The Lazy Girl's Brunch

It's true: we love throwing beautiful, over-the-top brunches for our friends. All those hours spent flipping through the glossy pages of Martha Stewart Living are probably to blame; we are forever enchanted by idyllic soirées in which everything - from the napkin rings to the croquembouche - is handmade. But as wonderful as a picturesque Martha-worthy brunch can be, sometimes, you need to keep it simple and hang out on the couch in your yoga pants. And so, The Lazy Girl's Brunch was born. 

There is only one rule for throwing a Lazy Girl's Brunch: keep the effort to a minimum, for all parties involved. Invitations must be web-based (don't you dare use a stamp); a text message chain is even better. Friends should roll out of bed and wander over to the party makeup-free and with hungry tummies, ready for some late-morning relaxation. The host shouldn't do much more than a quick vacuum or tidy, and can acceptably use (compostable) paper plates and utensils to avoid doing extra dishes. As for the food, the less cooking, the better - and bonus points for ordering online and having groceries delivered to your doorstep.

For our brunch groceries, we turned to Milk & Eggs, a local service that delivers all of our favorite products (including the natural and organic stuff that we usually have to go to specialty stores to find). The website is packed with goodies both from local farms and suppliers and from big-name health food brands - it feels kind of like what would happen if you married a farmers market with a natural grocery store. Truthfully, the process could not have been smoother - we placed our order online, chose a delivery date, and woke up that morning with the carefully packaged order waiting at our front door. 

To keep with our lazy theme, we chose brunch items that would require very little preparation: plenty of seasonal fresh fruit, cups of yogurt with granola, a bagel bar with all the fixings, and a loaf of banana bread for a little something sweet. For drinks, we chose Califia Farms' orange juice and Black & White Cold Brew (not only the easiest way to serve cold brew, but also the most delicious - I'm hooked for life). 

Friends could choose to dress up their bagels as either sweet or savory (or, in most cases, one of each). Some went for the classic cream cheese, smoked salmon, pickled onions, and capers combination, while others turned their bagels into circular avocado toast topped with egg and tomato. An adventurous friend layered her bagel first with cream cheese, then with Justin's peanut butter, banana slices, and honey - a combination so surprisingly delicious that we wouldn't be mad if it became the new toast trend. 

Using organic Greek yogurt and Kesson's Kitchen's delicious, grain-free granola, some guests made pretty parfaits topped with sliced fresh fruit. Or, for something a bit sweeter, we sliced into Bread Lounge's banana bread with chocolate chips and pecans - smeared with yogurt and a little honey, this was a filling and scrumptious treat.

With all the impending holiday hubbub, we can't think of a better way to kick back and relax than with a Lazy Girl's Brunch - it's the perfect marriage of all the best parts of brunch: leisurely time spent with friends over coffee and delicious food, without ever having to change out of your comfy clothes.

This post was created in collaboration with Milk & Eggs, who graciously provided the groceries for our brunch. All opinions are our own. 

Honey Hi | Echo Park, CA

It's common knowledge that just about everyone in Los Angeles is on a restricted diet of some sort - low carb, high carb, paleo, gluten free, vegan, raw vegan, fruitarian, you name it. Perhaps it's the fault of our year-long summer weather; with beach season extending into February, there can be no packing on of the winter pounds. Or perhaps it's that this place attracts dreamers; starry-eyed upstarts searching for their "best life" - whether that's a high-powered career, a glamorous social life, or simply "healing the gut." No matter the reason, we've all caught the fever at one point or another, and it's rare to have a meal out with friends and not encounter a dietary restriction or two. 

With demand comes supply, and Los Angeles is in no short supply of restaurants that cater to our dietary quirks. Even LAX is home to a fast-food version of Real Food Daily, one of LA's first and most popular vegan restaurants. The trick is not to find a restaurant that will cater to your latest diet, but to find one that will also provide you with something dazzling and unexpected. Because you, too - you primal, plant-and-meat-eating-goddess, you - deserve to indulge in something delicious and nourishing. So get your athleisure-clad butt over to Honey Hi on the double. 

