Good Things Come in Threes, Right?

Okay, I have to be honest with you. I was so very very much looking forward to my lunch at 3 Square Cafe, as much as I would assume a young, toe-headed child wakes up hours before the sun rises on Christmas morning. For one, the cafe (which stands adjacent to the 3 Square Bakery) is on my favorite street in Los Angeles: Abbott Kinney. And second, there have been so many good things said about this little Venice cafe that it was like Tickle Me Elmo all over again.

So there I was with this fantastic sounding menu in front of me and not knowing what to pick. So I did what every hungry girl does, and ordered the one plate that offers the most options, which in this case was the Mini Sandwich Sampler, of which I chose: Tuna salad with avocado and red onions on brioche roll, Bavarian meatloaf on pretzel roll with sweet mustard, and, Chicken curry.

As you can see from the picture, the sandwiches were almost too cute to eat. As they say, you eat with your eyes first and my eyes were watering. Here's the thing. The sandwich's weren't bad, but they weren't this either. The tuna was tasty, but it wasn't anything different. And although I'm a fan of curry chicken salad, this one wasn't any better than my favorite salad at Quality. And then there was the Bavarian meatloaf... which I think... was SPAM. I don't want to insult and Bavarian people out there, but is it? I mean, I've never had SPAM, but if it looks like a duck...

Needless to say the best part of the meal was the bread that my lovely piece of SPAM was sandwiched in between. It was a homemade pretzel roll which just melted my little heart. Long story short, I think I'll give 3 Square another shot in the Brunching hour, and make sure I go next store and grab some pretzel rolls to go (sans the SPAM).

3 Square Cafe & Bakery
1121 Abbot Kinney
Venice, 90291
(310) 399-6504
$-$$

Breakfast In Full Bloom

I love it when I find cute cafes with outdoor seating within a few miles of my little house. I somehow missed the bus on Bloom Cafe, which opened in November of 2006, but was able to see and taste what I had been missing just last week.

Bloom opens at 9am on weekdays, but was kind enough to let my girlfriends and I sit down at 8:45 and enjoy a cappuccino and some tea prior to ordering. Bloom is an adorable cafe, with modern designs and love for color. The breakfast menu is fantastic, offering eggs and griddle items, all fresh and some quite unique. I opted to make my own omelet for $9.50, with spinach, tomato and mushroom.


My friends chose the Poached Eggs with Goat Cheese on a Crostini, and the Smoked Salmon Omelet. All of the breakfasts came with toasted whole grain and nut bread and a choice of fruit or potatoes.

Poached Eggs

Smoked Salmon Omelet

We all went for the fruit, which came in a generously sized bowl, swimming in a fruit juice soup - which was a refreshing end to the meals.

Directly next to the cafe is Bloom 2 Go, which offers take out or a quick bite if you're in a hurry. I will definitely go back to Bloom as I had such a lovely experience. A couple things that I MUST try on the next round will be the Lemon and Ricotta Pancakes, or for dinner, one of their fabulous sounding pizzas (like the Blue Cheese and Butternut Squash).

Spring has sprung, so go get your bloom on!

Bloom Cafe
5544 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 934-6900
$-$$

Road Tested: San Diego

Although this blog is first and foremost about Los Angeles dining, I ocassionally hit the road and would like to share some not-to-miss spots in areas outside of the city. This week, San Diego, and more specifically, the adorable town of Hillcrest. Here are two breakfast spots and a sushi restaurant that you must try if you're in the area.

CREST CAFE
A popular local haunt, Crest Cafe is a great eggs place - and you have plenty of options. I'm a fan of Mexican, so if I can get my "A.M. Ole" (as the menu section is so cleverly called), then I am a happy girl. Carolenas Corn Tortilla consists of 4 lightly fried corn tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, fresh salsa, jalapeno jack cheese, and avocado with a side of chopped mangos (which I sprinkled on top of the individual tortillas). This dish was a great mix of sweet and savory and didn't weigh me down. The salsa was fresh and chunky, as it should be (no Pace in sight) and the cheese was perfectly melted and gooey good!


You also can't go wrong with Cafe Eggs, which are scrambled with cheddar cheese, scallions, and bacon, served on a croissant. You have to be ready to make a mess with this flakey sandwich. Crest lets you choose between house potatoes or fresh (and they mean it!) fruit as a side.


Another great b-fast sandwich is the Morning Scrambled, taking the Cafe Eggs up a notch. Scrambled eggs are mixed with avocado, mushrooms, jack and cheddar (because two cheeses are always better than one), bacon, scallions and tomatoes. Now you're in the driver seat with the bread, choosing from wheat to a croissant and almost all that's in between.


