Brunch Archives - Page 3 of 3

A New Favorite Brunch – Girasol in Studio City

November 30, 2015 By AJ 1 Comment

Before I moved in the Fall of 2014, I lived just a few blocks away from 11334 Moorpark St., a restaurant space rather famous in our neighborhood for nothing lasting in it very long. Something would go in and we’d all start placing bets on how long the new dining establishment would last. And sure enough, it would be gone in a hurry — onto the next. Rinse. Repeat.

But I started to see Top Chef fan-favorite (and one of my Top Chef favorites!) CJ Jacobson around the neighborhood. I walked by him on the street once, I saw him in my local coffee shop… And I wondered if perhaps he was going to be next up in the seemingly doomed space and felt optimistic about it. Three years later, we still have Girasol in that no-longer-doomed space and I recently paid a visit to try their brunch menu.

CJ’s craft is best described as “rustic-refined” and revolves around a profound respect for the hyper-seasonal, local ingredients he brings into his kitchen at Girasol, which he conceptually collaborated on with Jorge Pultera, former manager at The Ivy, Koi and Red O. From the moment you walk into the restaurant, you know you’re in for something special because CJ and Jorge took the ambiance seriously. The entire space is really beautiful.

In fact, everything about Girasol is really beautiful — from the kind staff to the cocktails to the food. Everything is art there. Each day you can order from their craft cocktails or wine menu, or you can try whatever the bartender has customized for the day. We were treated to a minty, crisp, refreshing cocktail that I could perhaps relate to you by saying it’s like a moscow mule but better. And I wanted to try something non-alcoholic as well so I landed on a prickly pear (which is cactus)”soda.” It wasn’t as sweet as I thought it would be but still very good and refreshing. And again – artful in presentation. It almost glowed.

When it was time to eat we were more than happy to begin with their homemade bread, herb butter and jams. Absolutely delicious and could very well be a meal in of itself if you allow it…. But don’t. It’s delicious but save room for your meal. Trust me.

The unanimous staff recommendation seemed to mandate we also tried the Octopus Gazpacho starter. I’ve actually had octopus before — it’s quite good though I still can’t bring myself to eat the really squigly tentacle pieces. They served it up with cucumber, avocado, some mixed greens and tomatillo. Again, I could have had this as a meal. Apparently the dish was inspired by a salad on their regular menu — which I now need to return to try.

Look how green and fresh it looks! It tastes that good, too.

Instead of each having our own main courses, we shared two. I think if we asked they would have brought us everything on the menu but I selected two stand-outs. The Bread Pudding French Toast was basically dessert. I’ve never had French toast like that. And I don’t know what they do with the syrup but it’s the best damned syrup I ever had, I tell you. The Maine Lobster Benedict just blew my mind, though. Once I took a bite of that I was making proclamations of love and lust and declaring Girasol my new favorite brunch spot in all the land.

Here’s the thing I quickly realized as well. Despite all that we ate, we didn’t feel sick or stuffed. There wasn’t any of that heaviness that usually comes with eating really rich food. Everything we ate certainly seemed rich and decadent but I only felt satisfied and happy at the conclusion of the meal. I think that comes with all the wonderful, fresh, organic ingredients Girasol prides themselves on. Clearly everything we dined on was of the absolute best quality.

And I stand by my statement – it really is my new favorite brunch spot and I urge you all to try it. I hope it lasts years and years and years in that formerly-doomed building on Moorpark. When I drive or walk by there now, I certainly won’t think of it as doomed anymore. Much more likely I’ll have lobster benedict fantasies.

Brunch Doesn’t Need to be Fancy to be Delicious

September 8, 2015 By AJ 1 Comment

Delicious brunch need not be fancy, nor need it be expensive. Hear me out. Just because I am the Queen of Brunch does not mean I assign a price minimum or dress code requirement to the activity. Truth be told, I love me a good greasy spoon or diner. So here are a few I highly recommend.

NAT’S EARLY BITE – SHERMAN OAKS [website]

Set in a rather slummy strip mall on the edge of Sherman Oaks, Nat’s Early Bite (pictured above) offers nothing in decor but more than makes up for it with a huge menu, charming staff who’s probably treated like family by the owners, and great prices.

Eggs Benedict? $9.95. Two eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast? $9.25. And we’re talkin’ those good, O.G. hash browns. Not potatoes, not “home fries,” HASH BROWNS. French toast with eggs and bacon? $9.50.

Stop by and don’t let the outside scare you. It’s clean, it’s delicious, and it opens at 6 AM. Tell your brunch buddies you’ve found a real gem set aside from all the celebrity chefs trying to outdo one another with gluten-free Tahitian vanilla waffles with a light berry compote or housemade apple sausage over fennel with a lump crab egg whites scramble (and I did not make those dishes up, guys). Sometimes, dammit, you just want bacon and eggs and refillable coffee.