Founded by best friends Kacie Carter and Caitlyn Sullivan, Honey Hi is a celebration of Los Angeles' healthy-eating culture. The inviting little cafe in Echo Park looks like it was plucked directly from your Instagram feed, done up in peachy pink hues with splashes of marble and wood, with pops of color from vibrant orange painted chairs and your table-neighbor's neon "pink drink" smoothie. The menu is awash with terms familiar only to the yoga set; items like "chayawanaprash & grilled stone fruit toast" and "medicinal shroom dandy 'coffee'" can make even the most seasoned cook's brow furrow. Let's not even delve into the drink add-on list - it may conjure memories of that high school vocabulary pop quiz you failed after a month-long absence with mono. 

Yoga Jones buzz words aside, Honey Hi's menu is downright friendly. Carter and Sullivan strive for what they call "radical inclusivity," offering options for just about every dietary preference and constraint. Many dishes are inspired by foods the pair make at home for themselves, and with their shared passion for nutrition and eating for wellness, the result is a robust list of healthy, nourishing meals and satisfying snacks. Their kitchen is intrinsically gluten-free, serving a variety of toasts and sandwiches that feature the rarest of birds, gluten-free sourdough bread. The meats and eggs are exclusively organic, and are sourced with sustainability and humane practices in mind. And because this team is cooking for their customers like they cook for themselves, everything is free of refined sugars, GMOs, and harmful vegetable oils - so seriously, even that friend who orders only a glass of water when you go out to lunch can eat here. 

When we popped in on a recent weekday morning for brunch, Honey Hi was active but not packed, with plenty of free tables between the groups of predictably hip, well-dressed East-siders. Some were discussing creative businesses over cold brew coffee, others were sharing brightly-colored smoothies with their curious two-year-olds. Forever on a mission to sample as much of a variety as we could, we ordered a cross-section of the menu: a sweet yogurt parfait, a toast, a hearty bowl, and an iced coffee. 

The cold brew coffee came first, served with a splash of house-made almond milk. It was strong and robust, as high on the caffeine scale as a good cold brew should be, and smooth in flavor. Next was the cashew yogurt parfait, made with probiotic cashew yogurt from a small business called Blode Küh that you may recognize from local farmers markets. While it's not a dead ringer for yogurt made with cow's milk, some would argue that it's better - the cashew base offers a dense creaminess that is both satisfying and rich. Honey Hi's grain-free granola is packed with nuts and seeds, and is therefore intensely satisfying.  Seasonal berries round out the dish with a burst of freshness and bright flavor. 

The sweet potato and avocado toast is a fun, flavorful twist on L.A.'s signature breakfast, piled high with lemony mashed avocado, soft and spicy roasted sweet potatoes, tangy pickled onions, and fragrant herbs. That gluten-free sourdough toast is pretty darn satisfying as well; good enough to evoke euphoria in any bread-starved, celiac-afflicted individual.  

Finally, the breakfast bowl - a melange of ultra-satisfying-yet-actually-healthy breakfasty foods that is without a doubt the correct way to start your day. It begins with a layer of savory sweet potato hash, topped with a generous helping of crispy Niman Ranch uncured bacon, a bright yellow pastured egg poached in turmeric, and a heap of delicately dressed fresh local greens. A perfect crisp radish is placed like a cherry on the top, alongside creamy avocado and a dusting of herbs and spices. It's the type of thing you want to wake up to every morning, if only you lived just a little closer to Echo Park. 

As a food lover in Los Angeles, it can be difficult to find balance amidst an abundance of exquisite, decadent, indulgent cuisine. Fortunately, cleaning up your dietary act no longer means giving up on inventive and exciting food - with places like Honey Hi on the scene, we can have our cake (or grain-free chocolate chip cookie) and eat it too. 

Honey Hi
1620 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Lodge Bread Co. | Culver City, CA

Bread is a beautiful thing. It's arguably one of humankind’s greatest inventions. Whether it’s soft and fluffy, thin and flexible, or hard and crusty, it’s really hard to argue with a good loaf of bread. And who would want to? That said, there is "good bread" and then there is good bread. The latter is something truly special; a loaf so perfectly baked and so full of flavor and texture that it puts all your past bread choices to shame. The bread at Lodge Bread Co. is without a doubt the second type: it's some really good bread. 

