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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Brunch at M.B. Post (Manhattan Beach, CA)

I knew that the bacon cheddar biscuits at MB Post would be perfect for brunch. What I didn't know was that Chef David LeFevre had a lot more under his sleeves.

We even went from sweets to savory to sweets again. While waiting for the fourth person in our group to arrive, we started nibbling on the Sticky Buns with pecan and brown sugar ($6). This one's a must-get for the sweet-toothed, or just to share with the group.

Between the four of us, we tried many a great cocktails ($12 each), from the Last Rites (Sangria with Compass Box “Oak Cross” Scotch, lambrusco, pear, quince, hibiscus) to the Bloody Mary-derivative, the Coughlin’s Law (Tito’s Vodka, Belgian Pilsner, tomato, dill, bacon, and quail egg) and MO-PHO-JITO (mojito w/ starr, kaffir lime, mint, ginger, coriander honey).


A bowl of oro blanco grapefruit salad with grapes and honey is a lovely way to either start or finish light.

The fruits in this bowl was so sweet and fresh, they barely needed anything else!

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Brunch at Nopa (San Francisco)

Brunch is apparently as big in San Francisco as it is in Los Angeles, and there are plenty of great choices (which fill up right away). One of the places offering a more unique menu is Nopa.

Eggs are a staple brunch item for me so I went with the Curry spiced sausage, poached eggs, green lentils, kale, delicata squash, and coriander yogurt ($14)

The casing for the curry sausage gave a nice snap, and the sausage was flavorful. I also liked the runny egg yolk over the kale and lentils. My dish suddenly pales in comparison after trying my friend's dish, though:

Chile rubbed pork, fresh shelling beans, hominy, collard greens, and a black pepper biscuit ($14)

This was a hearty bowl packed with a lot of strong flavors. Tender chile rubbed pork? Intensely earthy collard greens? All check. It wasn't a dish I would've ordered at brunch (because it didn't have eggs), so I was really glad my friend did and I got to taste it.

Our other friend got the grass-fed Hamburger with housemade pickles, and herbed french fries ($13)

For part of dessert, we had a small order of the Custard French Toast, caramelized apples and maple butter ($6)

It was a very buttery French Toast, but I could've used more apples. Luckily our other dessert was the Rome Beauty Apple Tarte Tatin, sweet creme fraiche ($8)

I always love a good apple tart tatin. This one could've had more flaky pastry, but the coolness of the creme fraiche made up for it.

It was overall quite a good brunch and the food came out in a timely manner despite being so busy (I'm sure they've gotten it down by now). When you're bored of the standard eggs benedicts and omelettes, try this place out.


Nopa
560 Divisadero St
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 864-8643

nopasf.com

Brunch at Farmshop (Brentwood/Santa Monica)

The Farmshop is one place I've been hearing a lot about from the new-ish Brentwood Country Mart (other than the Sweet Rose Creamery, of course). From what I've heard, the Farmshop was expensive but have great food. The former made me a bit reluctant but one day I decided to give it a try.

As with most brunch places in this city, there was a wait for a table (about 15-20 minutes) and we walked around the Country Mart to kill time.

Corn and Avocado Salad with herbed quinoa ($14)

Yes, the prices here are pretty high but the ingredients they use are absolutely amazing. This may be the creamiest avocado I've had lately, perfectly ripe, making a healthy yet satisfying dish. The tomatoes were sweet and bursts in your mouth. We loved this dish and I'm saddened to think the peak avocado season is over.

Next was the Shirred Eggs with fra’mani chorizo, wild greens, chickpeas, yogurt and sourdough toast ($16)

This was another hit and one dish that I kept thinking about for a few days after. I loved eating the runny yolk with the earthy kale and chickpeas. There was just the right amount of yogurt to bring the flavors together. Scoop them all up on the sourdough toast.

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Brunch at The Misfit (Santa Monica, CA)

Not too long ago, I won a brunch for two at The Misfit in Santa Monica via Caroline on Crack. The Misfit took over the old Anisette Brasserie space and is the newest addition to the LGO Hospitality Group (they're responsible for La Grande Orange and the Luggage Room Pizzeria).

I invited my friend along for his post-birthday celebration. We started with an order of asparagus salad, lemon, parmesan-reggiano, poached organic egg ($9)

We weren't expecting the asparagus to come in thin slices, but it works for the crisp texture they were going for. Unlike the usual tender, boiled asparagus, these are crunchy - almost like celery. It's a nice texture contrast with the egg yolk, and the flavors mostly came from the parmesan.

