Pastry Chef Rebecca West's pastries

Brunch is normally a weekend occurrence, but sometimes it’s nice to have breakfast foods at lunchtime during the week. You can do that at Luca on Sunset in West Hollywood, where brunch is served until 3 p.m. daily.

Chef Luca Giorgetti, who grew up in a Tuscan farmhouse, offers a slew of healthy breakfast items (no butter and little salt), including omelets, scrambles, breakfast and croissant sandwiches, pancakes, French toast, smoothies, juices and many other dishes. And Pastry Chef Rebecca West makes some amazing pastries (these, of course, contain “just enough” butter), including the flaky croissants used in Giorgetti’s sandwiches.

Spinach croissant sandwich

The spinach croissant sandwich is tasty, with its scrambled eggs, spinach, fontina cheese and bell pepper sauce. I prefer it to the breakfast sandwiches with omelet-style eggs, which I find to be too much. Giorgetti said he treats eggs like pasta and thinks about how to incorporate flavor that way, and he hits the mark with the 3 Mushrooms omelet, which is filled and topped with a combination of porcini, shitake and cremini mushrooms.

3 Mushrooms omelet

The chicken hash is another good option. Made with tomato sauce and topped with organic eggs and basil pesto, the chicken is a healthier twist on traditional hash.

Chicken Hash

Let’s go back to the pastries. The almond croissant and chocolate brioche are excellent, and the blueberry muffin is deliciously packed full of fruit. On the savory side, the sweet potato biscuit with speck is ultimately satisfying. All the pastries are so well made that you should be happy with any one of them (or two, or three).

Blueberry muffin

Sweet potato speck biscuit

Further reading:

Perfect Croissants and More for Brunch at Luca on Sunset by Gourmet Pigs

The Best Pastries in West Hollywood by estarLA

Note: This meal was hosted.

Tunapica at Asia de Cuba

The Mondrian hotel in West Hollywood is known for its sleekness, especially its ultra-stylish Skybar. What else would you expect from Sunset Boulevard? And its Asia de Cuba, a Philippe Starck-designed Latin-Asian fusion restaurant, is no exception. But this sleek eatery isn’t just all style; there’s substance behind that pretty face.

Asia de Cuba has always been a destination restaurant, but with a new cocktail menu and a revamped dinner menu by Chef Troy N. Thompson, there’s even more reason to visit.

The menu offers a bevy of shareable plates, including a host of ceviches such as wild salmon with salted avocado ice cream, spicy coconut milk, bird’s eye pepper and black lava salt, as well as shrimp and snapper with watermelon confit, Vietnamese red chili, garlic, jalapeño and shaved coconut. The Tunapica, a tuna tartare dish served picadillo style on stacked wonton crisps with Spanish olives, black currants, almonds, coconut and a soy-lime vinaigrette, is a nice twist on the usual tuna tartare and shares well. Other standouts include the pan-seared jumbo sea scallops, which come with plantains and habañero corn crema (I personally like the plantains and scallops better separately); the calamari salad with crispy squid, chayote, hearts of palm, banana, cashews, chicory, radicchio and sesame orange dressing; and the braised oxtail and kimchi steamed dumplings with spiced calabaza threads and mango ponzu.

Shrimp and snapper ceviche

The new cocktail menu also includes drinks made for sharing, including those for two and punches for the whole table. The guava punch, though on the sweet side, is a good choice with white rum, dark rum, Crème de Peche, fresh lime and guava juice. Watch out for the made-for-two Cuban Missile, a potent concoction of brown rum, aged rum, white rum, honey rum, Cherry Heering, Angostura bitters, orange juice and lemon juice.

If you’re looking for a dependable drink, go with a classic mojito, which is well-balanced here with lots of lime and little syrup. If you’re looking to be a bit more adventurous, try the Hemingway Thyme with aged rum, fresh lime, maraschino, cane syrup, grapefruit twist and thyme foam, or the Chili Passion Caipirinha with cachaça spirits, muddled lime, raw sugar, passion fruit purée and a of dash Sriracha.

Trio of mojitos

Chili Passion Caipirinha

See more photos:

Note: This meal was hosted.

