The Daily Dose Cafe

The Daily Dose Cafe is an organic cafe and espresso bar in downtown's Arts District in Los Angeles, California, best known for it's farm-to-table inspired style of cooking known as California cuisine. Restaurateur, food activist, and chef Sarkis Vartanian opened Daily Dose Cafe in 2012 dedicated to serve organically produced food, artisan coffees, home made baked goods, and nutritionally balanced classic meals. All ingredients come from their regional farm, community gardens, local vendors, and farmer's markets to make regional organic produce more accessible to the industrial Downtown community of Los Angeles in the ethos of the Slow food movement.

Historic landmark

The Alley

The historic alley is one of the Art's District most relevant landmarks. The cobblestone-lined alley sits in between turn-of-the-century industrial buildings and bow-truss brick structures. The Daily Dose Cafe was built on top of these one-hundred year old railroad tracks.

This alley used to function as an interchange track within a series of switching track plans in the railroad yard known as "The Patch". It is the oldest switching district in Los Angeles served by the Santa Fe Railroad, it was full of narrow passages and curving brick buildings, built with curved walls to match the track, these buildings were served by a patchwork of tracks down streets and alleys. Trains terminating in Los Angeles arrived at Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Le Grande Station on the corner of 2nd and Santa Fe.

The Patch

"'Patch' (Including industries between Fifth and Sacramento Streets and the "Market" on Alameda Street)" played a major role in the Los Angeles railway system served by the Santa Fe Railroad.

"It seems important to note that the Santa Fe is able to switch the industries in the district between Fifth and Ninth Streets and have all cars set within approximately three hours after the arrival of the train without the use of any longitudinal drill tracks, such as those on Alameda Street." From an excerpt from the First Street 1918 Description document in which the earliest report of "The Patch states this trait and advantage this terminal had.

The origin of the nickname "Patch" is unknown however some theories state it refers to the switch lamps on switches, glowing red and green in the night, reminiscent of a “patch” of strawberries or green vegetables. The area was industrialized in the 1880s, the name could refers to the garden patches that existed prior to industrialization.

The curved brick building where The Daily Dose Cafe is located belongs to the Distric #22 called "Canal".

Historical significance

Because Santa Fe Railroad included multiple industry railroad tracks into the terminal, and a small crew of switch-men could have the cars reset for departure to their respective industry, it created the connection for merchants between the East and the West coast fueling rapid urban development in Los Angeles of new economic growth and whole markets circa 1918. The shipment of goods and services such as produce, meats, and materials to tourism and mail express fostered cultural epicenters in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.

The Daily Dose Cafe and it's team opened it restaurant with an unwavering commitment to the building's purpose since it's inception: service. These structures originally served by the Santa Fe Railroad and AT&SF nearly one-century ago received freight train cars arriving and departing with goods and services such as produce from a network of Californian farms, railroad mail express, and tourism. Structures that were once Goods sheds, engine rooms, and warehouses in the yard are now inhabited by Daily Dose Cafe, the Bread Lounge, Hauser Wirth & Schimmel, Angel Brewery, Southern California Institute of Architecture, One Santa Fe, and previously American Apparel's headquarters, for example. These community-based organizations are a living narrative of the origins of Los Angeles, and highlight the vital role that Railroad had played in the city's urban industrialization into the major global city it is today. Their staff embrace this century old mission of service. The culture of the past continues to serve the present in this iconic landmark.

"We would haul a cut of cars from First Street Yard and cut them off in the street while we went light engine into the Patch. Usually we switched Star Truck and Warehouse first and shoved our pull cars through those interesting curved brick buildings and cut them off by the building known as "the walnut house" (The Walnut Exchange). We also switched the Metropolitan Warehouse (the bigger "Old House" on the left and the "New House" on the right. There was a three way puzzle switch to line toward the old house, new house, or straight rail across Mateo Street. There was also a "Middle Patch" district by that magnificently lettered "Nate Starkman Paints and Varnishes" building, LA Times (rolls of paper) and "the furniture house." Quote from a Railman in the 1970s describes first- hand experience working in the switching yard.

Social Change

Farm-To-Table

Serving seasonal dishes the Daily Dose sources the ingredients that are locally grown and harvested by regional farms, farmers markets, local bakeries. The menu changes are determined by what is fresh and in season. The quest for fresh seasonal ingredients have always determined the cuisine, thus the Daily Dose Cafe has created a network of farmers, ranchers, dairies that produce and supply these ingredients that make the food that is then cooked and served at Daily Dose. Sarkis, the owner obtains produce from the South Pasadena, Echo Park, and Atwater Village farmers markets. He acquires deli meats from Fra'mani, an Italian restaurant owned by Paul Bertolli who co-found Chez Panisse with Alice Waters. Alice Waters and Paul Bertolli were pioneers in the Farm-to-table movement of the United States in Berkeley, California during the 1960's.