I wanted to try something from the brunch menu (there were only 5-6 items) and went with the San Daniele prosciutto + eggs, poached, scrambled or over easy with toast and burrata cheese ($10)

I wished the server would've told us this dish came with the asparagus salad too, because we would've ordered a different salad. This dish might've been better served with their english muffin instead of the toast.

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Hot Brunch at Playa

The promise of a free pitcher of Julian Cox's cocktail during brunch was all I needed to try out the brunch at Playa, John Sedlar's newest restaurant (thanks, BlackboardEats!). And I was glad I did.

Now, being a Latin restaurant (they call it "urban Latin"), you can expect a lot of kick in your egg dish. Spicy sauces abound, though not everyone.

I love tamales so obviously went with the Tamal (Cracked Corn Masa, Pulled Pork, Sunnyside-Up Egg, $12)

Yes, that is Clockwork Orange on the plate (part of his changing Reflexiones series). The sauce was pretty spicy for me but the egg yolks helped with that. A hearty and satisfying breakfast plate!

Oh, and make sure you get the Blue Corn Muffins made with Anson Farms Organic Cornmeal, served with a side Almond Butter ($6)

Not only were they cheap at $6 for 4 pieces, they are incredible. I have never had an unfilled muffin so moist with such a distinctive flavor. I'll be back for these. Over and over.

(Look, it's really blue inside! Or more like purple?)

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Brunching in Old Town's New Gastropub, Kings Row (Pasadena)

Bananas Foster Griddle Cakes

When a gastropub opened up in Old Town Pasadena, I admit I didn't pay much attention. That is, until I saw Deep End Dining and Trippy Food rave about the oxtail at Kings Row. They claimed it was fit for a king, and that intrigued me, so when they invited me to try out the new brunch menu, I accepted.

Kings Row opened in the old Neomeze space, which they have completely transformed from the pink and blue-lit lounge to the brick-walled bare space playing country music.

The brunch menu was pretty diverse with dishes ranging from chorizo fajitas to chicken fried steak to fish and chips. And buckwheat waffles a.k.a. the best waffles I've ever had. More on that later.

The fish and chips ($14) featured huge pieces of moist, nicely battered fish. We liked the fries as well, but could've skipped the mushy peas (is that a British thing?)

A hint for things to come: the portions are generous.

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Westwood Brunching at The Glendon

This space was first known to me as Moustache Cafe, which supposedly had good crepes but was closed when I heard of it, then it was a random Japanese restaurant (wasn't that good). Now it seems to have found the right occupants in The Glendon, with happy hour, late night food (open til 2 am!), and now brunch.

I was invited to try out the brunch 2 weekends ago, on the first day they were serving it.

The brunch menu covers the typical brunch fare (eggs, french toast, pancakes) plus sandwiches and a few interesting items. Oh, it also says you get free mimosa with purchase of an entree from 11am-2pm. We weren't really offered this when we were there, so you might have to ask them for it.

We started with The Ballerina Omelette (egg whites, avocado, tomato, mozzarella, roasted turkey, topped with tomato puree - $12)

For the side, we asked for sweet potato tater tots (never knew they existed!). Despite being the healthiest sounding omelette on the menu (egg whites only), it turned out to be one good omelette. The roasted turkey was moist, the avocado gave it a silky mouth feel, and the tomato puree was flavorful without being too salty. Surprisingly, I didn't miss the yolk.

Among the more interesting offerings was the Salmon Quiche Pizza (smoked salmon, baked eggs, spinach, arugula pesto, balsamic reduction - $14)

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Butler and the Chef (SF): a Parisian Brunch in SOMA?

After driving up to SF with Kat's 9 Lives and LAist's Sam Kim, we figured we'd have one quick brunch before going our separate ways in the city. Kat recommended Butler and the Chef in SOMA since it was close to where we were and it has good reviews.

The bistro is located right in front of South Park, adding to its charm.
In contrast to the entrance which seemed small, the dining room extends far back. The furnitures gave it a cozy Parisian feel. We were seated in a narrow section next to the kitchen.

Fresh squeezed OJ: my personal brunch staple.
Kat said the eggs benedicts are popular here so I ordered eggs benedict with Niman Ranch ham (Served on toasted olive bread with house-made Hollandaise sauce and a side of baby spinach salad. $14)
I really enjoyed the fatty and flavorful ham. The toasted bread was a little hard to cut easily with a knife but other than that this was a good dish.