Mezze offers just what you would think — small, sharable plates of Mediterranean food. And what food it is! It’s flavorful and fun, and Mezze’s location, a semi-open space with an indoor tree (you’ll just have to see for yourself), complements the menu nicely. You can almost forget that you’re on La Cienega Boulevard a stone’s throw away from the Beverly Center.

My favorite “side” dishes at a recent dinner were the beet salad with chickpeas, sheep’s milk yogurt and haloumi cheese, and the Nantes carrots with harissa and lebne yogurt cheese. Both items were well-balanced and flavorful, especially the carrots.

The more substantial dishes really impressed me; I even liked the lamb in the Hashweh Risotto, which came topped with fried lemon, and I don’t normally like lamb. The shawarma made with brisket, amba (a tangy mango condiment) and house pickles are fun and satisfying. The white bass, with sea beans, cauliflower and coriander, was perfectly cooked and seasoned.

My favorite dessert was hands-down the Date & Ameretti Parfait with mascarpone and Turkish coffee — and I don’t normally like dates, either! The mix of textures and different types of sweet, but not too sweet, flavors was surprising and delightful. I would definitely order it again.

As for the cocktails, these were more hit-or-miss for me. The Baharat Milk, with Barbancourt rum 8 year, Remy VS cognac, Baharat (spiced) milk and pistachios, was delicious though heavy, but the George Dickel Pickle, made with whiskey, mustard seed, lemon, celery, pickle and serrano pepper, was not my taste at all (though Esther of estarLA liked it). You win some, you lose some. No matter; I’ll be back for the food.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Lamb sausage for Blue Cow menu

Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen, the folks who brought you the uber-delish sandwich spot Mendocino Farms (now open in West Hollywood by Target), have plans to open Blue Cow, a more upscale restaurant, early next year. Blue Cow, to be housed in the space occupied by Casa in California Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, will also feature sandwiches at the heart of its menu and serve as a test kitchen for Mendocino Farms. Joshua Smith (Church & State, Anisette) will be executive chef, and Steve Livigni (La Descarga, Harvard & Stone) will design the seasonal cocktail menu. And there will be sandwiches of the ice cream kind from pastry chef Miho Travi. Sounds kind of amazing, right?

At a recent tasting at the new MF West Hollywood location, collaborating (yes, partnerships of this type are slated to be common at Blue Cow) chef Jason Travi of Fraiche restaurant fame debuted a couple of his creations for the Blue Cow menu: a turkey sausage sandwich made with Wild Turkey whiskey, apple compote and pickled mushrooms, and a lamb sausage topped with harissa, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes and red bell peppers. While I really enjoyed the Mediterranean-inspired lamb sausage (and I’m not a big fan of lamb in general), the turkey sausage sandwich was too sweet for my taste. But, these recipes could very well change, as they’re still in the testing phase.

Also, I think I may have found my new favorite sandwich at Mendocino Farms: the “Not So Fried” Chicken made with roasted chicken breast rolled in soy-based “Krispies,” herb aioli, whole grain mustard slaw, tomatoes and pickled red onions on toasted ciabatta bread. Very satisfying.

"Not So Fried" Chicken sandwich from Mendocino Farms

Further reading:

Mario Del Pero of Mendocino Farms to Open Blue Cow Feb. 1 with Stellar BOH Lineup by Eater LA

Note: This tasting was hosted.

Japan tsunami. From Amazing Photos.

VIVA JAPAN: A Benefit to Support Relief Efforts in Japan will be held Friday, April 1, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Voyeur in West Hollywood. Expect live music from DJ Glenn Red (Afrofunke, Eclectica), Mr. NumberOnederful (Cannibal Flower), Rick Wren (Hang Together) and The Love Connection, as well as live art from Mimi Yoon and Stephen Williams.

Now, I normally don’t post this kinds of things, but when I saw that all proceeds from the event will go to Direct Relief International (DRI), California’s largest international humanitarian nonprofit organization, I though people should know about it. Here’s why:

• Efficiency: 98.8 percent of funding went to program expenses, with 1 percent dedicated to administrative and fundraising.
• In the past 10 years, each dollar spent has provided up to $30 (wholesale) of medical material aid specifically requested by in-country health professionals to care for patients.
• Transparency: Direct Relief provides a map detailing where it delivers its supplies and how much it spends on each kind.
• Proven Track Record: Direct experience with large-scale emergencies in Asia, including the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004. This will help guide them to best plan and execute a recovery strategy.
• Charity Navigator: Direct Relief is a 4-Star Charity, which is labeled as “Exceptional: Exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause.”