The Vartanian Ranch

Tomatoes, herbs, fruits to Duck, goose eggs, and heritage chciken eggs come from the 8-acre farm in Temecula, California called The Vartanian Ranch.

Aeroponic Gardens

Vertical columns of Aeroponics gardens growing herbs and vegetable are pesticide-free, organic, and harvest enough to feed 80 people for 10 months out of 12 per year. The farm utilizes 60 vertical hydroponic tower systems manufactured by Future Growing. The white, food-grade plastic towers are stacked upon 25-gallon reservoirs. Restaurants such as Daily Dose and Bell, Book & Candle in New York are redefining the concept of farm-to-table and paving the way for a sustainable agriculture.

Mission and Mascot

The Daily Dose opens its doors with the notion that "every human has the right to organic good healthy food" says Sarkis Vartaian about embracing localism and the adopting the farmer's methods of "bringing conscious healthy food that are brilliant for the body for an affordable price."

Inspired by the working person, the cuisine menu is named after the Butcher, the Tailor, Mike the Mechanic, and The Farmer. Daily Dose features a monkey named Mike D. "Mike D the Monkey represents the average working man - "Monkey in a Suit" who are like us - 'Food For Us by Us' " explains Sarkis. The atmosphere of the Daily Dose is an ode to the working man.

Notable Collaborations/Community Events

Local emerging chefs and community organizations are in constant collaboration with the Daily Dose hosting events with the goal in "bringing fresh food to an area, where it isn’t available". Lunch program in partnership with American Apparel, whose Downtown Los Angeles headquarters was also located in the Southern Pacific Railroad Station in the heavy industrial area on Alameda Street, had provided about 5,000 textile manufacturers and immigrant workers with local, fresh, nutritionally balanced meals for lunch.

American Apparel lunch program called Room Service, Kitchen Table Thanksgiving, Devon's Table Oktoberfest, and Esotouric tours are a sample of the many community-based events hosted at the cafe.

Culinary influences

On a walking expedition in the European country side while overcoming a health crisis due to excessive weight gain, then cancer, Sarkis encounters the Slow Food Movement in Italy, a local community who encourage the enjoyment of regional produce, traditional foods, grown organically and in the company of others, and teach the importance of defending agricultural biodiversity. Back in Los Angeles and opposed to the culture of fast food, Sarkis pursues his passion to make organic produce more accessible by advocating an Urban Industrial Farm and Cafe with outdoor seating on the railroad tracks of Industrial St.

The Daily Dose Cafe is a modern proponent of the California Cuisine style emphasizing vegetables and foraged foods while maintaining the traditional emphasis on local foods and presentation that Chez Panisse pioneered in the Bay Area in the 1960s. Sarkis Vartanian through the Daily Dose have significantly advanced the reach of the slow food movement culture to the high density urban environment of Southern California and transforming a heavily industrial landscape in the Arts District neighborhood with his culinary craftsmanship.

Location and filming

The Daily Dose Cafe is often a featured location for photographers, television series, student films, and motion pictures for it's traditional European coffeehouse experience, as designed by Sarkis Vartanian.

The exterior of the restaurant is covered in vines and plants; birds nest there and can be heard chirping. The neighboring space is used as an art gallery space for local artists. The cafe serves as an oasis from the heavy industrial truck depot, as well as a symbol of the ongoing transformation that has taken place in Downtown Los Angeles Arts District.

• Vogue photo editorial with Skater Girl Sierra Prescott sits at the Daily Dose

• Rizzoli & Isles, Season 6, episode "Scared to Death" - Daily Dose Cafe played the role of the Boston, Massachusetts-area cafe
• CSI: Cyber, Season 1, episode 'Firecord' - aired in 2015, the Daily Dose Café masks as the Washington, D.C.-area coffee shop.
• Revenge, Season 3, episode 'Endurance' aired in 2014, the exterior of the eatery is briefly shown
• Revenge, Season 3, episode 'Impetus' characters standing outside of the Daily Dose Café
• Scandal, episode 'Dog-Whistle Politics' - Daily Dose Café stood in for the Café Graisseux (translation Greasy Coffee Shop) in Paris.

Notable Clientele

Daily Dose is where you go for your secret affair where many celebrities have been seen because of it's hidden location. Vincent Gallo, the American actor, director, and musician who is the HOA of the curved brick building, along with the private European cafe atmosphere is what attracts famous celebrities, poets, artists, and writers gather together. "The place is a microcosm of our larger community, a magnet for restless, innovative, and creative spirits from all over the planet that never cease to inspire." American director Vincent Gallo, Chicago architect of Chicago Firehouse, Julia Childs , CEO Dov Charney

External links

Official website: 2