Someone else (probably Sam Kim) ordered La Parisienne crêpe (buckwheat crêpe, egg, ham, and emmenthal. $14)
I only had a bite of this but I liked the earthy flavor from the buckwheat.

Kat got the Belgian waffle with Nutella ($9)
The waffle was a little soggier than I would've liked but I liked the moistness inside.

I never expected to get mignardise following a brunch at a bistro, but these chocolate truffles were delectable.
While it wasn't an extraordinary brunch, Butler and the Chef is a cute place with good food. When I'm in the SOMA area again, this would certainly be on my list of brunch places to consider.

Butler & the Chef Bistro
155a S Park St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 896-2075
www.butlerandthechef.com

La Cachette Bistro: Salmon Sausages and Rum Brunch

La Cachette was a long-standing restaurant in Century City, where chef/owner Jean Francois Meteigner served California-influenced French dishes for fifteen years. Now the restaurant has found a new home as La Cachette Bistro on Ocean Avenue, where you can take in the ocean breeze on the patio.
They wanted to promote their lunch prix fixe deal, so they invited me over for lunch. It was impossible for me to make it there during the weekday, however, so I ended up coming in for a Saturday brunch instead.

The lunch prix fixe on Monday-Friday gets you Soup of the Day or House Salad, One of Three Entree Choices, and Dessert of The Day for just $15. Pretty good deal, no?

Soon after we were seated, Marc Danays, the bartender came over to greet us and offered some libations. I had brought 0ne of my roommates with me. She's originally from Cambridge and she and Marc noted their common accent and the two of them hit it off immediately (Marc worked at major clubs in London).

We decided to let him make whatever he wants and these are what we got:
"Bubbly Love" (gin, lime, pomegranate liqueur, topped with champagne) for me.
"Deep South" (rum, OJ) for my roommate (who told him she liked rum lots and lots).
Both drinks were sweet and refreshing, but I ended up liking my roommate's drink more. Mine was a little bitter, perhaps the combination of the herbal gin and the rosemary was a bit much for me. There's also that whole "drink OJ during brunch" habit hardwired into my brain.

Some eggy bread with a sweet crust to start.
We really wanted to sit outside and enjoy the sun and breeze, but since it ended up being a rather windy day, we both started with some soups.

My roommate got the Smoked Tomato and Shiitake Mushroom Soup ($6)
The chunks of shiitake were very good and brought the dish up a notch. The soup had a nice smokiness (in the words of my roommate, it reminds her of when she puts bacon in tomato sauce).

Lightly creamed Lobster Bisque, served with Rouille ($7)
No lobster chunks here, but you can definitely taste the lobster. A thin but flavorful bisque.

At first I went for a standard brunch fare:
Organic Egg Benedict on Brioche, with House Smoked Salmon (or Ham), served with Baby Mixed Greens ($18)
The smoked salmon used here was on the meatier side and had a good smoked flavor. The brioche was nicely flaky and the egg was poached well - runny without being too much so.

My roommate never had a croque before so that's what she ordered.
Croque Monsieur on House Baked Bun with Bechamel, Swiss Cheese, Organic Ham ($14 + $2 for egg). She got the egg- so technically she got a Croque Madame.
I tried a bite and it was a pretty good although a heavier version of the croque, given the thicker, richer buns used in it. Even so the bread was pretty air so the dish was not overly dense. The ham was also smoked in house and was great. My roommate loved it and it was her favorite entree from the table.

Chef Meteigner decided to send out another dish that he wanted us to try:
Scrambled Eggs Wrapped in House Smoked Salmon, with House Made Salmon Sausage, Capers, Onions, served with Mixed Greens ($17)
The wonderfully moist scrambled eggs are indeed wrapped inside the salmon:
I'm glad he sent out this dish as it turned out to be my favorite. The lemony frisee complemented the salmon very well. I loved the moist and runny scrambled eggs. Most notably though was the salmon sausages made from smoked salmon, fresh salmon, and a bit of white fish. The sausages were light yet flavorful.

Instead of a normal palate cleanser, Marc sent out one in alcoholic liquid shot form. A palate cleanser cocktail? I think Marc's on a mission ... to get us drunk :p
This was made with thyme, lemon, and a rather special vodka: Zubrowka, a bison grass flavored vodka from Poland. Sweet and smooth. Dangerous.

Then came desserts.

