WHY To wallow in the glory of bread, butter and cheese. WHAT Bread – Butter – Cheese – Victory! is the slogan of this fast-growing underground cheese-off that’s typically held in April (the 2009 one was chaos, but 2010 was better organized and much more fun). The location changes and is sometimes not announced until [...]
WHY Simple and satisfying sandwiches on homemade bread. WHAT Part bakery, part coffeehouse, part lunch purveyor, these spacious, friendly, order-at-the-counter cafés are fine places for lunchtime sandwiches. Generous and made on an array of homemade breads, they are thoughtfully offered in three sizes: regular, large and half. WHO Office workers flock to both locations. 921 [...]
WHY Ordering the Dianne salad marks you as a true Pasadenan. WHAT This institution does a brisk business in Cal-American cuisine. There’s a popular outdoor patio and a modern-coffee-shop interior, but wherever you choose to sit, the go-to dish is the Dianne salad, its ginormous take on Chinese chicken salad (for a more reasonable serving, [...]
WHY A chance to hang out with the local hipsters in a laid-back neighborhood café. WHAT This funky-cute cottage across the street from Virginia Park is emblematic of the gentrification of Santa Monica’s Pico neighborhood. Pull up a chair at one of the adorable little tiled tables on the ivy-shaded patio and enjoy one of [...]
WHY Great chicken curry and egg salad open-face sandwiches; good lemon tarts; a communal table with loaves of bread serving as idiosyncratic napkin holders; excellent vegan and vegetarian options. WHAT These Belgian-based cafés offer a level of quality that’s almost never seen in chains. Fresh, flavorful, often organic ingredients go into the delicious open-face sandwiches, [...]
WHY A little bit of heaven right on bustling Main Street. Delicious panini, a nice breakfast and lovely sweet crèpes. WHAT This modest café is a sleeper find on Main Street—a welcome alternative to the many overpriced and/or touristy eateries. Take your crisp, absolutely delicious panini to the hidden rear garden, where umbrellas shade the [...]
WHY Tried and true classics served in vintage beach-bum splendor. WHAT What looks like an oceanside Irish pub thanks to the jolly green paint job is actually a booze-free greasy spoon that’s been greeting PCH passersby since 1974. It’s a hearty breakfast dive complete with flea-market antiques, worn wood tables and a hodgepodge of photos [...]
WHY A chance to eat healthy food with the Palisades set, plus no corkage fee. WHAT This is the place that triggered a local epiphany: ‘Healthy’ food can actually taste good! Winning dishes include a delicious egg-white frittata with sausage and roasted vegetables. Get there before 11:30 for brunch or lunch and before 6 p.m. [...]
WHY Surprise: Aging starlet gets a good facelift and comes out of it lovelier than ever. WHAT High-end restaurateur Bruce Marder runs this miniature and adorable restored diner, where a funky-chic bougainvillea-shaded patio is furnished with marble tables and bistro chairs. It’s a lovely place to linger over a burrata caprese omelet or organic rotisserie [...]
WHY The turkey-avocado wrap and chopped salad. WHAT This cute-as-a-button coffee shop isn’t as good as we wish it would be—the service can be spotty, the prices are on the high side for such simple fare, and the kitchen is inconsistent. That said, it’s got a good vibe and is a pleasant place to meet [...]
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