Indoor Seating Area at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Loaves of Bread at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

If the simple fact that Lodge Bread is home to some of the best good bread in the city isn't enough reason for you to fall in love, fear not - there are endearing qualities abound. For one, its backstory is a classic example of the American Dream: two young chefs, fed up with the rigid, high-stress professional kitchen environment set out on their own to nurture a passion project - baking bread. They set up shop in a carport (seriously), where they experimented with heritage grains and created their own wild-fermented sourdough starter. Before long, word got out about their incredible bread, and they began selling loaves at farmers' markets and restaurants. A bakery of their own was the natural next step, and after only two years in business, it was already time to expand into a larger space. 

Behind the Counter at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Alexander Phaneuf and Or Amsalam at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Need another reason to like Lodge? Those young chefs, Or Amsalam and Alexander Phaneuf, are legitimately really nice guys. They're at the bakery most days, working hard alongside their equally affable staff, shaping perfect loaves of bread and stretching dough for their well-loved pizzas. The bakery's beautiful, light-filled space buzzes with a friendly optimism; perhaps a product of people working hard at something they truly love. 

Pastries Galore at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Outdoor Seating at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Lodge's recent expansion has doubled the size of its operation, allowing ample space for a new pizza oven on one side, a bread and pastry kitchen on the other, and seating in between. During the week, people gather here for business meetings or to tuck into a good book, while the staff works busily away in their open kitchens, just inches from the dining area. As you'd expect, weekends are significantly more busy, though with a little patience, finding a table isn't too difficult. 

Menu at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Cappuccino at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Four Barrel Coffee and De La Paz at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

The menu is short and sweet; handwritten on huge paper rolls on the wall behind the counter. Offered are a tempting array of pizzas, expertly cooked veggies and salads, and a multitude of ways to enjoy some of that famously good bread - in the form of simple toasts, more complex toasts, or melted sandwiches. A glass case by the register houses beautiful baked goods, including a sourdough cinnamon roll that's roughly the size of your head. There's a blue glowing Elektra machine that churns out delicious espresso, or you can enjoy a cup of drip coffee in a mug that's charmingly emblazoned with the f-word. Word on the street is that Amsalam and Paneuf are devoted coffee lovers, so the carefully arranged bags of beans from top-notch coffee roasters like Four Barrel and De La Paz come as no surprise. 

Almond Butter Toast, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Almond Butter Toast, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

As a lover of almond butter, honey, and sourdough, I could not help but order the almond butter toast on my recent weekday morning visit - and I have been dreaming about it ever since. With its thick slice of sourdough bread, incredibly generous spread of house-made fresh almond butter, and delicate lace-like drizzle of honey on top, this is a hearty meal in itself. The flavor combination is a delight; the sourness of the bread comes as such a pleasant surprise, especially when married with the creamy almond butter, the sweet and floral honey, and a sprinkling of salt. This is undoubtedly one of the best things I've eaten this year, and I can't wait to come back for another slice. 

Almond Butter Toast, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Almond Butter Toast, Roasted Beets, Cappuccino, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Because every meal deserves a good vegetable, I also ordered the roasted beets - a vibrant salad with bright flavors and a satisfying variety of textures. The beets were perfectly cooked, then were tossed with orange slices, almonds, and fresh herbs in a light vinaigrette, and topped with a dusting of fresh horseradish. The horseradish is an unexpected but delightful addition, offering a sharp bite and a complex depth of flavor. 

Roasted Beets, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Cauliflower with Tahini and Lots of Herbs, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

At a recent brunch with friends on a weekend, I was able to sample a few more dishes - the cauliflower with tahini and "tons of herbs," the shakshuka, the cinnamon sugar toast, and the avo toast. True to form, the cauliflower was expertly prepared - roasted until charred, smothered in tahini and oil, and tossed with golden raisins and (indeed) a ton of herbs. It was flavorful, satisfying, and so delicious. 

Cauliflower with Tahini and Lots of Herbs, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

The shakshuka was just what you would hope it would be - a delicious, saucy, eggy mess served with thick slices of bread to soak it all up. The bell peppers were a nice addition, and were cooked just until firm, adding a nice texture to the dish. 

Shakshuka, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Avo Toast, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

A treat for the eyes as much it was a treat for the tongue, the avocado toast was another perfect vehicle for showing off just how good artisan bread can be. The creamy avocado and thinly sliced radishes were delicate in flavor enough to allow the bread's character to shine through, and we loved the big flakes of coarse salt sprinkled on top. 

