FOOD REVIEW
BY S. Irene Virbila, Times Restaurant Critic, PHOTOGRAPHY BY Liz O. Baylen
August 20, 2008
Restaurant breakfasts make a comeback in L.A.
(Early-bird specials)
Morning menus are on the rebound, with tempting dishes such as blueberry ricotta pancakes at Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica and grilled salmon in a bento box at the London Hotel in West Hollywood.
Pastry chef Zoe Nathan of Rustic Canyon Seasonal Kitchen and Wine Bar
WHEN Campanile stopped serving daily breakfast a decade ago, the regulars (but obviously not enough of them) who'd made a cappuccino and pastry or poached eggs and ham at the restaurant part of their morning routine were devastated. They had become accustomed to using the white tablecloth restaurant as an office away from the office. Over a sumptuous breakfast, they would meet clients, hold meetings, plot goals and projects. Screenwriters scribbled, actors pored over scripts and there may already have been a few bloggers at their keyboards. And then it ended (except for weekend brunch, which is still going strong).
If Campanile couldn't keep breakfast going, what ambitious restaurant could? Du-par's and the Original Pantry rarely venture beyond the basics. Yet there's reason for optimism: After several years of deprivation for diners, the L.A. breakfast is making a comeback.
Why? It's a result of more relaxed working hours, unpredictable traffic and changing dining habits. Restaurants are noisier at night: If you want to spend time with a friend or colleague over a meal, breakfast has a certain novelty and convenience. And, usually, baby sitters are not involved. Or hard liquor. You can enjoy all the perks of a top-notch restaurant without the expense of a three-course meal, plus wine. Breakfast, I'm here to say, is a civilized affair, and compared with other dining options, a relative bargain.
Neal Fraser and his wife Amy Knoll Fraser helped jump-start the trend when they opened the casual BLD -- breakfast lunch dinner -- down the street from their more formal, contemporary American restaurant Grace. And they weren't just doing brunch, but breakfast every day. Ammo joined in too, with its early-morning offerings.
And now, a handful of restaurants, formal and laid-back, are discovering an enthusiasm for breakfast. Time it right, and you can stop on the way to work, avoid the worst of the traffic, eat something serious and leave ready to take on the day.
Suddenly there is an array of delicious options -- a Japanese bento box breakfast, a perfect croissant and café au lait, billowy pain perdu,a stack of blueberry ricotta pancakes, soft-scrambled tofu and the classic two eggs sunny side up with toast. Here's where to look:
Rustic Canyon. On Saturday mornings, with an eye to catching the lazy morning crowd and folks who'd like to hang out after the farmers market, Rustic Canyon serves a splendid breakfast. Pastry chef Zoe Nathan starts baking at 3 a.m. and keeps it up all through the morning. The goods are all laid out on the bar -- glorious crumbly maple-bacon biscuits with cream cheese and chives, croissants stuffed with Valrhona chocolate, pretty galettes filled with grapes and plums, frittata embellished with fennel and sausage, and tall wedges of old-fashioned coffee cake. Don't forget the chalkboard that lists the hot dishes. That's where you'll find the French doughnuts, a bowl of what looks like doughnut holes rolled in cinnamon sugar. Inside, they're soft and custardy, irresistible. Also recommended: the fried-egg sandwich outfitted with Niman Ranch bacon, Gruyère, wild arugula and a dab of aioli. Early birds get the best tables. Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Boulevard, Santa Monica; (310) 393-7050; www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com. Breakfast served 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday only
