The first ever Feastown at Eastown popped off in Hollywood with a bevvy of delicious eats, live music and hungry attendees.
The brand new bi-monthly pop up market drew a massive crowd – didn’t hurt that Hamilton just let out down the street – and brought serious flavor to a newly-flourishing neighborhood.
I’d eaten nothing prior to the event, so I was ready to dig in. And dig in I did.
The first thing I tried was The Game Over bagel from Yeastie Boys. It was 5pm, but this was just the breakfast I needed. They fit a soft scrambled egg, peppered bacon, sliced tomato, beer cheese and jalapeno spread on a pretty cheddar bagel.
It hit the spot.
This bagel was soft, a lil gooey yet sturdy enough to stay put in between the bread. Savory and perfectly salty, it literally tasted like eating your favorite breakfast all at once in every bite.
Next was a doozy: a delectable Dim Sum Basket from Brothecary that would have literally knocked my socks off were I not wearing boots over them. This colorful and effusively fresh combination of all-natural chicken and shrimp dumplings made my heart sing.
I meant to share with my +1, but he kept pausing to breathe, which gave me just enough time to devour most of this on my own. The cucumber, rice and dipping sauces were divine – gently tart with a lingering sweetness. Into it.
Most Americans have never had Omusubi – Japanese rice balls with fillings inside, wrapped with nori (seaweed). I am most Americans. Or at least I was until I tried the truly correct and fantastic Tokyo Tori Omusubi from Sunny Blue.
Don’t think I’ve ever eaten something quite like it. First impressions? This was fresh as hell. Like a borderline effervescent freshness. The chicken was perfectly cooked and mighty filling.
And let’s not got started on the fun of eating food wrapped in nori. It’s like eating a sandwich with soft, delicious green bread. It’s better than I just described it.
Our next stop was Creativi Tea, which serves Taipei-meets-LA teas that burst with color and perfectly-sweet flavors. They had a line, y’all. These teas were pretty, and pretty damn good.
I tried ‘Instagram Tea’. Listen, I Instagrammed it, and I feel great about it.
This tea’s beauty was more than just skin deep. It was refreshing as all get out, and more importantly tasted fantastic.
Just the right amount of sweetness, and even though Creativi Tea staff insisted we shake the concoction up, I could make out each delicious flavor individually. The overall taste was like a subdued sweet tea. Lovely.
We finished our tasty tour with Norigami Tacos. I’d had a lot to eat at this point, so I wasn’t sure how big I should go. You already know I chose to go big. But please keep reading.
I chose the Mr. Crab taco, which, great name. This taco gave me everything I needed and more – crispy soft shell crab, spicy mayo drizzle, citrus ponzu, and self-respect.
The crunch was such a great contrast to the succulent nori. I took my time with this one, enjoying the spice meets citrus, the tension and relief. My guest and I raved about the healthy portion of crab in front of us. I’d never had it on a taco, and now I feel like I’ve been living my whole life wrong.
Sadly, I’d sampled all I could. The staff and vendors at Feastown at Eastown were gracious and helpful, and explained everything in great detail. They made recommendations and were demonstrably passionate about their work. Hats off to all.
The next Feastown is October 21st at the same location – 6201 Hollywood Blvd., and features all the vendors you just read about in this article. The November 4th and 18th events will have a Thanksgiving theme (drool), and the December 2nd and 16th events will be holiday themed (yayy).
Be sure to stop into one or all of these events. You will leave happier and more satisfied than when you arrived.
