Los Angeles Arts District- Barcade, Sausage & Pie

The city and I have a love hate relationship. Sometimes I contemplate what it would be like to part ways and live in a much quieter town, a place where traffic and graffiti are considered big city problems and where space is in abundance. I imagine rolling hills, bike riding through the countryside and meeting up with my neighbors in the town square. It is a very seductive image until I think, “What the heck would I do for fun?!”

Big cities come with big amenities, and that is where the love part comes in. I love Los Angeles because even if it takes me way too long to get anywhere, I can go see and do anything any day of the week. With a little bit of effort, fun is easy to find in LA, but sometimes, if you have great friends, fun will find you.

This past weekend I was taken on a Saturday afternoon adventure. We were picked up and carted to an unknown destination. We drove towards Downtown. Round and round we went through a very desolate part of town due to an unexpected detour. We eventually emerged in the Arts District and parked in front of a purple and aqua colored mural. Our friend handed us a roll of quarters and triumphantly announced, (for we still didn’t know where we were since there was not signage), that we were at the “Barcade!”

82 on 4^th place in the LA Arts District, is an arcade for adults. It carries all of the classic arcade games like Mario Brothers, Street Fighter and Ms. Pac Man, but let’s patrons reminisce about their childhood arcade victories, all while sipping on very adult cocktails. Their cocktail list features drinks like the Tempest, which was so eloquently described by the bartender as “if a Margarita and a Mojito had a baby, it would be the Tempest.” She was right, refreshing and delicious, we wanted more. We also tried the Princess Peach, which was the epitome of a girly drink. It was pink and fruity and so dangerous. My roll of quarters is usually reserved for a Saturday afternoon at the Laundromat, not an afternoon at the Barcade so I welcomed the change. (Pun totally intended.)

82 is on a food truck route in the evening but not in the early afternoon, so for lunch we walked around the corner to Wurstkuche, home of the weird and tasty sausage. Weird like Alligator, Rabbit and to some, Vegan, but all properly prepared and served on a fresh bun. We got steak cut seasoned fries on the side and washed it all down with a German Pilsner, perfect for the hot afternoon.

 And because gluttony was part of the Saturday afternoon surprise, we walked across the street to the Pie Hole for dessert. Oh The Pie Hole… I love pastries. I love savory pastries. The Pie Hole has this and every other type of pie one can think of.  

I left the Arts District that afternoon full, tipsy, happy and feeling completely validated, knowing that this is why I continue to live in L.A. 

By: W. Castellanos-Wolf