Let me paint the picture, no it’s more like a mural. Just passing through the newly gentrified downtown lofts that have replaced but not completely taken over the cardboard digs of LA’s homeless, I begin my jaunt over the 4th Street Bridge. The signs on the shoulder say “Keep your eyes on the road”, but I still take one more glance back at the steal frames of downtown Los Angeles awash in an orange atomic glow as the sun sets on the City of Angels. Down below, train tracks and the LA River bed look like a created set for a Hollywood movie. The mural comes to life as John Travolta, as Danny in the movie GREASE, is “automatic, systematic, greased lightning” winning a drag race in the dry river bed for the T-Birds. Still heading east just pass the 5 Freeway sits Hollenbeck Park and the hustle and bustle of Quinceaneras and vendors. It is all reminiscent of the Laurel and Hardy slapstick shenanigans in the classic film, MEN O’WAR that was filmed at this same park in 1929. The only difference is Boyle Heights home to a large Jewish Community in the 1920’s, is now home to a predominately Chicano/a and or Latino/a population. Our mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Oscar de la Hoya, and Edward James Olmos are a few of the well known residents hailing from the “bluffs and the flats” of Boyle Heights. “All Roads Lead to Boyle Heights” where Interstates 5, 101, 10 and 60 all crisscross to create the massive East Los Angeles Interchange.
The gentrification trend that has already transformed the once “vida loca” of Echo Park and Silver Lake into yuppie havens has just recently begun to trickle into Boyle Heights All this reminiscing and reflecting I have almost forgotten why I began this excursion into unknown territory. It was a summer like day and my homie had promised to fill up my gas guzzling SUV if I took him to get a “Diablito” at a “spot” he only remembered was near Roosevelt High School. I first cleared things up to make sure a “Diablito” was not some code name for the drug of the moment. I was once coerced by another homie to take him to a “spot” where he proceeded to buy crack w/o my knowledge. He assured me that a “Diablito” was the name of a Raspado, a Mexican snow cone or Latino version of the 7-11 slurpees. So we finally arrive at a store front near the corner of 4th St. and Mott, a modest sign, RASPADOS DON MANUEL, and our planned destination. Stepping through the plastic curtains we wait along side school kids at a counter. Shaved ice, mangos, mango juice and chili powder make up the cold spicy sensation called, Diablito. The toppings are different, but the concept is the same. Instead of a helping of yogurt at a PINKBERRY, a sliced opened bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos or Tostitos Tortilla Chips is topped with chopped mango, chopped cucumber, and cueritos (pickled pork skins) with a secret sauce of Chamoy(a hot-sour-salty-sweet concoction) generously topping it all off. This one of a kind snack is a perfect accompaniment to the Diablito. Like a post orgasmic afterglow, warm and lingering, I sit back full and satisfied after devouring my snacks. The accomplishment of my feat can only be measured against my first Krispy Kream Doughnut or In-and-Out Burger.
These are moments that one cannot dismiss or regard lightly in one’s lifetime. Only 24 hours later I was feening for another Diablito, and talked a friend into taking me to the “spot” for my now daily raspado fix. Two weeks in and I was now a full blown Diablito Junkie. It has been 3 months since I was introduced to Raspados Don Manuel, and I have cut back to a visit a week. I woke up recently in a deep sweat not only having raspado withdrawal, but I dreamt my “spot” was replaced by a Starbucks. Mr. Gentrification has a way of rearing his ugly head, taking over and displacing unique and local businesses. Gloria Molina, Los Angeles County Supervisor 1st District, which includes Raspados Don Manuel, was quoted about the first Starbucks in East L.A... “The opening of Starbucks is just the latest success story in our on going ‘renaissance’ of East L.A.” Our communities look at a business like a Starbucks as a measurement of growth, but sometimes the true renaissance is right under our noses. Entrepreneur, Howard Schultz had a dream to take a local shop like Starbucks and serve coffee beyond Seattle. Maybe the true Renaissance of East L.A. would be if a Raspados Don Manuel wasn’t just serving ‘diablitos’ in East L.A., but also on the Westside of the city right along side a Starbucks serving a “caramel macchiato”.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/raspados-don-manuel-los-angeles
^ This is the main one - but I go to their smaller store on 4th & Mott!
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