There will be a $10 donation entrance fee, and attendees will be allowed to stay in Voyeur when it opens to the public as a club at 11:00 p.m. Proceeds from art sales will also go to support relief efforts in Japan. Do good, people!

Bubble & Squeak

When I first walked into Eveleigh (“ever-lee”), I couldn’t believe this rustic-looking restaurant sat on the Sunset Strip. It was way too laid-back. The reclaimed and repurposed wood, the communal tables, the live lemon trees and the open-air dining room made me feel more as if I were in Napa than smack in the middle of the trendiest part of West Hollywood. That’s a good thing, by the way.

Open-air dining room

Bar area at Eveleigh

Perhaps the best part is that the food and drink are really good. It’s a great option for a lazy weekend brunch — I know, because I’ve had a couple of those here myself recently. Everything I’ve tried has been good, and some of it has been great. Executive Chef Jordan Toft, along with owners Nick Hatsatouris, Nick Mathers and Lincoln Pilcher, designed a menu reminiscent of their Aussie heritage but accessible to us good ol’ Americans.

The bubble and squeak (pictured above), which is traditionally made from leftovers, was punched up here with the use of some gorgeous kale (which I’m currently obsessed with), corned beef and potatoes topped with a scotch egg. This has great flavor and is a heavy dish, so I wouldn’t order this unless I was really hungry.

My favorite dish was the baked eggs with chard, shimeji mushrooms, goat curd and mizuna greens. The sourness of the curd was key to this dish. And since I have a thing for mini foods, the small eggs and mushrooms were pleasing to me visually. I’m such a sucker for mini foods!

Baked Eggs

The Seeded Granola topped with a scoop of frozen yogurt (literally plain yogurt that was frozen, not froyo) and blood orange segments was also very good. It was served with almond milk on the side, which I poured over the granola. The best part of this dish was the inclusion of black sesame in the granola, which reminded me of Chinese candies I grew up eating. My only complaint is the price of this dish: $10 for granola, yogurt and milk is a little steep.

Seeded Granola

Now, the cocktails. I tried a slew of drinks, almost all of them made with mezcal. David Kupchinsky, formerly of Comme Ça and The Tar Pit, designed the sophisticated cocktail program. I was impressed with Kupchinsky’s skills because I really liked his versions of the bloody mary and the gin and tonic, neither of which I’m normally a big fan of. The Bloody Sanchez at Eveleigh is made with mezcal instead of the traditional vodka, a decision I thought made a lot of sense, as the smokiness complemented the tomato and spices nicely. The tonic in the gin and tonic is house-made and is more tea-like than the clear versions you normally see, which gives it a unique herbal quality.

Gin and Tonic

The mezcal Old Fashioned was delicious, too. I couldn’t stop drinking it! And the Pimm’s Cup made with Pimm’s liqueur, cucumber, mint, lemon, blood orange and soda was also great. Just as I’m a sucker for mini foods, I’m also a sucker for blood orange.

Mezcal Old Fashioned

Pimm's Cup

The nonalcoholic drinks were tasty, too. The Cacao-Nut Date smoothie made with young coconut meat, coconut water, sweet cacao nibs, dates, cinnamon, vanilla stevia and vanilla hemp milk was a little too tasty — it was basically dessert in a glass and so substantial that it could have been a meal in itself. On the other hand, the Good Morning Sunshine juice, with kale, apple, orange, lime, ginger, mint, strawberry and fennel, was freshing and naturally sweet.

I liked this experience so much that when a friend asked about bloody marys, I suggested we go here, so I went back for a second weekend in a row and had the roasted portabello mushroom topped with burrata, vincotto, thyme and sourdough toast on the side. Though it didn’t look like much food, it kept me full for most of the day so this was a great value at $11.

So if you’re looking for respite after shopping amid the hustle and bustle of Sunset Boulevard, Eveleigh is a great option. Be on the lookout for patio seating in the near future, too.

