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
$-$$

Something Old and Something New

When you're craving Italian food, here are a couple fantastic options. One is old, one is new, both are worth a return visit.


Dominick's Restaurant used to be favorite of Frank Sinatra, and now enjoys frequent visits from Jack Bauer himself, Kiefer Sutherland. But it really isn't about the eye candy (although it doesn't hurt). The menu features classic Italian American fare such as fried rice balls and Veal Parmesan. Must haves include the Spaghetti and Meatballs, Grilled Artichoke, Hanger Steak and Gelato Trio (I lucked out with Coffee, Mint Chip and Brown Sugar - it changes every night).

But the thing that makes Dominick's unique and user-friendly is their Sunday Supper. For $15, enjoy a 3 Course Menu and for an extra $10 share a bottle of their very own white or red wine. The portions are plenty big and the atmosphere is quite romantic. On a nice night, request the patio, complete with fire place and terracotta galore. You'll swear you died and went to Italy.

Dominick's Restaurant
8715 Beverly Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
(310) 652-6335
$$-$$$




There's nothing like gourmet pizza to make you feel a little less guilty for eating bread and cheese. Thanks to chefs and co-owners Mario Batali (the red-head from the Food Network) and Nancy Silverton, formerly of Campanile, pizza has never tasted so good. Pizzeria Mozza, located on Melrose and Highland, and serving hot pies until midnight, is so good you could almost convince yourself to go twice in one week. Heck, with over 15 pizzas to choose from, you wouldn't even have to be a repeat offender.

But let's start at the beginning, shall we? The restaurant takes reservations, but if you're feeling risky, just drop in as it's first-come-first-serve at the counter. I prefer this view as you get an upfront seat at the brick oven, viewing the pizzas in all stages of creation (not to mention giving you a chance to window shop before you buy). Prior to the main course, I recommend partaking in one of the starters. Nancy's Chopped Salad is wonderful, and any of the bruschettas will leave you ready for more. If you're overwhelmed with the pizza options, you can't go wrong with either the Funghi misti, fontina, taleggio & thyme or the Prosciutto di Parma, rucola & mozzarella. I beg you, save room for dessert. And if you don't have room, make it. One of the best desserts I've ever had was at Mozza. Of course, I can't remember the name of the dish, but it included two scoops of caramel gelato, marshmallow fluff (for lack of a better term) and caramelized salted peanuts.

A moment of silence, please.

Thank g-d for Italians. Stay tuned for Osteria Mozza, coming soon, complete with its very own mozzarella bar.


Pizzeria Mozza
641 North Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 2970-0101
$$-$$$