BEABEA’s – BURBANK [website]

Brace yourself. It’s pretty hard to go to BeaBea’s without waiting for a table. But you might try your luck at an “off hour” and see where that gets you. Regardless, it’s worth it because HOLY CRAP PANCAKES.

On the pancakes menu:

Apple Cobbler: Baked apples & almonds on buttermilk pancakes
Chocolate Tuxedo: Chocolate chips & brownie pieces topped with mascarpone cream, whipped cream & powdered sugar
S’mores Pancakes: Graham crackers, marshmallows & chocolate chip pancakes
House signature, golden pumpkin pancakes
Matcha green tea pancakes, green tea mascarpone, white chocolate chips & whipped cream

I’m just giving you a thorough tour but I promise you can’t go wrong here with just a plain stack of buttermilk pancakes. Nor can you go wrong with their french toast – just as many crazy choices here – or simply eggs, bacon, etc. Not quite the greasy spoon you’re looking at with Nat’s; it’s a little more well-kempt, but you’re not in Beverly Hills either – there is not an ounce of pretension in the place.

Pro-tip: Like I said, you’ll wait for a table and there’s not really anywhere to wait except outside, which trickles into the parking lot. If it’s hot, this could suck. Dress accordingly, bring sunscreen and sunglasses. I’m not even joking! I came home from BeaBea’s with a sunburn the first time I went. Of course, I’m also a pasty white broad who burns faster than toast. Also, if you don’t care where you sit (i.e. the makeshift outdoor seating or the counter), you’ll get seated a lot faster.

JINKY’S STUDIO CAFE – STUDIO CITY [website]

I’m not really sure what the history is here. Originally named just “Studio Cafe” but owned by the rather famous Jinky’s Cafe guys, maybe they were trying to establish a new brand? But I don’t think the place ever really drew a crowd til they threw “Jinky’s” up on the sign, changed the umbrellas and then BOOM.

You’ll wait here as well and what’s more, be warned that parking BLOWS. Find a street spot in the nearby neighborhoods and walk there. Thank me later.

So you’re basically getting a BeaBea’s redux here — lots of crazy pancake dishes to choose from, including the amazing, decadent red velvet pancakes that lead Jinky’s to breakfast fame — but with some added bonuses. For starters, TATER TOTS. And if you prefer, sweet potato tater tots. (I’m the only person in Los Angeles that hates sweet potatoes but I know that’s weird.)

Studio Cafe also has a proper patio. And even though you’re on a busy corner, it manages to be kind of private, intimate and quiet. They also discourage cell phone use, which I kinda dig, even though it gives me the shakes. But nothing cures the shakes more than a good mimosa, and of all the places mentioned here, Studio Cafe is the only one with a FULL BAR, so that’s a terrific perk! They also have TVs in case there’s a major sporting event you don’t want to miss and they’re open late (10 PM, 11 PM Thursday – Sunday) in case you get a late night breakfast craving, because it’s served all day and night!

(Note: They do post signs discouraging cell phones but I also found out they offer free WiFi so your guess is as good as mine, kids.)

SO WHAT’S MISSING?

I kept this list to my neighborhood but there are plenty of other, similar spots across town like Cici’s in Tarzana or even Du-par’s, which has a few locations – even one in Las Vegas (they’re only ok but they’re open 24 hours which probably serves them well in a town where very little else is). If you’ve got a great diner in mind that I should add to my bookmarks, please share it in the comments! I love to expand my brunch database!

River Rock in Studio City Serves Disappointment

August 24, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

In their defense, I saw the reviews on Yelp, and I went anyway…

I guess that’s on me but there are definitely some favorable reviews in there too, and I wanted to give River Rock at The Sportsmen’s Lodge in Studio City the benefit of the doubt. But I’m afraid they served up nothing but disappointment from the moment I walked through the door.

We were rather rushed out to our table on the patio. Probably because inside, it was empty and the buffet wasn’t done being set up yet. But then, the patio wasn’t set up either. The ground was wet, the tables weren’t set with anything except Tabasco and A-1 sauce (interesting sauce choices and hello? napkins, plates, silverware…), and there’s no decor outside anyway so aside from being next to a little lake, it was rather… ordinary.

A series of unfortunate events unfurled once the five of us were seated.

