Cross-town Rivalry

Apologies for the delay in posts! What with the Thanksgiving holiday and all, it's been hectic.

This weekend is the biggest game of the Los Angeles college football year (next to the Rose Bowl). It's the annual USC-UCLA game, and the only football game of the year that I really pay attention to. Why? I went to both UCLA (for undergraduate) and USC (for grad school).

However, I have no knowledge of football whatsoever. I've attempted many times to no avail. I will keep mum on who I am rooting for, since I will get stones thrown at me either way. :)

My experiences at both UCLA and USC have been special ones in different ways. I've spent more time in UCLA, so naturally, I know the Westwood neighborhood more, and hope to talk about its many haunts later. My time at USC was mainly during its night hours as a grad student, and I didn't really get to experience the USC school life (unless you count visits to the University Village -- the area has changed so much since I've left school). My UCLA v. USC will be based on...what else? Food :)

Here are my picks for this head-to-head:

Team Bruin:

Lamonica's New York Pizza
1066 Gayley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-8671

I started going to Lamonica's even before I went to UCLA, before the Whole Foods on Gayley sprouted up there. Where else would you find such authentic NY pizza in Los Angeles, and for such a great price? I still crave their white pizza (spinach with ricotta cheese), their large, thin slices. The restaurant itself reminds you of a NY subway station, or at least it does to me.

Team Trojan:

Dino's Burgers
2575 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-380-3554

Dino's is not exactly located in the vicinty of USC, but in its adjacent neighborhood. How grateful am I that my love still lives close enough to this so that I can stop by whenever I have a craving :). Surprisingly, I've had Dino's since I went to UCLA, thanks to a friend that lived down there. Also surprising is the fact that of my years of going to Dino's Burgers, I've never actually ordered a burger. Their most popular dish there is the chicken platter. For $5, you get delicious grilled chicken, smothered with a paprika, seasoning salt, vinegary sauce. The chicken is served over fries, with a brush of this lovely sauce that spills into the fries, making me crave the sour tarty-spicy chicken.

So no matter if you're a Bruin at heart, or love your Trojans, just remember -- food never takes sides and can be loved by a Bruin or a Trojan :)