Further reading: The Eveleigh: Liquid Brunch & Hangover Cures by Caroline on Crack

Note: The first meal discussed was hosted.

Lanterns light up the tables at Fresheast

Fresheast in West Hollywood is a newish fast-casual concept featuring a healthful pan-Asian menu. Located in a Pavilions shopping center – which means free parking, a rarity in WeHo – Fresheast offers dishes with Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai and Indian elements, but with a decidedly L.A. flair (quinoa, anyone?).

We were recently invited to sample Fresheast’s dinner menu conceived by Executive Chef Jonathan Schwichtenberg. We appreciated the many options – you can choose from white or brown rice, baby greens or the fluffiest quinoa ever made to go with your proteins, which include the common chicken and beef to the less-common lamb, paneer cheese and tofu.

One of our favorites were the Spicy Garlic Noodles made with wheat noodles, seasonal vegetables, garlic, cilantro, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce topped with green onions. Another favorite was the Indian Vegetable Curry with tofu, seasonal vegetables, onion, tomato and red lentil dal. Both these dishes were flavorful without being overly spicy.

Spicy Garlic Noodles

Indian Vegetable Curry

From the meat dishes, our favorites were the Emperor’s Lamb with California Pure lamb, onion, red bell pepper and green onion, and the Mongolian Chicken with Jidori chicken, green onion and ginger. These menu items were simple yet satisfying, especially the lamb, which had a nice mild flavor we appreciated since we’re not the biggest lamb fans.

Emperor's Lamb

Mongolian Chicken

Some of the best parts of the meal came at the end with house-made Meyer lemon and mango sorbets. If Fresheast makes the fluffiest quinoa we’ve ever had, then it also makes the creamiest non-dairy frozen treats, which are produced in small made-to-order batches by infusing a ton of air into them. The Meyer lemon sorbet was a standout with its intriguing floral quality; it definitely left us wanting more. Not to be overlooked are the fresh-made juice combinations, especially the Fresheast Juice. Its mixture of orange, lemon, apple, cucumber, spinach, kale and red beets was delightfully refreshing – the juice alone is worth the trip here.

Mango Sorbet. So creamy!

Also noteworthy is the restaurant’s green philosophy. The plates and bowls are from VerTerra, disposable-yet-compostable dinnerware made from fallen leaves, and the space was constructed using recycled woods. All meats and seafood are sourced from certified natural purveyors, and produce is sourced locally and organic whenever possible. Fresheast will also reward you for being environmentally conscious. Ride a bike or drive a hybrid or electric car to the restaurant and get 10 percent off your meal. Same goes if you bring your own cups or containers. And on Monday nights, 10 percent of the restaurant’s proceeds are donated to Doctors Without Borders.

There’s also a daily – that’s right, daily – happy hour from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. that offers 50 percent off beer, wine and sake with the purchase of an entree. Fresheast’s private label cabernet sauvignon, produced by Eden Canyon Vineyards located just outside of Paso Robles, is a standout.

With nothing priced above $12.95, Fresheast offers well-priced meals with quality ingredients, a great option in an otherwise high-priced part of Los Angeles.

Note: This was originally posted on LAist. This meal was hosted.

My favorites are the Woody tank by Victor Glemaud ($70) and Costello Tagliapietra‘s 70s glam Hamm shirt ($92).

Woody by Victor Glemaud

Costello Tagliapietra's Hamm

House of Holland designed a Jessie-inspired shirt ($108) that’s made out of a sweatshirt-like material, while Cassette Playa made a Buzz Lightyear shirt ($84) light as a feather. There’s also a Jonathan Saunders-designed black-and-white Rex shirt ($84). You can find all the shirts for sale at Revolve.

To launch the T-shirt line, Disney and Revolve hosted a party at the retailer’s shop in West Hollywood complete with tray-passed appetizers, wine and a candy buffet (score!). Celebrities were in attendance, including Cheryl Burke from “Dancing With the Stars,” actress Krysten Ritter and my personal favorite model Agyness Deyn.

Designer Henry Holland and model Agyness Deyn in the life-size toy display box

And there was this fun over-size chair out front where Tara of When Tara Met Blog, Esther of e*starLA and Katelin of Gorgeous Footsteps in the Sand and I took this cute pic:

Katelin, me, Esther and Tara.

