Baltaire’s Housemade Pastries
Photo Courtesy of Baltaire
Easy like Sunday morning… Was it after a leisurely weekend meal combining elements of breakfast and lunch that inspired Lionel Richie to pen the song? We’d like to think so because if brunch had a theme song, the 1977 smash would certainly be it. And lucky for Angelenos and L.A. visitors, there is wave of new brunch options to put the breezy lyrics in practice. Here’s where to weekend nosh now in Los Angeles:
The Little Door, Photo Courtesy of The Little Door
The Little Door
With its retractable roof and Grecian blue décor and floral accents, the Santa Monica locale’s ambience could not be more alfresco idyllic for a glass of rosé paired with an egg Benedict stuffed with Moroccan crab cake or wild mushroom with truffle hollandaise sauce.
Baltaire
As of June, the new Brentwood steakhouse is now serving up brunch, too. Snag a seat on the mod-meets-mid-century-accented patio for one of chef Travis Strickland’s decadent creations (think pistachio croissants, caramelized brioche French toast or lobster-baked eggs). And day drinking is an art here. Don’t miss the mezcal sour or Frankfurt 75 (a bourbon and champagne cocktail).
Love & Salt
From the berry-topped Nutella toast to the duck egg pizza, this Italian-inspired eatery serves up an array of fun, sharable dishes. Playful brunch cocktails include the tequila-based Walk of Shame and #INeedCoffee, a cold coffee bourbon winner.
Ox & Son’s Chicken-Fried Duck Confit Sandwich, Photo Courtesy of Ox & Son
Ox & Son
Head chef Brad Miller is keen on mixing things up. From Korean-Cali to French-Southern, Ox & Son’s menu is a globetrotting mash-up featuring reinvented classics with an elevated twist like the chicken fried duck confit sandwich, chocolate bacon bourbon pancakes and ruby red grapefruit sangria.
Estrella
Inspired by Laurel Canyon’s bohemian bungalow culture in its ’60s and ’70s heyday, Estrella, decked out in macramé and vintage photography, opens mid-October on the iconic Sunset Strip. Former Top Chef contestant Dakota Weiss will head up the all-day restaurant’s menus, which includes brunch. You’ve-had-a-tough-week-and-you-deserve-a-splurge items include a bacon-wrapped avocado stuffed with poached egg, a truffle honey grilled cheese sandwich and cornmeal griddle cakes topped with cinnamon pecan praline. Now, that’s star quality.
The Larchmont
Who can argue with a heaping plate of peanut-butter-crusted French toast topped with bacon, caramelized bananas and, wait for it, foie gras? In honor of the restaurant’s two-year anniversary, chef Kevin Kathman rolled out a decadent debut brunch menu. Must-indulge picks include the gooey caramel roll, the Stoner (described above) and the Thai-inspired whole fish. Specialty cocktails, such as an arugula gimlet, are designed for midday imbibing.
The Fat Dog
The outrageously indulgent offerings, such as the chicken-fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits, a fried egg and sausage gravy and the brioche bread pudding French toast slathered in a mascarpone Nutella sauce, are reasons alone to visit the second Fat Dog outpost in North Hollywood. But when you add bartender Matthew Biancaniello’s farm-to-glass cocktails, it becomes a must-see attraction.
Le Petit Paris
Downtown L.A.’s newest French brasserie in the lobby of the former El Dorado Hotel features a melding of international brunch favorites, from truffle pizza to lobster Benedict and chocolate-filled crepes. If keeping it simple is more your style, you can always go with the brasserie brunch classic of freshly baked croissants and mimosas.