In many places in the world a bakery is often the nexus of a neighborhood. A place where the locals meet to buy baked goods and bread. Bread, the so-called ’staff of life,’ is inexpensive
nourishment to many people. Slowly but surely The Village Bakery and
Cafe has become the nexus of our Atwater Village neighborhood. Much
like their sisters in Europe, it has a walk up counter with a shelf of
various types of bread behind.
When I go in and see the stacks of
freshly baked baguettes it feels a bit like it did when I bought the
daily loaf while living in France. The difference here is you can also
order coffee, a house-made pastry, breakfast or lunch, then sit and
WiFi it up for as long as you want. Since it’s located very close to
the horse stables and riding schools along the Los Angeles River, I’ve
seen more than a patron or two wearing English riding boots and
jodphurs as well as the occasional cowboy boots. A bit of local
neighborhood color.
RivaBella Ristorante is in West Hollywood on the border of Beverly Hills and within sight of the Sunset Strip. From the outside, RivaBella has the look of an expensive fine dining restaurant. Walk inside and the friendly bar men will offer you a cocktail or a glass of premium wine, then you'll enter a dining room with rustic wooden tables, brick walls and a massive hearth. The spacious restaurant has the feel of an upscale country inn.
La Sandia
I go to Pasadena often because my younger daughter’s cheer team practices there. Yes, I spawned a cheerleader because my parents don’t have enough to laugh about in heaven. It’s given me a chance to explore Old Pasadena and I’ve been loving it. But the fact that “Of all the Gin Joints” so to speak, I mean that Little Flower Candy Company just happened to open a bakery in Pasadena was just dumb luck for me. The building is an art deco cubby that reveals itself as you’re zooming along what looks like a residential area. Pasadena is funny that way. 
One for the Table has never engaged in deliberate snarkiness. I’ve
certainly avoided it as I scrupulously adhered to the motto “if you
can’t say anything nice…” But, in this economy, I find myself being a
bit cranky when certain chefs hold themselves to a particular standard
and humiliate others on national television, when they themselves have
a restaurant that is pitiful. Gordon Ramsay has set himself up as the
arbiter of quality, but after eating at The London twice now, I can
tell you The Emperor has no clothes on.