West Hollywood Archives

The 2016 BRUNCHIES

December 22, 2016 By AJ 1 Comment

The Best Brunch in Los Angeles in 2016

Happy holidays, fellow foodies and welcome to the 2016 Brunchies, recognizing the best brunch in Los Angeles in 2016.

In Los Angeles, Brunch is a part of our culture. It’s oversized sunglasses and purposefully tousled ponytails, three-day-old beards, and whatever wasn’t already in the laundry when you got dressed. It’s bottomless mimosas and craft Bloody Marys. Brunch is a celebration of all things — the end of a fabulous (or not fabulous) weekend! Our fabulous lives! Our abysmal lives! A day that ends in ‘y’! Whatever. It’s delicious. Who cares.

In 2014, when I was freelancing for The Bold Italic’s short-lived Los Angeles bureau, I was charged with giving out a series of Brunch awards, which I lovingly named “The Brunchies.” Alas, they are a defunct bureau yet my love of Brunch lives on in infinitum. So I decided to resurrect the honors and let you all in on the biggest hits of my 2016 brunch life.

Best View

The Penthouse (Santa Monica)

I’ve cited this one before but you just can’t beat their view. The food is good — you’ll find traditional items like Benedict and baked eggs but you’ll also find a killer rigatoni and pan seared Branzino. Make sure you save some room and your calories so you can start the meal with their cinnamon rolls or enjoy some dessert afterward. You get 360 degree views there but ladies, make a stop in the bathroom, too. The view from the last stall is something patrons wait in line for!

Honorable Mention: The Castaway (Burbank) — and complimentary champagne is included in their brunch buffet!

Best Avocado Toast

Flower Child (Santa Monica)

I don’t know what these magical wizards do over there but this simple combination of avocado, a soft egg, black sesame and a little white cheddar on their dense, whole grain toast is so good that you may actually order two pieces. And by the way, it’s only $6 and 360 calories so in addition to being utterly delicious, it’s guilt-free.

I’m pretty obsessed with this place, by the way. It’s worth mentioning that their whole menu is delicious and I’m gutted that it’s not closer to where I live.

Honorable Mention: BLD (Mid-city).

BLD’s Avocado Toast puts a unique spin on the trendy menu item. They bake poached eggs, chorizo, manchego cheese, smoked paprika right into the avocado and serve thick, lightly-toasted sourdough on the side. The chorizo really elevates the flavor.

Best Group Brunch

The Church Key (West Hollywood)

I love The Church Key’s sprawling space that can open up in the front to the street so that you can enjoy the indoor/outdoor dining West Hollywood Brunches are meant for. With all their space and vintage charm, a lot of their big tables are like their own tableaus and what’s more, they have many tables set up with large groups in mind. The first time I enjoyed brunch there with a large group, we sat around a big, round table, which is always ideal to me so that no one feels cast away to the end of a row and is unable to chat with the folks at the other end. Also clutch for any group brunch? They take reservations.

Best Mexi-Brunch

Mercado (locations in Santa Monica, Mid-City and on the Cahuenga Pass)

Everything at Mercado arrives on your table looking and tasting fresh. As a second honor, I might also reward them with “Best Breakfast Burrito” — the massive wrap is stuffed with scrambled eggs, nueske bacon, mexican rice, frijoles negros, roasted potatoes, pico de gallo and oaxaca cheese. Their “Chilaquiles Rojos con Huevos” is a true winner as well but you must add the carnitas to it because the way they prepare their carnitas alone is unbelievably delicious.

Got room for an appetizer? Their chips are just as fresh as anything else on the menu, made in house. The queso will leave you wishing the portion was bigger but only after you’ve also polished off their guacamole, topped with spicy pepitas.

Best Bloody Mary

Hyperion Public (Locations in Studio City and Silver Lake)

Even though they may be best known best for their “f yeah” fries and their “omg dip,” their simple, classic Bloody Mary leaves a mark. The mix is made on site and though you won’t find it bacon infused or loaded with a slider-on-a-stick, there is nothing flawed about it. Now that they’ve opened their second location in Studio City, there are two locations to enjoy it at. (P.S. They also started offering bottomless mimosas this year and lord-have-mercy do they make a great stack of pancakes!)

Best Brunch That’s Not For Me

Au Fudge (West Hollywood)

Founded by Jessica Biel, the cleverly named Au Fudge is a restaurant that caters to children first. You enter through a rustic, country gift shop that sells baked goods along with tchotchkes and toys. Beyond, a bubbly cafe setting adorned with marble, pastels and plenty of kitschy kid-friendly space. (Even the bathrooms have kid-friendly sinks and toilets!) The hub of the restaurant is a large creative space that runs the whole length of the restaurant. It is enclosed, filled with craft tables, toys, and staffed. It is available for parents to drop their kids into at a rate of $15 for two hours so they can dine “in peace” though plenty of patrons bring their kids to the table where a rather indulgent kids menu and crayons await. It is a super-energetic space where you seldom hear the word “no” among the noise and clutter of it all. My meal was delicious, my company was lovely, but it’s never going to be my first choice because I’m quite the snobby bruncher.

