I’m constantly having debates over whether Los Angeles or New York is the superior culinary city, arguing in favor of my hometown due to its diversity and low barriers to entry. It is undeniable that between MEHKOs (home kitchen operations), food trucks, and street vendors that LA has a homegrown food culture that is unlike anywhere else in the country. Unlike New York, which requires seven figures of capital to get started, virtually anyone can start selling food in LA, it just may or may not be technically “legal.” There are countless examples of food trucks and pop-ups that have graduated from such scrappy operations towards legitimate brick-and-mortars such as Heavy Handed, Little Fish, and Quarter Sheets, to name a few of my favorites. This week, HNGRY sat down with Josh Agran, the proprietor of Delco Rose Hoagies, to chart his journey from a hoagie popup to a proper deli counter inside hip Highland Park, Los Angeles superette Carla’s Fresh Market.