Upfront — this might not be fair. If you’re reading this, it’s possible you’re not going to get in … I will explain. This is weird. I’m actually writing a Unilocal review about the cafeteria at work. Yes, cafeteria… Yes, work… I work for City National Bank in downtown Los Angeles, at City National(was Arco) Plaza. We’ve had a cafeteria on our 13th floor from day one, and from day one the food was unremarkable– and that’s on a good day. (Because the blue ladder is part of our business identity, the place is called ‘The Blue Ladder café. Catchy, huh?) Until recently, lunch invariably(for me) meant going to a chain restaurant in the basement of our building; Mendocino Farms across the street, or Lemonade– also downstairs. Not bad choices all things considered. About a year ago, we got a new catering /management company, Bön Appetit Management Co. We went from factory food to real food overnight. No, it’s not a sit-down restaurant. It’s self-serve or stand-in-line food. However, chef Jake appears to have been given his head and(for example) when something is billed as spicy, it’s really, really, politically-incorrect spicy. There appears to be no dumbing down of the food– either with regard to taste buds, or how it is sourced. The food is cooked from scratch, with an eye toward sustainability, humane-ability, farmer’s rights and all that other earth-loving, tree-hugging crap. The bottom line: This is really good-tasting, mostly healthy, thoughtfully prepared and reasonably priced breakfast and lunch. Period! So, if you have a pal at CNB and can get into the cafeteria — do it.