Best Patio

Eveleigh (West Hollywood)

Eveleigh may be located in the heart of WeHo but once you walk through the restaurant and out to their rear patio, it’s like being transported to an chic, rustic tree-house escape. The one thing I’ll caution is that the breathtaking setting might leave you with rose-colored glasses. The food is good, but not great. The service is adequate though the servers are all modelesque and not particularly warm. And the prices are a bit high. So it’s up to you how badly you want to dine in this setting!

Honorable Mention: Terrine (Mid-City)

Best Brunch Nachos

Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern (West Hills)

Jimmy’s “Totchos” are tater tots, cheese sauce, sour cream, bacon and salsa and they. are. everything. It’s not a fancy spot, set in the new outdoor half of Westfield Topanga, but it’s comfortable and the staff is exceptionally friendly and accommodating. Jimmy’s puts their own spin on American classics with everything prepared by hand in small batches with high-quality, fresh ingredients. The result is super flavorful, elevated pub food that will have you passing your fork around the table for a bite of everything. And the Totchos. Definitely have the Totchos. (Pictured below with the sour cream on the side because someone at our table doesn’t like the stuff. Insanity.)

Best Non-Traditional Brunch

Barrel and Ashes (Studio City)

The South comes to the San Fernando Valley with a Brunch that includes BBQ, small plates, craft cocktails and a boatload of charm. They’s also doing a good service by opening for brunch at 10:30 in a town where most places open their doors at 11. I’ve narrowed my favorite menu items to two: The Frito Pie and the Hoe Cake. The first is essentially white trash nachos — a Fritos bag popped open on it’s side and loaded up with goodies like chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream, peppers and onions. The latter is a cornmeal flatbread loaded with maple butter and green onion, served on a sizzling skillet. They have some hoe cakes with toppings on the menu but all I’ve ever needed is the “regular.”

Best Sleeper Brunch

Cannibal (Culver City)

Why wasn’t this place more crowded when I went? Was it an off day? Are people intimidated by menu items like the “Double Down” – a sandwich with bacon, ham, sausage, cheese, two eggs and avocado pesto served on bread that is actually hash brown patties? Cannibal, which doubles as a hip butcher shop, is an indulgent experience but if you can shove your guilt way down deep, it’s so freakin’ delicious. Surely it must be on it’s way to being one of the most popular brunch spots in Los Angeles.

Honorable Mention: Ledlow (Downtown)

* * *

So what is, OVERALL, the best brunch in Los Angeles in 2016? It’s just too hard to say and there are still so many I need to try! So I just refuse to answer that question. When someone asks me for a recommendation, I always respond by asking what area they want to be in, what kind of setting they’r seeking, what they want to spend… It’s impossible to name the best brunch in Los Angeles, but I think that’s a GREAT idea of how much the city has to offer! Thank you, 2016, for some amazing Sunday meals with friends! And now…

Brunches I Need to Try in 2017

Post & Beam (Baldwin Hills)
Spear Steak & Seafood (Downtown LA)
Odys + Penelope (Mid-City)
Magnolia House (Pasadena)
Sonoma Wine Garden (Santa Monica)
Sunny Spot (Venice)
Wolf (Mid-City)

Don’t forget! If you love brunch as much as I do — or hell, even half as much as I do, you’ll want to put your email address into the newsletter subscription box in the top right corner to receive reviews and exclusive content. 2017 will be a whole new year of brunch adventures!

To Au Fudge or Not to Au Fudge?

September 6, 2016 By AJ Leave a Comment

To Au Fudge or Not to Au Fudge? That is the question.

In the far and distant fairy tale land of West Hollywood lies a charming haven where the chic and hip can go for cocktails and childcare.

Au Fudge, founded by actress Jessica Biel, is a restaurant that presumably caters to children as well as adults. You enter through a rustic, country gift shop that also sells baked goods. To your left you’ll find a sunny patio with striped umbrellas and plaid throw pillows. Beyond, a delightful cafe setting adorned with pastels and rustic, art deco-inspired decor as well as tchotchkes to remind you that you are in a kid-friendly place. The hub of the restaurant is a pretty large “daycare.” They actually call it the “creative space.” It is enclosed, filled with craft tables, toys, and staffed. It is available for parents to drop their kids into at a pretty affordable rate ($15 for two hours) so they can dine…. in peace?

