Fueled by a relaxed indoor-outdoor lifestyle, every corner of the city accommodates a perennial appetite for weekend brunch in Los Angeles.
Brunch, which manages to be sexy and decadent in the light of day, has always been a tradition well-suited to laid-back L.A. Ranging from croissants and café au lait at a beachside café in Venice to an elaborate buffet at a luxury Beverly Hills hotel, the meal takes on various forms, and every L.A. neighborhood is rich in options.
Dine on fried chicken with biscuits at the Grove’s 189 by Dominique Ansel.
Mid-City
One of L.A.’s most engaging brunches is offered at 189 by Dominique Ansel, from the pâtissier who invented the Cronut. Located at the Grove, the ground floor houses Ansel’s bakery, while the upstairs dining room showcases innovative American fare. At weekend brunch, servers meander through the room offering riffs on iconic comfort foods, shared family-style at the table. Highlights include fried chicken with biscuits, merguez sausages, cast-iron crocks of creamy scrambled eggs, and even build-your-own lobster rolls. Like a dim sum house, a menu card is stamped when each dish is delivered, then tallied at the conclusion.
189 The Grove Drive, L.A., 323.602.0096. dominiqueansella.com
Pasadena and Glendale
The Terrace at the Langham Huntington, a sumptuously stately property, offers a Sunday buffet brunch that includes a formidable spread of dim sum and Peking duck, in addition to an elaborate omelet station and bottomless mimosas. Many local dim sum enthusiasts, however, patiently stand in line at a Glendale shopping center for a seat at Din Tai Fung, a chain originating in Taipei. Its signature xiaolongbao dumplings, sticky rice wraps and addictive sesame noodles contribute to a memorable brunch that is worth the wait.
1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, 626.585.6218, langhamhotels.com; The Americana at Brand, 177 Caruso Ave., Glendale, 818.551.5561, dintaifungusa.com
By Staff Contributor