My only issue with these Toy Story-inspired shirts are the prices. Nothing less than $70? Really? I understand that these are designer and all, but they’re T-shirts. I wouldn’t pay that much for a T-shirt from any designer, no matter how soft and comfortable it may be (which some of these shirts are), but that’s just me. I could understand the high price tags of the Alice in Wonderland Disney Couture items because of the obvious skill that went into each item, but I just can’t justify paying nearly $100 for a T-shirt. These Toy Story shirts are cute, though…

The event is taking place this Saturday, June 19, at the West Hollywood Tender Greens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Look out for noms such as Nutella blondies, carrot cake cookie sandwiches, browned butter brown sugar cookies, matcha mocha bundts with red bean filling, ube cupcakes and much more (complete menu here). There will also be The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf beverages to help wash it all down. The best part? Every is priced between $1 and $4 and all proceeds go to charity.

Drago Centro charcuterie plate. From Dig Lounge.

Whether you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day or not — or just haven’t made up your mind yet — here are some special meals that will be happening around Los Angeles.

To Celebrate

Drago Centro: From Feb. 12 to 14, Drago Centro is offering a four-course dinner for $55, with wine pairings for an additional $35. (Limited à la carte menu items will be available, too.) Here are the menu choices:

First course — beef carpaccio, hearts of palm and candied almonds, or antipasto plate

Second course — butternut squash ravioli with lemon brown butter, or shrimp and scallop agnolotti with cioppino foam

Third course — roasted lamb with artichoke hearts, brown butter pomme purée and rapini, or Dover sole, baby vegetable ragoût and lemon beurre blanc

Fourth course — strawberry semifreddo with basil and white chocolate, or chocolate cake, candied Marcona almonds and raspberries

Also, on Feb. 14 the restaurant will be hosting a masquerade carnival with live music, and guests are encouraged to dress up, too.

Cecconi’s: The West Hollywood eatery is offering its full à la carte menu, a tasting menu for $85, and an optional wine pairing for an additional $45. The tasting menu includes wild mushroom cappuccino; dungeness crab, ahi tuna and avocado; winter black truffle and ricotta ravioli; chateaubriand for two, winter root vegetables and a peppercorn sauce; and a layered chocolate cake, kirsh cherries and whipped cream.

Pourtal: The Santa Monica wine bar is offering two-for-one glasses of bubbly on Feb. 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Choose from the featured selection of Marquis de Perlade Blanc de Blanc or a Kir Royale. Cupid will be there to pass out secret Valentines to guests who purchase bubbly or a tasting card; they will receive a free pour ranging from on Pourtal’s Enomatic machines.

Cube: Head over to Cube Marketplace’s cafe on Feb. 13 for a fondue party. Ok, not really, but you can get the fondue special and make it your own party! For $35, you can get prosecco, cheese fondue, roasted farmers market vegetables and fresh fruit, house-baked bread, Meyer lemon coeur a la crème, farmers market berries, citrus cookies — and house-made dark chocolate truffles and confections to take home.

Not To Celebrate

Charlie’s Malibu: On Feb. 13, Charlie’s will host “Bitter, Party of 1” for singles (or as its press release says, “couples welcome, but we may mock them”) with tunes from DJ Kid Wycked from 9:00 p.m. to close. And on both Feb. 13 and 14, the restaurant will offer a four-course chef’s tasting menu for $75, with a $20 wine pairing, along with the regular à la carte and lounge menus. The tasting menu includes dishes such as poached pear with herbed goat cheese and candied walnuts, filet mignon, and lobster tail. You don’t have to eat with a Valentine, you know.

Rush Street: On Feb. 13, the Culver City bar and restaurant will host a Meet Your Valentine party with specialty cocktails and artisanal chocolates. There will be no prix fixe menu. On Feb. 14, diners can enjoy half-off featured wine and champagne all day long.

Akasha: Take home a box of 12 mini cupcakes for $20 from the Culver City restaurant’s bakery to serve at your anti-Vday party — or eat them yourself, I don’t judge. Flavors include chocolate and vanilla cakes with different frosting and icing. The chocolate with Gianduja (that’s a chocolate/hazelnut combo) filling, chocolate glaze and fleur de sel sounds awesome!