We sat there for a long time before the waiter finally showed up. He was surprised to see us. It was incredibly awkward.
Things came out slowly. First we got waters and then delightful little baskets of mini croissants with chocolate dipping sauce. But the plates, napkins and silverware didn’t arrive til later. So we stared at the delightful little baskets for a while, which was tortuous.
Eventually our drinks came. Eventually sweetener and cream came.
The food came and that was the biggest disaster. Everything was lukewarm or even cold. And one of our orders completely got by the server — he never put it in. He didn’t even seem apologetic about it. He came outside twice to ask my friend what she’d ordered as if she’d misplaced it and he was just trying to help her find it. She asked if he could just bring her a side of eggs and he walked away without acknowledging it leaving us to wonder if they were coming or not.
He was inside doing lord knows what when she finally gave up, went inside, and asked for a side of eggs so she’d at least have something to eat. They came out quickly, actually, but were overcooked and buttery. I give her credit for eating them but I am sure she was famished by then.
My dish came with a side of potatoes and a side of fruit. This is what my plate looked like:

Yeah, that’s a slice of orange and half a strawberry.
And this is what my eggs looked like inside:

We asked for salt and pepper. It never came. One of my friends went inside to get it.
We asked for drink refills that never came. Twice or three times we asked.
We asked for to-go boxes (for the more edible items) that never came.
The check came and we were so grateful to not have to wait for it, we put it all on one card just to expedite getting the eff out of there. I half expected (nay, I completely expected) that my friend’s last-minute eggs would at least be taken care of but no. No discount, no apology, not a word.
Around us, I could see other tables waiting and food getting sent back. The only thing the server consistently seemed to be waiting on were the bottomless mimosas. Those things got refilled ad nauseam. Maybe their policy is that a drunk customer is the customer who doesn’t notice their food taking 35 minutes to show up.

On our way out, I couldn’t let our experience go unnoticed. I slipped inside and asked for the manager and told him our experience had been horrible.

“Like how?” he asked.

So I gave him this list as I’ve given it to you. And frankly, he didn’t seem to care. Or maybe he just wasn’t surprised. I still don’t understand how we got through that whole meal and never heard an apology.

All that said, because we enjoy each others’ company, we had a nice time. And, I guess, now we have a story to tell… and Yelp reviews to write.

What’s in my Pocket Friday

June 12, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

The Best of the web this week!

I save things in my pocket all week long and look forward to sharing the highlights with you every Friday!

Pocket enables users to save something they find online for later. I find it especially handy as a Google Chrome extension — I only have to click a button to immediately save something to my pocket. Once something is saved, the content is visible on any device — phone, tablet, computer, and even offline.

Enjoyable: 13 Fun Things You Didn’t Know Siri Could Do!
Apparently there is a restaurant in Los Angeles that serve Churro ice cream sandwiches. I must go there.
Some delicious, new brunches in LA – check ’em out! Adding them to my database…. (Yes, I have one just for brunch.)
I thought this was great — a YouTube series that breaks down Pinterest ideas. Pin-trusted or Pin-busted?

Betty White prank called James Corden!
I enjoy this time of year when all the networks roll out their new shows and schedules for Fall.
I got some fabulously comfy new flats that I may now buy in every color. I cannot recommend them enough. Check out Corso Como’s Ballasox! (Especially awesome for travel – they fold up into a little pouch.)

I’m not trying to be ass but guys, come on. Rue McClanahan died five years ago. Be smarter.
I’m seeing Sutton Foster in concert on Sunday! Do you watch her show, “Younger?” It’s pretty great but I’ve been a fan for years. If you watch one performance from her, watch “Anything Goes.”
Had a great time leading round table discussions at EAMC yesterday! Post on that subject (Managing Your Social Media Calendar) to come soon!

Worth the Drive – Brunch at Michael’s Pizzeria in Long Beach

February 17, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

Brunch at Michael’s Pizzeria? Well… When someone mentions the word “brunch” my mind typically drifts to thoughts of bottomless mimosas, a blood mary bar, eggs benedict or hash browns. I wouldn’t necessarily gravitate toward pizza or lasagna and I certainly wouldn’t normally consider a drive from my home in The Valley down to Long Beach.

And yet one wonderful morning spent at Michael’s Pizzeria has changed everything.

EVERYTHING at Michael’s is made fresh, on site. Even the Mozzarella. They serve Napoli-style pizza. Wood-fired. In fact, everything is prepared in their wood-fire oven (I didn’t even get to the wood-fired frittatas!) and it shows in the remarkable flavors.

I ate some more “traditional” breakfast foods.

Cast-iron cinnamon rolls with a rosemary maple drizzle. Think is sounds weird because of the rosemary? So did I. Don’t worry, you’ll be licking your fingers. They do have kind of an…. earthy taste to them but they’re unique and delicious. By contrast, the french brioche toast is sweet as sweet can be and in addition to strawberry and nutella on top (well not on mine — I am allergic to nutella), it has the BEST whipped cream I have really EVER tasted. Which, yes, they make on site. I dream about it at night.

It wasn’t until after my meal, when I was chatting with my dad over the phone about how the restaurant was, and I dropped the name of the chain, that my dad excitedly told me Michael’s Pizzeria had been named the top pizzeria in the country by Zagat. (Yes, my dad knew that off the top of his head — he’s a knowledgeable foodie!) I guess that didn’t really surprise me. They served me two pizzas to try and they both BLEW MY MIND.

