WHY Small-batch ice creams with a 16% butterfat content and incredibly good flavors, especially Really Dark Chocolate, lemon custard and, at Christmastime, peppermint. WHAT Robert Small, aka Dr. Bob, is a professor at Cal Poly Pomona who turned his love of ice cream into a booming business. You can stop by the plant on the [...]
WHY Champon, a robust, spicy broth with seafood and lots of noodles. WHAT This Little Tokyo warhorse has been turning out good, inexpensive ramen for years, and it’s still going strong, despite the decline of the little mall it’s in. A handy spot for a quick bite Downtown. WHO Japanese-American regulars and Downtown partiers looking [...]
WHY The shio ramen with chasu (pork), which will have you ordering seconds. Come to think of it, all the ramens will. WHAT This little place in the Mitsuwa food court with fake food on display may not look promising, but the broths are rich and wonderful, filled with meaty noodles and topped with quality [...]
WHY For some of our very favorite breads in town—yes, some of them are better than La Brea’s. They manage to be light and yet somehow substantial, crusty enough but not dry. The rosemary focaccia and sea salt rolls are fabulous. WHAT Suzanne Dunaway went big-time when she sold her bread bakery to Mrs. Beasley’s, [...]
WHY The usual faddish cupcakes (red velvet, dark chocolate, vanilla bean) and beautiful whole cakes to order in advance—for true comfort, get the Mom’s Birthday Cake, a yellow cake with milk-chocolate frosting that will leapfrog you back to the ’50s. WHAT A small and stylish bake shop specializing in cupcakes to go (large or mini), [...]
WHY Chocolates and truffles made in Silver Lake with skill and taste. If you’re adventurous, try the Aztec (with apricot and three chiles, including habañero) or Kalamata olive; if you’re a classicist, have the straightforward truffle or the dark chocolate ganache with coffee bits. WHAT Master chocolatier Whajung Park and her husband, Christian Alexandre, turn [...]
WHY For jewel-like (and jewel-priced) Swiss-style chocolates of good flavor and great beauty. WHAT Owner Diane Krn takes credit for inventing the chocolate-dipped strawberry back when she ran Krn Chocolatier in New York in the ’70s; now she’s returned from retirement to run this swank little Beverly Hills shop. If you take out a second [...]
WHY Very good brioche, proper French croissants, mini baguettes and, for lunch, baguette sandwiches made to order. Excellent lattes, too. WHAT This family-friendly bakery is a community center in this upscale community, a place to meet for coffee, grab a sandwich for lunch, order a birthday cake or take the kids after school for a [...]
WHY Wonderful fresh filled pastas (in five-pound bags), Italian country breads (ciabatta, focaccia, noci, panini rolls), tiramisu and special-occasion cakes. WHAT Celestino Drago, one of L.A.’s star Italian chef/restaurateurs, runs this bakery to supply his own places and other Italian eateries; retail customers can shop here during the week. It’s best to call a day [...]
WHY Really good, and good for you, bran muffins—try the blueberry-raspberry oat-bran one. WHAT Zen’s muffins are big sellers at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, but you can come here to the source to buy them fresh from the ovens. The specialty is bran muffins of many types, as well as fiber cakes and vegan [...]
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