Perfect Croissants and More for Brunch at Luca on Sunset

About a month ago, e*starLA blogged that Luca on Sunset has the best pastries in West Hollywood, so when I got invited for a brunch tasting, I was quite excited. Little did I know I would be in for an eight-course brunch!

Our brunch started with a spread of the pastries we couldn't get enough of:
croissant, almond croissant, chocolate brioche, scone, apple danish, blueberry muffin, sweet potato speck biscuit, citrus poppy seed muffin

The pastry chef at Luca, Rebecca West, apparently was a runway model in France, where she lived off of coffee and croissants. When that career had to end, she thought making croissants was the logical next step!
Well, it's true. The croissants are definitely some of the best I've had from the buttery plain croissant to the flaky chocolate brioche. I had been looking for a good pain du chocolat or something similar ever since Bite Bar closed, now I've found one.
If I didn't have the menu of the other seven courses in front of me as a reminder, I would eat all of them. ALL.

Unlike the muffins at most bakeries where they drop a few blueberries at the top so they're visible but there's nothing inside, Luca's muffin is chock full of blueberries inside!

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Candy and Fire: Spring at 1886 Bar

Cocktails on fire, beer cocktail, a flight of barrel aged cocktails, Chartreuse candies, and spiked sodas. You can find all those and more on 1886 Bar's new spring cocktail menu. The food side boasts lamb neck, shrimp toast, and "onsen" egg. In other words, there are plenty of reasons to visit 1886 this season, even if you hav

The Cinnablossom ($12) by Lacey Murillo is a table-side show, where the server will light up Lemonhart 151 on fire in the glass, then the cocktail itself (made with gin, lemon and homemade cinnamon bark syrup) is poured into the glass and extinguishes the flame.

The Bittersweet Farewell from Marcos Tello also gets fired up. The cocktail is made of gin, homemade passion fruit syrup, lemon juice, Campari, then the lemon garnish is doused with Lemonhart 151 and set on fire.

The Barrel Roll ($15, also by Lacey) is made with Bols barrel aged Genever, Carpano Antica, green chartreuse and garnished with a Campari "glass" candy. It's not just a garnish gimmick, the cocktail actually does taste better with the Campari candy.

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Notable Events: 5x5, Ludobites Foie Gras, Asian Night Market

This Saturday, April 14, is Pasadena's (and LA's) first ever Asian Night Market! The list of 80 vendors at 626 Night Market looks promising with offerings from Japanese dango to stinky tofu to Indonesian satay. The night market will be held from 5-11:30pm on N Oakland Ave between Colorado and Union.


On Tuesday, April 17, Ludobites is holding a one-night "Best of Ludobites" foie gras dinner which costs $105 for 5 courses at Gram and Papa's. Reservation opens on Urbanspoon on Friday, April 13 at 10am.


The 5x5 Collaborative dinners are returning for another season to benefit the Special Olympics, this time hosted by Chefs Josiah Citrin, Michael Cimarusti, Gino Angelini, Michael Voltaggio and Rory Hermann. Each chef (plus a special guest chef each night) will prepare a course. The dinner costs $150 (wine pairing, tax, and gratuity not included) and you'll need to contact each restaurant for that dinner. Here's the dates and chef line-up so far:

Sunday, April 29, 2012: MELISSE, with Guest Chef Ludo Lefebre
Monday, May 21, 2012: PROVIDENCE, with Guest Chef Jeremy Fox
Monday, July 16, 2012: ANGELENI OSTERIA, with Guest Chef Michael Tusk
Monday, August 20, 2012: BOUCHON, with Guest Chef to be announced
Sunday, September 16, 2012: ink., with Guest Chef Chris Cosentino

You can take a look at a previous 5x5 dinner here.