From Tasty Smoothies to Juicy Burgers, Ammo Has the Goods

Strange how quickly an addiction can take you over. Once I had my first smoothie at Ammo, a minuscule cafe and, mostly, take-out on Highland Avenue just south of Fountain, I found myself steering toward the place every chance I got. This is not your pumped-up, thick-as-gruel smoothie with every good thing under the sun stuffed into the blender, oh no. It’s beautifully basic, just fruit and ice blended to a smooth puree--and never too sweet. The blueberry or the mango cool a wilted driver down better than air-conditioning. Or you can mix and match with strawberry and banana.

Amy Goldenberg’s Ammo (“Fuel for Thought”) caters to the Hollywood crowd, sending out sandwiches, salads, daily specials and munchies to Hollywood’s host of studios, photo shoots, labs and offices at a dizzying pace. But, for those who want to eat in, there are two small galvanized metal tables with stools out front. Inside, there’s room for three or four max to pony up to the counter to order, temptingly close to a plate of chocolate chip cookies (which you can order by the bag) or dark fudgy brownies.

At breakfast, you can get an egg sandwich stuffed with field greens and a slice of tomato, a gourmet breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs and chorizo inside garnished with avocado salsa, or a bowl of Ammo’s crunchy homemade granola, which you can buy by the bag as well.

But mostly, lunch is the thing here. Specials are scrawled on a butcher paper scroll mounted overhead. And the kitchen help, seen through a chain-mail curtain, works at a steady, frantic pace.

The substantial salads include a delicious French lentil with roasted beets, arugula, snowy goat cheese and pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds), say; or my current favorite--roasted potatoes, artichokes and pungent olives in a lemon-horseradish vinaigrette. Sandwiches like grilled chicken with tomato and arugula or roasted turkey with avocado salsa, cheddar and grilled leeks are hearty enough to feed a hungry grip. Or two.

Not to forget the juicy burger or the turkey meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Vegetarians, too, have plenty of choices, especially among the specials of the day.

Still hungry? Grab one of the individual rustic fruit tarts to go. Or if you’re really generous, a bag or two of cookies for your co-workers.

BE THERE

Ammo, 1155 N. Highland, Hollywood; (323) 871-AMMO; fax (323) 467-3295. Open Mondays to Fridays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; local delivery $2 with $10 minimum order. Call to receive a faxed copy of the day’s specials. Breakfast $4 to $8; salads $3 to $8; sandwiches $8; entrees $8 to $14. Street parking only.