shocking to me about Los Angeles, relative to other big culinary destinations like New York or D.C., Vancouver or Toronto, is that they have a very robust, upscale, modern South Asian restaurant scene in each of those cities.

“But in Los Angeles, for some reason,

I

Grilled prawns Photo by Eddie Sanchez

it just isn’t as robust. You have a lot of the mom-and-pop restaurants that are reflective of my parents’ generation. By and large there is a supply and demand issue, from my perspective, around South Asian cuisine in Los Angeles. That was one really compelling reason for us to start.”

As the harsh realities of Downtown’s pandemic landscape began to manifest for its restaurateurs, avenues also opened.

“It was clear that obviously the government abandoned the industry,” Rupal said. “People were in dire straits. We knew that frankly the barriers to entry were going to be significantly reduced during the pandemic. The cost of liquor licenses is much more affordable; commercial leases are much more flexible.

So, it felt like it was a good opportunity to get in without having the kind of capital you needed pre-pandemic to start a business. It’s where challenge meets opportunity, basically.”

Rupal doesn’t have a background in restaurants. Her interest in food evolved

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over her experience in private equity management and her work establishing the nonprofit farm labor contractor California Harvesters Inc. At heart, Jungli is a progressive, “mission-driven” venture.

“My background in private equity was really around the food system and agriculture (and) recognizing the Los Angeles restaurant industry sources the majority of its produce from these neighboring farm communities that surround our city,” Rupal said.

“I think food and food security is a really interesting topic these days.”

She hopes to use Jungli to explore and drive collective innovation among Downtown restaurateurs.

“I think there was a recognition for me that the power of ownership can really improve the way we engage with farmers and our food system and help it become more equitable and more resilient than I think it is today,” Rupal said.

“Figuring out how do we get a sourcing program established for Downtown restaurants? With the farmers markets, how do we develop relationships with these farmers? Figure out ways to educate (the community) around what the inequities are in the food system in the United States currently and especially in California. I think it’s an interesting opportunity to start talking more about food security and the sustainability of our food systems.”

The fresh ingredients in Jungli’s South Asian inventions reflect this focus and interest.

Rupal defines the cuisine’s region quite specifically.

“There are seven countries that make up the South Asian region,” she said. “It’s Nepali food, Indian food, Pakistani food, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and probably the Maldives. There’s a tremendous amount of diversity between all of those different countries and their cuisines.”

Chef Ali Haji was recruited to conjure dishes from this diverse palette of influence. Born and raised in Redondo Beach, he most recently worked with chef Brendan Collins at the Corner Door in Culver City.

“I frankly didn’t think I’d find a South Asian chef in Los Angeles to work with,” Rupal said. “I thought we’d have to go to one of the other big cities, where it was more saturated with South Asian cuisine. He was just really inspired and excited about bringing modern, upscale South Asian food to LA. To him, it was also very perplexing why it hasn’t existed here so far, in the kind of way it has in other cities. Ali gets very creative and innovative in how he bridges all of these cultural elements into our specific cuisine and narrative.”

The menu at Jungli changes weekly, reflecting Haji’s latest inspirations. While there is a distinct blend of influence, a sense of authenticity also pervades.

“The tradition and authenticity of flavor is really important,” Rupal said. “We just want to make sure from the flavor profile, it’s authentic. That matters the most to us more than anything.”

So what’s for dinner? During a recent week, the menu included such starters as trat mango salad ($12) with green mango, cabbage, cherry tomatoes, red onion and a banyuls vinaigrette; crispy sunchokes ($12) with fingerling potatoes, “panch phoron” and herbed yogurt; and Bengali cauliflower ($12) prepped with coconut, pickled chilis, cashews and lime juice.

A bit of a creative mashup ensues in the saag arancini ($10), with balls of spiced risotto infused with spinach and paneer sauced with an aioli of bishop’s weed.

There is also a stuffed paratha bread ($16) with fenugreek paratha engorged with lamb, spicy lime pickle and labneh cheese topped with salsa fresca.

More substantial fare can be found with the masala-rubbed pork ribs ($26), served with pickled cabbage and housemade white bread. Likewise apt satiation can be found in the lamb burger ($22), served with butter lettuce, onion and tomato topped with a spiced aioli.

Dessert included buttermilk pie ($7) with pistachio and cardamom. There’s also a five-course family meal that feeds four to six people. Check the website for those details.

For now, Jungli operates out of a commercial commissary — Crafted Kitchen — on Santa Fe Avenue in the Arts District, but Patel intends to open the actual restaurant by late fall in a location that will remain Downtown.

“I love the Downtown scene,” Rupal said. “There is a lot of camaraderie and a spirit here that doesn’t exist in other parts of the city. I’m very loyal. It’s one of the most authentic areas of the city. I’m really happy to be part of the community.”

Jungli 672 S. Santa Fe Avenue, Los Angeles bejungli.com

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Pork ribs vindaloo Photo by Eddie Sanchez

Masala meatball Photo by Eddie Sanchez

Indian arancini Photo by Eddie Sanchez

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APRIL 19, 2021

Lumbini Child Development Center

Licensed to care for children 2 ½ through Kindergarten.

Year-round program with individual classrooms unique to each age group.

A balanced hot lunch is prepared on site and served daily.

Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m.- 6:00 p.m.

For more information: Email: Lumbini.missleslie@gmail.com Address: Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple 505 East 3rd Street, Los Angeles, 90013 Phone: Miss Leslie @ 213 680-2976