Floating Island w/ Caramel & Hazelnut Pistachio Almond Nougatine ($9)
This was a fluffy meringue sitting on top of a pool of Crème anglaise and topped with pralines. We both absolutely loved the praline.

Homemade Rum Baba with Pressed Pineapple and Creme Fraiche ($8)
After biting into just the rum baba, we thought it was definitely a good rum baba, but it wasn't until we found out what was in the little tin jug that this dessert become amazing. No, not maple syrup.
Rum.
Jamaican dark rum. Just a spoonful of dark rum ... and a little piece of baba. Oh yes.

Maybe it was the overflowing libations we had but we both really enjoyed our experience here. The patio had a classic French bistro look with the added bonus of So Cal sun and sea breeze. Chef Meteigner's food was good, especially the delectable house made salmon sausages, as well as their house smoked salmon and ham. Both of the classic desserts we had were more than solid. Give me some eggs, salmon sausages, and a rum-soaked baba, and I'm good. If only I can make it here during the week for their $15 three course lunches.

La Cachette Bistro
1733 Ocean Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 434-9509
www.lacachettebistro.com

Chinese New Year Brunch at The Langham in Pasadena

If you're a high-rolling Asian who frequents the San Gabriel Valley, you may be escorted to a table at a popular dim sum restaurant without waiting in line. If you're a high roller but don't have any pull in the SGV, you should consider the Sunday brunch buffet at The Terrace at The Langham for Chinese New Year.

In celebration of Chinese New Year, for the month of February, The Terrace is offering a chinese inspired Sunday brunch buffet. Think dim sum, Peking duck, five spice duck, followed by almond pudding and egg tarts for dessert, amidst a white tablecloth dining room facing the swimming pool.

Walking down the stairs, you'd be hard pressed to miss the enticing dessert spread to your right, adorned with impressive chocolate sculptures celebrating the year of the Tiger with a sign for good fortune, and the ever-present symbol of the dragon.

Chinese New Year - themed chocolate sculptures at The Langham

Dim sum station offering shrimp dumplings (har gow), shiu mai, and pork buns is set up next to a carving station boasting a whole Peking duck.
I was pleasantly surprised by the shiu mai and pork buns, they tasted better than many dim sum places in the SGV! The har gow was quite good too although I prefer a thinner skin. The Peking duck was excellent, but I did miss the usual wrapping skin and green onion (they did have hoisin sauce) that I cannot separate peking duck from.

It doesn't end there. There were also a cold section of creative Asian inspired dishes.
My favorite was the smoked duck with black sesame sauce. The duck breast was flavorful and tender, but it was the unique black sesame sauce that lifted this dish.

Besides the special Chinese food offering, you can find your expected Langham brunch buffet throughout the month, including the cold seafood spread: crab claws, oysters, and shrimp.On the "br" section you'll find an omelette station spitting out very well prepared omelettes; choice of egg white available for that healthy adult in you.
Pieces of salmon, yellowtail, tuna, and unagi nigiri sushi line the sushi station. At the other carving station, deliciously tender prime rib and lamb loin is available. If you can still fit more, don't miss this.

The cheese tray is a nice selection of gouda, three blue cheeses, and more, along with a variety of condiments right next to it.

Last but not least of course, for us the sweet-toothed: the dessert stations. Petit fours, creme brulees, a Crêpes and waffle station, and a chocolate fountain.
I was still surprised to find chinese desserts like almond tofu pudding, pia, and egg tarts here, alongside their usual layer cakes, chocolate tarts, and more.
The almond pudding is served with canned lychees, just as you would find it at a Chinese restaurant. Don't forget the Crêpe with their amazing caramel sauce

A $75 brunch buffet would certainly not involve food only. You can of course expect your usual mimosa or champagne flutes to remain full, but if you want to spice up your Sunday a bit, there's a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar just past the dessert station.
Even though it's a buffet, The Langham spares no detail. With spot on service and delicious food (and champagne), my brunch was thoroughly enjoyable. Needless to say I wasn't even hungry until the next morning.

The Langham does brunch right, why not indulge on Chinese New Year here?
Oh, the valet is free too so forget fighting for parking spots outside of Elite.

*Disclaimer: The Langham hosted me for brunch here so I can report their month-long chinese new year special menu (i.e. I ate for free, and boy, did I enjoy it).

The Terrace at The Langham
1401 S Oak Knoll Ave
Pasadena, CA 91106
(626) 568-3900
http://pasadena.langhamhotels.com/en/restaurants/sunday_brunch_theterrace.htm