The first, a basic Margherita. But there was nothing basic about this pizza. The second, the Carbonara with provolone, house-made mozzarella, pancetta, asparagus, and two eggs.

I mean…. LOOK AT THE CRUST. Can we just take a moment for this?

It should be noted that a day, two days and three days later, a little reheated, that pizza was still G.D. AMAZING.

I had a really unique lasagna as well. I am normally not a lasagna person but I found this to be perfect for my taste because it wasn’t swimming in sauce, it wasn’t overrun with one ingredient above another, and the pasta layers were sort of crispy on the edges. During lunch it comes with a side salad with a wonderful, light dressing. I also enjoyed two scoops of housemade sorbet – strawberry basil (surprisingly good!) and salted caramel. The perfect way to end this egregious feast.

Please note, you guys, the Manager was not only a nice guy but her was above-and-beyond generous. He and his lovely staff brought me a lot of food. You’ve probably noticed that while reading this post. So I just want to clarify that NO, I did not eat ALL OF IT. I took bites and pieces and brought the rest home. And like I said about the pizza – days later, warmed up, it was still just as delicious.

More:

Michael’s Pizzeria website
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Pro tip – The Long Beach location I went to is on a Promenade so don’t solely rely on Google Maps to find it. You’ll get lost on all the one-way streets in Long Beach pretty easily. Keep an eye out for signs like this and park close to them:

P.S. If the weather’s nice, sit outside. Especially at brunch time when they have live music. I particularly enjoyed watching all of the people walking their dogs. 🙂

The Venice Whaler – A Fabulous Beach Side Brunch

February 15, 2015 By AJ Leave a Comment

After re-launching this summer with a new owner, chef, bar manager and new menus, the historic Venice Whaler did us all a tremendous favor by adding a weekend brunch menu to their arsenal.

It’s a smart move for them. There are tons of places lining Pacific Coast Highway where one can enjoy a beach-view brunch but down in Santa Monica and Venice, it is actually more challenging to find a spot with views like those you get when you’re enjoying a Crab Shell Bloody Mary. Brunch is all about indulgence and decadence so ideally, we should all be staring out at a perfect blue ocean during it, right?

Oh yes, that Bloody Mary is THE BOMB. Of all the things I am allergic to, thank goodness I am not allergic to shellfish. I loved it. I’m not gonna lie – I had two (thankfully, Alyssa drove). I may or may not have also tried the sparkling sorbet cocktail and the watermelon mojito (hint: I totally did but don’t worry, just sips)!

That sparkling sorbet cocktail…. OMG. Alyssa really liked the watermelon mojito. I am not a watermelon fan but even I had to admit it was refreshing.

But enough of that because I haven’t even mentioned the food yet, which is a crime against humanity at this level. The menu is wonderfully varied and every bite we had was delicious. It was hard to decide what to get, mind you. The breakfast burrito was tempting. And we could have had Whaler Burger (with a fried egg!) or the fish tacos (seemed like a god beachy choice) but in the end, we ended up with these three plates on the table. (And a side of bacon. Because bacon. DUH.)

Eggs benedict is my favorite brunch dish all all time in the history of the world and I appreciate a good spin on the old classic. Here, it’s served on slices of Brioche and in lieu of Canadian Bacon, you’ll get sausage patties. It’s really yummy. It’s a fantastic savory twist. Also wonderfully savory? The chicken and waffles. And may I just recommend the side of bacon for this dish alone, because it’s a wonderful compliment to the syrup and fried chicken.

The favorite for me, though (while we liked them all, Alyssa, I believe, picked the Benedict as her #1), was the CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST. I could eat that every day. EVERY. DAY. But I won’t. Because that would be unhealthy. Like, more unhealthy than I already am. And even I have my limits.

So any flaws? Not really. I will say if you’re looking for a traditional, indulgent brunch setting, you might be a little caught off guard here. It’s not a space with traditional tables and chairs. It’s very communal, more like a bar, and you’re sitting on stools (which, to their absolute credit, are nice, big ones and even I was super comfy on them with my big booty). But there’s also live music – a DJ – and some TVs, and the staff is super friendly and attentive, so it almost ends up feeling like a brunch party, which I enjoyed! It made for a really nice change!

AND!!! Fun fact – the new chef? None other than Nick Liberato from one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows, “Bar Rescue” (see him in action)! I was so excited! Thankfully, the Venice Whaler will never need rescuing. They’re in terrific shape.

More:

Best bet for parking: The beach parking lot the street dead-ends into. The steep $9 is worth the convenience.
The Venice Whaler’s official website
All of the socials! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

P.S. Since you are paying $9 for parking, why not make the most of it and spend some additional time on the beach? Go for a walk on the pier. It’s right there!