"You can eat El Dorado’s pozole rojo in their bare-bones strip mall dining room, but why do that when Hansen Dam Recreation Area is right across the street? (Soup picnics are totally a thing, not a term we just invented). This Sinaloense spot in Pacoima has a big menu of breakfast dishes, ceviche, and platters of meat, but for a solo winter lunch, get the pozole with handmade tortillas. The murky red broth is salty and smoky, and the pork is so tender it falls off the bone with one flick of the spoon. It’s fantastic as is, but layering on the garnishes like oregano, lime, and their extra-spicy roasted chile powder takes it to the next level. And so will the views of the dam." - Brant Cox