The thing is, plenty of people still bring their children into the Au Fudge restaurant as well, and that’s fine. Nothing about this place says “no” in any way, shape or form. In fact, Au Fudge basically screams out “AS YOU WISH” at every turn. Everyone is smiling and extremely accommodating. They have anticipated every parent need. There are crayons on the table, more things to play with, and even the cocktails look like they’re kid-friendly in this space. And there is certainly a kids menu although I think I paid like $14 for the grilled cheese sticks that were good. But only good.

For brunch I had a French Omelette that was truly delicious. It was light and fluffy and decadent.

The service was good; I’ll give them that. And it’s not a bad place by any means. So, to Au Fudge or not to Au Fudge? I don’t know. Maybe. If I was meeting up with friends with kids and was in an especially patient mood. Or if I was itching to have brunch outside and I was in that area. But then again, there are plenty of other appealing Brunch options in that area like Taste On Melrose that I’d sooner visit. I don’t mind sharing my table with babies and kids, but I think in the end, I see no shame in admitting that I do mind sharing space with dozens of them.

Critical pro-tip: This place gets CROWDED and on the narrow part of Melrose where it sits, that is bad news. The valet is over-burdened and often backed up. Not to mention a bit pricey. Have patience, have cash, or park somewhere else and walk over!

Don’t forget! If you love brunch as much as I do — or hell, even half as much as I do, you’ll want to put your email address into the newsletter subscription box in the top right corner! A new blast is coming soon!

Take Me To Church – A Holy Brunch Experience

April 29, 2016 By AJ 2 Comments

And so it was written (like, actually written on their website): “Every moment at The Church Key is an interactive experience. From our inventive menu with dim-sum style service, to canned and frozen cocktails, flaming desserts and even the server attire, we strive to constantly push the restaurant envelope. Chic enough for a celebratory evening yet approachable enough to be your neighborhood go-to, overall, we just want you to have fun and eat well.”

There you have it. A perfect summation. I absolutely love The Church Key. I’ve enjoyed a couple of fancy Hollywood events there and recently had the pleasure of trying their brunch. It was actually the first time I’d seen the place in daylight and it’s just so damned fabulous, I was glad to get in before it got crowded for quality Instagram opportunities. Because priorities.

As if it didn’t look so chic in wide view, there are also lots of unique, vintage touches that I absolutely love, too, when you start to really look. Be sure to walk around!

How badly do you want one of those airline drink carts for your home right now?

Probably almost as badly as you want something off this menu….

Their brunch menu offers more than just breakfast-like fare. You could have a burger or salad as easily as an egg dish, which is great. I know not everyone likes breakfast food. (But for reals, who are you and what’s your deal?) They also have bottomless mimosas — practically a brunch menu requirement here in Los Angeles, even though I don’t personally need it; I prefer a good Bloody Mary or even just tea. But if you want it, it’s there to give you life at $15. They also have a St. Germaine and champagne carafe for four for $25 that is probably pretty damned tasty.

We were a group of eight so we were able to try a lot of menu! Nothing really disappointed but I would say the “Gratin” fries were a little misleading. We ordered them to share and instead of “fries” we got this VERY fried few chunks of potato. It was a good bite but so buttery, I couldn’t imagine eating much more of it.

Can you see how it’s like thin, thin layers of potato refried together? Very unique but I’m pretty easy to please when it comes to potatoes. I also thought “gratin” meant creamy or cheesy.

But the main courses were all decadent, delicious works of art. In particular, to my left, some French Toast that was very nearly stolen. By me.

Those are dollops of sweetened whipped cream. In the cup? Strawberry syrup. DIVINE. It was DENSE toast and impossible to finish.

I ordered “Toad in the Hole” and basically had no idea what to expect. And then this:

I mean, COME ON. That’s just a big chunk of bread hollowed out and filled with gruyere, eggs and smoked bacon.

I regret nothing.

To conclude I would offer these tips:

Take an Uber. Not just so you can drink but because their valet seemed rather untrustworthy to me. What can I say? I function strongly off “vibes.” Also, valet parking in WeHo is never cheap.
It’s great for big groups. They have a lot of space. On a beautiful day, they open up the front and it’s l ike eating on a lovely patio.
Go for dinner, too. It’s equally as decadent and delicious. Also, the popcorn, believe it or not, is to die for. You’re just going to have to trust me on this and know I don’t even like popcorn that much.
Also, Monday nights they offer a fried chicken special.
Oh! And —- well, just go there. Okay? Just go.

For all the details, here’s their website.

Don’t forget! If you love brunch as much as I do — or hell, even half as much as I do, you’ll want to put your email address into the newsletter subscription box in the top right corner!