I was recently in LA working on a video shoot. Our studio was located in Downtown LA, not necessarily the most glamorous part of the sprawling city, but one that served our needs for the time. Now there’s this longstanding idea that nobody in fashion eats. I’m here to tell you that this is patently untrue, and is a stereotype I am singlehandedly, croissant by croissant, breaking down. Catering is my favorite part of the shoot, not even kidding.
Anyway, I digress. This was a smaller shoot so there was no massive catering table set up, which is totally fine, because we were able to call out and order exactly what we wanted. Only, nobody on set knew what was around, or what exactly would be our best option.
Luckily for us, my photo assistant clicked them keys and googled “cafes” nearby, and we came up with Tiara Cafe.
The menu is a bit of a foodie’s surreal dream. “Are these options real?” you might wonder, as you read them.
Tiara Cafe’s slogan is “Eat healthy more often, diet less.” A bit of a mouthful, but a delicious one.
I went with the grilled skirt steak salad which was iceberg lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, onion rings, and a bit of ranch dressing with insanely good bleu cheese crumbles. And I don’t even like bleu cheese. And ok, I admit this doesn’t sound super healthy, but it was totally fresh and delicious, and incredible satisfying in the middle of a busy shoot. And despite how it sounds, it really wasn’t super heavy. The onion rings provided an amazing contrast to the dressing, and the steak was perfectly done — a little pink, so it was still just a bit tender, and super flavorful.
On the second day I went with the fresh’wich, which they bill as a light, healthy alternative to a sandwich. How LA, right?
I got the Thai Cobb Fresh’wich, which is grilled marinated chicken, greens, diced tomatoes, bacon, sumtum salad, grated hard boiled eggs, and romaine, wrapped in rice paper with a slightly spicy sesame soy dipping sauce. Um. What. Amazing. It arrives looking like an oversized spring roll, and while at first glance you might think “hmm, this might not be enough,” it totally is. And it’s delicious. The greens provided a bright, healthy crunch, and the chicken was juicy and tender, with just the right amount of flavor.
Other people on set got different salads and sandwiches, and everyone was incredibly happy with what they ordered. Prices were all around $10, so from intern to talent, was right on budget for everyone.