Ever since Insecure debuted five seasons ago, Los Angeles has gotten top billing alongside Issa Rae. But unlike most Southern California-set series, Rae’s HBO comedy has subverted cliche (i.e., the expected spots in Hollywood or the beach communities) by focusing on Los Angeles’ historically Black south side — particularly its thriving food scene. Choosing restaurants, bars and their environs in the Crenshaw, Inglewood, Ladera Heights, Leimert Park and West Adams neighborhoods has been an ongoing collaboration among locations staff, directors and producers, and now their work has staffer Carolyn Schultz in the running for location manager of the year (episodic TV, half-hour program) at the annual California on Location Awards. Ahead of both the Nov. 14 event and Insecure‘s December series finale, Schultz highlighted some of her favorites among the eateries they’ve shown on the series during its five-year run.
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1. SIMPLY WHOLESOME
4508 W. Slauson Ave.,Los Angeles
“Simply Wholesome is a healthy restaurant and market that supports Black-owned products and wellness for the community.”
2. ALTA ADAMS
5359 W. Adams Blvd.,Los Angeles
“It was refreshing to feature this hip restaurant in West Adams, a neighborhood that has not had a lot of filming as far as restaurants, plus it serves delicious West African and Southern cuisine.”
3. WORLDWIDE TACOS
2419 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. Los Angeles
“This Black-owned establishment in Leimert Park was a recurring location that added to Issa’s world of restaurants and hangouts.”
4. HOT + COOL CAFE
4331 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles
“This is a wonderful cafe in the center of Leimert Park Village that not only offers healthy meals for the community but also promotes Black arts and culture.”
5. SWIFT CAFÉ
4279½ Crenshaw Blvd., Los Angeles
“The show wanted to feature Swift Café as it is a female Black-owned business in Leimert Park, which also offers a variety of healthy foods including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.”
6. PANN’S
6710 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles
“This classic ’50s diner has been seen throughout the series and added to the look of the show with its Googie architecture in the South L.A. area.”
This story first appeared in the Nov. 10 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
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