sundays start off the same: too late on sunday morning sleep time (2 am if i'm lucky), too early in the morning wake up call ("hello? HELLO?!"), sunday mass at st. victor's, then breakfast at the 101 coffee shop in hollywood.
the coffee shop is probably best known for the giant sign in the parking lot, "last cappuccino before the 101", referring to the freeway that runs right by (its predecessor in the space was also featured prominently in swingers).
there's no particular reason why we go there, except for that it's roughly on the same longitude as the church, and while it's just a coffee shop, its menu drops subtle hints at the fact that the chef, brandon boudet, once was an executive chef at a local hotel. it has decent food at decent prices, competent and unobtrusive waiters, a comfortable setting, and a very odd jukebox. it's a great place for us because we want breakfast proper, not brunch--no socializing, no alcohol, no lingering over coffee. givvus food, givvus appropriate section of paper--no chit chat!--and we're set.
we typically order the same things: cajun-spiced pan fried trout, and the smoked salmon scramble made from eggs scrambled with a lot of smoke salmon, and topped with sour cream and roe.
both are served with toast and hash browns, which are more like grilled mashed potato cakes, but no less tasty. the food is clean, fresh, not greasy, and in generous proportions. other notable items on the breakfast menu are the "no huevos" ranchero, which features "soyrizo"--a vegetarian chorizo (it's good!), tofu, fresh salsa, and guacamole; silver dollar pancakes, a massive breakfast burrito, and the egg white scramble with grilled chicken, tomatoes, and basil.
while breakfast is no nonsense, the lunch menu is varied, and probably a little more interesting to the foodies. hm. i'll have to report back on that later.
soundtrack: "sunday papers" by joe jackson, "sunday morning" by the velvet underground.
101 coffee shop
6145 franklin ave
los angeles 90028
323.467.1175
7 comments:
Hi Santos,
Looks yummy! I wish I could get breakfast like that here without paying an arm and a leg! How's about Mel's Diner in West Hollywood? I went there back in 2001. There is also a dining car on Sunset Boulevard just past the House of Blues and the Viper Room, close to Chateau Marmont. They had great burgers!
hi reid
i haven't been to mel's. there's two of them now, the one you mentioned and one very close to the farmers' market i go to on sundays. i used to go to the west hollywood location back in the day when it was a diner called ben frank's, which was everything mel's wants to be in spirit, but apparently it wasn't cool enough or or charging enough for its eggs (i'm guessing).
carney's is still there. haven't been there since college. i think i might venture to some other places i haven't visited since college, so who knows, i might go there as well!
That tiling had me near running off to the Hardware store.
Reader demands picture of odd jukebox.
Now you've got me calling everyone baby again, baby.
... and singing Sunday Bloody Sunday, baby.
Sigh...the decor, the smoked salmon scramble and soyrizos evoke clear memories of brunching in Seattle. I know I could make my own scramble, but the soyrizo? Where on this isla can I find that? Selling that here would be sacrilegious.
anthony
will do on the jukebox photo.
oye, techa, ask pay-less agana, nene. they have soy-lent meat everything else--why no soyrizo?
Hi Santos,
Thanks for remembering Carneys. For the life of me I just could not remember, the name was stuck on the tip of my tongue. There's a Starbucks still near there as well right? There are actually so many places to eat in West Hollywood that I wouldn't know where to begin.
If you're able to, make a trip down to the Santa Monica Pier and take some pics...I'm seriously missing California.
hi reid
starbucks? that's totally possible. if not the ubiquitous coffee bean and tea leaf, which are sporing faster than starbucks.
santa monica pier! hmmmm....
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