Crest Cafe
425 Robinson Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-2510
$

THE MISSION*
You can smell the baker racks filled with freshly baked rosemary bread as soon as walk in the door. Prepare for at least a 20 minute wait, and they definitely won't seat you if your whole party isn't present. But trust me, the wait is well worth it. Unlike Crest, The Mission specializes in items fresh off the griddle. The Mission French Toast is as light and fluffy as French Toast can get. Not overpowered with an eggy taste, the cinnamon bread really shines in this dish. Every plate at Mission is a work of art, almost too pretty to eat. The restaurants signature berry puree dances against the white plate - and it tastes pretty darn good too.


The Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes are moist and good to last bite. Served with two eggs and bacon, you better come hungry.


If you're feeling a little feisty, try the Plato Verde con Huevos. I'm not going to lie, these just barely missed the mark, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. The one thing that brought this dish down were the slightly dried out sweet corn tamales. The tamales are served with black beans and two eggs over medium with a tangy roasted tomatillo sauces coating the eggs. Even with the slightly overcooked tamales, I managed to make this dish disappear pretty fast.


Other notable treats: $3 Cinnamon Roll or $2.50 Pecan Banana Bread

The Mission
2801 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 220-8992
$

*technically located in North Park, about a 5 minute drive from Hillcrest


SUSHI DELI ONE
You know the saying, "you get what you pay for" - well, at Sushi Deli, you get a lot more. The most reasonably priced and great-tasting sushi I've had in a long time. Whether you're in the mood for a $2.95 California Roll, or one of their specialty rolls (most between the $5 and $9 mark and all unique), you really can't go wrong. Their creative menu includes tempura sweet potato rolls and Mexican inspired, cilantro infused, sushi. Delicious and worth every penny and then some. Get your Japanese fix without breaking the budget.

Sushi Deli One

228 West Washington

San Diego, CA 92103

(619) 231-9597

$

6+2 Reasons to Love Fred 62

In case you were a loss for words regarding this fantastically funky Los Feliz diner, I will provide you with 6+2 (that’s eight, folks) reasons to ask for seconds (please):

1. Breakfast all the time. All. The. Time.

2. It’s open from sunrise to sunset, sunrise, sunset. Meet Tevye for a late night nosh.

3. Mocha milkshakes – that’s right: coffee and chocolate in one glass.

4. The real deal Udon noodle bowls – overflowing with goodness.

5. 50/50. Sometimes you feel like fries, sometimes you feel like onion rings. At Fred 62, you can have both.

6. Baked goods. Need I say more?

7. Outdoor seating.

8. Something for everyone – whether it be the Juicy Lucy Burger (amazing) the SWS salad (or any other - haven’t had a bad one yet) or the Cali Calamari (amazing), you can satisfy all appetites. If you haven’t been here yet, GO!

Fred 62
1850 N. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles
($$)

What's for Brunch?

I happen to be a fan of any widely accepted "in between" meal, brunch being my favorite. Here are my top five favorite brunch spots in Los Angeles:

OFF VINE
6263 Leland Way, Hollywood
$$
This is an incredible hidden gem in Hollywood. It's right off Sunset and you would have no idea it was there unless I told you. So now that I've told you, you have to go. Rather than giving you bread before you meal, Off Vine gives you a plate of assorted bagels, cream cheese and their homemade jam - and that's just before you get your meal!

KINGS ROAD CAFE
8361 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
$$
If you don't mind waiting (especially on the weekend), this place is worth the massive amounts of saliva you've collected in your mouth. Great eggs, great home fries. You can't go wrong with this traditional brunch spot.

QUALITY
8030 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles
$$
This is one of my favorite brunch/lunch spots in Los Angeles. I'm a big fan of Mexican food for all meals, and this place has awesome huevos rancheros. They also make great egg white scrambles if you would rather not have to take a nap after breakfast. If you're feeling more on the "unch" side of brunch, they make an incredible curry chicken salad. You can't miss here.

JACK N' JILL'S
510 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica
$$
Don't be turned off by this order at the counter, take a number and we'll bring you you're meal, type of place. The food is really wonderful. The Chinese Chicken Salad is awesome and get a side of corn bread - it's huge! Their lemonade is great too, which always wets my whistle (actually, only when I wear a whistle around my neck and it accidentally falls into the lemonade). They also make wonderful coffee and tea drinks, so even if you want to grab a muffin and a coffee to go, go to Jack n' Jill's.

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN
1055 Broxton Ave., Westwood
$$
Belgain baked goods and tasty sandwiches? Am I dreaming? These may be questions you'll ask yourself at this old country style food spot. The answers are collectively, yes. Trade in your Eurorail pass for some new kicks, and take an instant trip to Europe at Le Pain.