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.
"How many hipsters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?"
I know I’m really late to the game on this one, but I finally went to
Fraiche in Culver City. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t just chance that
kept me from trying it. It’s not that I don’t want to give Culver City
a chance. I do. And I have. I’ve been to Wilson – terrible and
terribly expensive (good riddance). I’ve been to Akasha (and will
probably go back)—I highly recommend the lamb sliders, but it’s a
little expensive for me. I’ve even been to Royal/T where, although I do
like the idea of eating in an interactive art gallery, the food is only
so-so and there are way too many children running around. But my mom
would not stop raving about Fraiche. So I
decided to swallow my bias about Culver City and try it. Plus, Matt and
I really needed to go on a date—for both of our sakes.
Los Angeles has the best Mexican food in the world.
Last night One for the Table got a sneak peek into what promises to be Culver City’s newest hot spot—A-Frame—the brainchild of restaurateur David Reiss and rockstar chef Roy Choi of Kogi BBQ fame. Like most of Choi’s ventures, the menu reads like a sugar-crazed kid’s take on gourmet cuisine. Blazin’ Jay’s kettle corn, sprinkled with furikake and mixed with Corn Pops, is a total guilty pleasure. And don’t get me started on the milk chocolate dipped churros or the fried apple pie with cheddar ice cream.