WHY A great tuna sandwich, fresh salads, a huge enclosed patio, a swell jukebox and a relaxed, hang-out-as-long-as-you-like vibe.

WHAT Surely the coolest secret spot Downtown, Blue Star sits on the edge of the scrap-metal yards off Alvarado in Vernon—in other words, the last neighborhood you’d expect to find a modern diner serving caprese sandwiches and ahi niçoise salads. It’s not open for dinner, which makes it a great place for evening private parties.

WHO A diverse mix of rag traders (from Guess and other local fashion companies), produce-warehousers, art-lofters and adventurers from further north in Downtown.