Nice brunch with a couple friends on pre-July4th holiday!!!! I have been to this place once, and I just loved it!! So, I decided to bring my friends there for a nice relaxing chat with great food! It is located in west Hollywood. They do not take reservations for brunch/breakfast/lunch anymore, but they do for dinner. (I have yet to try the dinner!!!!) I have never seen a terribly long line, the wait is usually around 15 - 30 minutes, and if you go early, sometimes you get a table right away.
We ordered the infamous 2x2x2, which translates to 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausages and 1 biscuit, served with homemade jam. It might seem very simple, like how good can it be? But trust me, it is GOOD! They are known to use fresh ingredients grown and raised in California, and the ingredients are carefully butchered and crafted-in-house. The bacon was really good, and you can tell it is definitely cut fresh from a pork belly. There is actual thickness to it. (When you think bacon can't be any better!!) The biscuit was very good too, especially paired with the homemade jam.
Grapefruit Pie image from google http://www.prettylittleshoppers.org/tag/salts-cure/
Another breakfast item, oatmeal griddle cake!!!! This is probably one of the best pancakes I have ever had! Again, it sounds simple, but everything is JUST right. It is fluffy inside, crispy outside, and with the maple butter they put on top..... ummm..... phenomenal!! I haven't tasted better pancakes (I guess I will have to explore more), but this is very very delicious. We also ordered 2 sandwiches, which I didn't try, but I'm told they were good. Finally, how can one finish a meal without a dessert!!! They have really good grapefruit pie!! Apparently, it is their best dessert seller too! Not too sweet, but very strong with natural grapefruit flavor.
I really need to go back to this place for dinner some time soon! Besides the restaurant's organically farmed local ingredients, they are also known for their wine pairing. Apparently, they have an award-winning wine list, and most of their wines are made with native yeast and made from grapes grown without pesticides.
This little restaurant is doing so well that they are moving to a larger space on Melrose this fall. I am a little sad about this, just because I really like the decor and ambiance of the place. Well, who knows, maybe the new place is even better? Although I do have a thing for the smaller restaurants. Let's hope the quality of food (and the price) stays the same despite the increase in size of the restaurant!
