I was in Los Angeles last month and wanted to share my favorite finds! I did not research any places in advance, so I am not sure if these are all “against the grain” dining experiences or if they’re actually Instagram commodities. Either way, I loved them!
Blu Jam Cafe
Blu Jam was in full swing when I was there for a late lunch. I honestly wanted to order so many things off this menu, but I ended up going with the Salmon Hash. I loved it! The picture above does not even do the portion justice. It was so much food, and I ended up eating all of it because of who I am as a person.
Blu Jam had a great patio space and I totally see why people would love to spend their weekend mornings there.
Cafe Gratitude
As a die-hard for skillets and omelettes when I go out for brunch, I was forced out of my “comfort zone” at the plant-based concept, Café Gratitude. I loved both of the entrees we ordered!
I don’t have any pictures of the interior, but I loved the boho decor and naturally lit space. It was so different from anywhere I would ever check out in Chicago. This was the perfect Sunday morning brunch spot!
Here’s what we ordered:
- Overnight Oats
- Open-Hearted Buckwheat Flax Pancakes
Nobu
I actually am not a “sushi person.” I will eat it if presented with the opportunity but will not go out of my way for a dining establishment that specializes in sushi fare… UNLESS THE KARDASHIANS FREQUENT THERE!
I knew Nobu would be good, but I did not think it was going to be one of the best meals of my life. Silly me… Look at that patio! Of course it was going to be amazing no matter what they served! With that said, everything we ordered was unbelievable.
Did we make a reservation? No. We went around 4:30pm on a Friday (if my memory serves me correctly), and we got the last table on the patio.
I will never book a flight to LA again without making a reservation at Nobu. Based on some context clues given in the first mini paragraph (HINT: Karda$hians), one can assume the meal would be a little pricey. This is true. I truthfully think we could have had at least two more people with us, ordered the same amount of food and still left fulfilled.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Artichoke Salad (FAVORITE MENU ITEM)
- Rock Shrimp Tempura
- Crispy Rice with Spicy Tune
- Baked Crab Roll
- We also ordered a role that was the special of the day but I can’t remember what it was called!
Sqirl
Sqirl absolutely slaps. We waited in line for about an hour on a Saturday morning and I think it was totally worth it! I was actually blown away by this concept. There was truly something for everybody, and there was a lot of seating spread out between the small interior space and the extensive patio areas. We also did not have a problem finding a table even though there was a lot of people dining at the same time as us.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Sorrel Pesto Rice
- Famed Ricotta Toast (Make it a Rainbow!)
Here are my thoughts on this food… WOW. That’s it. Summed up on one word.
Let’s start with the rice bowl… We saw a lot of people ordered it so we figured it was worth trying. The flavor profile of this dish was unbelievable. It was citrusy. It was rich. It was everything! I would totally order it again.
Now on to the toast… You NEED to make it a rainbow! The jam program at Sqirl is unreal! You can even subscribe to the jam membership program and try out all the amazing flavors!
Toast Cafe
I worked from Toast Cafe one morning. This spot was so cute! I obviously had to go for the avocado toast because this was my first breakfast in L.A. and had to get my fix. When in Rome!
Where I'm going next time I'm in the neighborhood...
- The Butcher’s Daughter
- Randy’s Donuts
- Sugarfish