Cinnamon Sugar Toast, Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

And for those hoping for a bit of childhood nostalgia, there is the cinnamon sugar toast - such a simple, perfect combination, paired with plenty of butter and a big slice of good bread. This served as proof of concept that the best things in life are those that are simple, yet well executed. 

Alexander Phaneuf at Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

For a food lover, this fine city of ours is bursting with possibility; every weekend marks a new restaurant opening or a new absurd food trend. Even with significant effort, eating at all the best restaurants in town would be an impossible feat, so for many, flailing from one restaurant to the next without a repeat is the norm - but a place like Lodge is capable of changing all that. You'll feel at home here - be it in the morning for toast and coffee, at lunch for perfectly cooked vegetables, or in the evening for their famous pizzas and a cold beer - and you'll never want to leave. So let's agree to start a not-so-new, not-so-absurd food trend: finding a place that serves food you love, in an environment that you love, that you can visit every week. Mine'll be Lodge. 

Lodge Bread Co., Culver City, CA

Lodge Bread Co.
11918 Washington Blvd. 
Los Angeles, CA 90066

The Great Los Angeles Cappuccino Project | We're Halfway Through!

If you've been following Brunchographers for a while, you'll recall that back in October, I embarked on an ambitious journey to sample a cappuccino at all the best coffee shops here in Los Angeles. The project was designed to push me out of my coffee-comfort zone, to help me learn more about espresso and the people who make it, and to allow me to explore my city through one of my favorite rituals. In an effort to enjoy every excursion and every cappuccino to its fullest, I've taken it slow, and now I'm about halfway through the list of coffee shops that are considered the "best" in Los Angeles. 

So, what have I learned so far?

For one thing, I learned that coffee tasting is subjective. By taking my time and savoring each cup, I feel like I've been able to identify distinct flavor differences between varieties (as best I can with an untrained palate, anyway), and I've begun to narrow in on what specifically tastes great to me. At the same time, it has become clear that what tastes great to me won't always taste great to others - sometimes, when having coffee with a friend, we will pick up on completely different characteristics when tasting the same variety of espresso. They may love it, and I may not. And that's ok. 

Similarly, I've found that describing a coffee's characteristics can be challenging and often hilarious - how are you supposed put a qualifier on a flavor when you've never experienced anything quite like it before? A lot of times, I feel like a wine tasting novice, ignorantly repeating phrases I've heard in movies ("just look at the legs on this one!"). But, since some people claim that wine tasting is completely subjective and that no sommelier's palate is any more valid than your own, I've tried to embrace the silliness I feel and have fun with it. When stumped, I've found Counter Culture's coffee tasting wheel to be a valuable resource, especially when I'm having trouble conjuring adjectives. 

A barista at Caffe Vita, Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA

And most importantly, I've learned that talking to the barista will make your experience infinitely better. At establishments that take their coffee very seriously (and the vast majority of these spots do), the baristas are going to be bona fide coffee lovers. They live and breathe coffee, and they've made it their life's purpose to make your morning cup as good as it can be. They understand the complexities of each variety, what makes it good and unique, and how to prepare it in the best way possible. They're wildly passionate about this stuff, and as much as you think you're a coffee lover, they love it even more. So of course they want to geek out about it with you! Ask them about their craft, tell them what you liked about your drink, and thank them for their hard work. They'll probably share some really interesting information with you, and if you're lucky, they'll let you taste something else they're working on. Oh, and one more thing I learned about baristas: they don't all have beards. In fact very few have beards. Apparently that's a vicious stereotype. 

For those curious, below is a quick rundown of where I've been so far, with some notes on each one. 

Thanks for coming along with me for this ride! I'm looking forward to sharing more absurd coffee descriptions and plenty of heart-shaped latte art with you in the future. 

20th Century Café | San Francisco, CA

I've always been charmed by the idea that a person can be born into the wrong era. It's a romantic concept, really, that a certain personality and a specific time period might be tied together cosmically, like soulmates. Some souls do seem a bit displaced, forever longing for a time when life was much simpler; when clothing was made lovingly by hand rather than in mass quantities at a factory, and folks spent time talking face-to-face instead of typing on a screen. Michelle Polzine, a pastry goddess and vintage aficionado, appears to be one such displaced soul. Stepping into her restaurant, 20th Century Café, is like following her back in time - if you can ignore the iPad at the ordering station, of course.  

