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Photos by Brian Addison.<\/em><\/p>\n Sliced and Diced, the small, bright-purple, fresh-food-and-sandwich shack that sits on the northeast corner of Obispo Ave. and Anaheim Street, came out of necessity\u2014and on the eve of its first-anniversary celebration, it’s safe to say it has already become a neighborhood staple.<\/p>\n Co-owners Amy Eriksen and Griselda Suarez were overwhelmed before solidifying a storefront for their operation: between hitting up farmers markets selling their Peppered Up sauces and moles to renting various kitchens to prepare the goods, the pair had to figure out how to make things easier with the ability to still capitalize upon their love for food.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had to get our own place. Nobody else\u2019s kitchen is as happy as your own kitchen, y\u2019know?\u201d Ericksen said before quickly pausing to look across the table at a patron joining. \u201cMike, your sandwich is ready.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike, distracted on his phone but a loyal patron for months according to Eriksen, mouths a \u201cThank you,\u201d grinning to ear-to-ear while he grabs his Chicken Melt, a grilled chicken breast topped with melted Swiss, lettuce, tomato, onion, and lathered with worcestershire-mustard glaze.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lived here my whole life,\u201d Eriksen said, \u201cand I just love my neighborhood. And I knew what was needed: this place used to be a taco stand but there\u2019s Tacos Chapala right there and Los Compadres right behind it\u2014we\u2019re not gonna do something that is already being done. So we had to figure out how to use our food\u2014especially our sauces\u2014and highlight them.\u201d<\/p>\n Sliced & Diced was born.<\/p>\n The duo’s approach is a cater-to-all ideal that will make the tummies of both the Fat Kid and the Health Nut bloat with happiness.<\/p>\n For the former, there are a plethora of pork options\u2014the one meat both Suarez and Erikson admit is the most popular\u2014ranging from pulled pork to pork chorizo. Our suggestion? None other than their hallmark torta, the La Marquita: layered with chorizo (or soyrizo), egg, spinach, and a sauce that harkens to a Mexican hollandaise. This particular torta is not only hearty, but made with heart: it is the birthday breakfast that Eriksen provides to Suarez every year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe knew we had to have this one on the menu,\u201d Suarez said. \u201cI love eggs benedict. And Amy made me this\u2014and she\u2019s made it every year for me since. So I figured: why don\u2019t we make this into a torta? And if we\u2019re gonna make tortas, we have to find the best bread, right?\u201d<\/p>\n The perfect torta bread was found after the rejection of six others\u2014\u201cFinding the perfect bread is not just picking a bakery and there you have it,\u201d noted Eriksen\u2014and for those avoiding gluten, you can have roasted yams as your bread instead.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know this neighborhood,\u201d Suarez said. \u201cWe know they want good food, they need fresh food, and they options that can compete with the McDonald\u2019s across the street.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"SlicedDice01\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/SlicedDice01.jpg\")
In addition to providing just that type of love through one\u2019s own kitchen, a variety of other obstacles were in the road: given that Eriksen was the main caretaker of her mother at home, proximity was key.<\/p>\n
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