Tribal Cafe in Angelino Heights

Tribal Cafe, 1651 W. Temple St. LA CA 90026, 213-483-4458, is a down home, funky like the Meters, good vibe, healthy food, cool people, fresh brew coffee, incredible elixir and shakes kind of hole in the wall. They are also known for their live music and performances. When I was in there yesterday, they had artwork up salon style by students from Belmont High. You can't get more local than that. I once saw an amazing Hip Hop performance evening there that included Mike the Poet and some LA-based rap artists and musicians. I know Mike Whitmore performs there on occasion too. That's some serious local high aesthetics. For lunch, I ordered the Thai Chicken Salad with peanut dressing. It was huge! They put all these thin slices of juicy oranges and the greens were fresh and bouncy. I also sampled a kombucha brand I'd never seen before. The meal was huge and filling but very healthy. This is a great place just slightly away from the LA Downtown bustle, where you can get a quick meal, a hot organic coffee or just stop by and stay for while. Bring your lap top and update your Facebook or something.