Every tiny detail in the café has been carefully curated in order to create the perfect vintage aesthetic: art deco lamps hang from above, small marble tables are lined up against a velvet banquette, elaborate bronzed tiles cover the front of a long bar, and most of the staff is decked out in 1940's-style vintage dresses and aprons. Inspired by the darling little cafés she experienced in Vienna, Budapest, and Prague, this light-drenched space offers locals a beautiful spot to relax and enjoy an afternoon, with a side of exquisite handmade pastries, of course. 

And about those pastries... Polzine knows her stuff. Armed with years of experience as a pastry chef, Polzine creates sweet and savory delights that are so good, they provide regular homesickness relief for Eastern European expats. The counter is stacked high with knishes, bagels, babkas, and strudels, and each is more beautiful than the next. These baked goods make up the core of the menu at 20th Century Café, which is rounded out by lunch items like soups, sandwiches, and salads.

On our recent weekend trip to San Francisco, our dear friends took us to 20th Century Café for a late brunch. They'd been singing is praises for months - telling tales of the handmade bagels, bright pink borscht, and the unbelievably delicious (and beautiful) Russian Honey Cake. These are the sort of friends who know their food, so when they fall in love with a place, you know you're in for a treat - so our hopes were pretty high for our brunch. And let me tell you, we were not disappointed. Not even a little. 

I couldn't help but choose one of the beautiful nigella seed bagels, served open-faced with smoked salmon, cream cheese, pickled shallots, and dill. The bagel itself was perfection, light and soft inside with a hint of onion flavor and a satisfying crunch from the nigella seeds on the outside. The salmon was smoky and flavorful, and the pickled shallots offered a bit of tanginess. My friend chose the bagel with sliced beets, which essentially swaps out beets for the salmon, and was equally delicious in its own way. She picked the nigella seed bagel, too (since that was the right choice), but if you're not into that sort of thing, there were two other bagel flavors to choose from, as well. 

Also at our table were some more lunch-like dishes: a wild boar sausage dish with sauerkraut, apple butter, roasted fingerling potatoes; a beautiful bowl of vibrant borscht topped with heaps of fresh herbs; and a simple but well-executed salad for some ruffage (I do love my ruffage). Everything was delicious: the sausage was moist and flavorful, and paired perfectly with the bright flavors from the apple butter and sauerkraut, while the borscht was light and fresh-tasting - perfect for a light lunch. 

And then on to the main event: dessert (side note: if you're not having dessert at brunch, you really need to re-think some things). We ordered coffee and dessert separately - be warned that if you order everything all at once, your borscht will come at the same time as your cake, which would really just be distracting, because who wants to eat beets when there's a big slice of cake staring them in the face?

Our cappuccinos were very good, and boasted some seriously lovely latte art, made even more lovely by the vintage china they were served in. Between us, we shared two slices of cake: Dobos Torte and the legendary Russian Honey Cake. The Dobos Torte was very good, with its extremely rich chocolate frosting and a surprisingly salty cookie was placed artfully on top. We all enjoyed it, though it unfortunately suffered from second-fiddle syndrome - because the Russian Honey Cake was, well, exceptional.

Honestly speaking, 20th Century Café's Russian Honey Cake is quite possibly the best cake I've ever tasted (if not, it's a close second). In the weeks that have passed since I ate this cake, it has popped into my mind over and over again - those impossibly thin yet perfectly baked layers of sponge paired with the most luscious honey cream create an almost hypnotizing effect. It is intensely satisfying, and tastes as if smooth butter was whipped up with creamy honey to create an airy, soft cloud of slightly salty, not-too-sweet deliciousness. I will probably never visit San Francisco again without getting a slice of this cake - it's that good. 

If you were for some reason unable to sense the copious amount of love that has been poured into 20th Century Café during your meal (but you will, don't worry), it'll be clear with a quick chat with Michelle on your way out. She and her staff genuinely love this place, and the work that goes into it. They wear beautiful vintage dresses because they want to, not just for show. They painstakingly execute traditional baking methods because they enjoy it, and because it makes the food taste better. Each tiny detail has been carefully considered, and it all adds up to a truly delightful experience. 

20th Century Café
198 Gough Street
San Francisco, CA 94102