We are camped out in LA for two weeks. There are many things I love about LA. The work day ends around 3, the weather is great, the pace of life slows down, and the farmers markets are incredible. We dug in and hit many highlights. Fred was on a golf jaunt, and I showed up last Saturday. First stop, Echigo, for dinner, Bigg Chill for dessert. A move we had perfected over two decades.
On our first afternoon, we drove down to Dover Street for a little shopping and lunch. Cafe 2001, which opened this past February, might have been one of our best meals. It is a brutalist cafe with an atrium in the middle and seating on the second floor, peering downstairs decorated with a mixture of mid-century chairs and tables. The salad of pears, celery, and sunchokes mixed with a country vinegarette was out of this world.
There were other hits; the pork tenderloin katsu sandwich with pickled veggies on the side tasted like Japan.
The star, although the salad comes close, is the lemon tart. It was perfect, with the small dollop of creme fraiche on the side, but the key is the sugar crust, like a creme brulee, took the tart to another level.
We stayed east because the traffic would be unbearable getting back. We went over to Jeffrey Deich and saw Nina Chanel Abney’s work, which reminded me of Derrick Adams’s work.
The next afternoon, we went to the Hammer Museum. The show was of Alice Coltrane’s music, work, and story.
We had dinner in Beverly Hills at Jars, where you can always get a solid meal. We strolled around before on Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive was peaking when I interned in LA during the first semester of my senior year of college. The luxury stores are empty of customers, and the assortments are terrible. Sad actually. I saw this sign in one of the alleyways that defines the area.
The purple house is classic. When we lived in Michigan, my father told me he was going to paint the house purple, which I thought was amazing, but of course, that never happened.
The other highlights were having a martini at the Bel Air Hotel, which has such beautiful grounds, and going to Izakaya Hero for dinner. The deboned wings are stuffed with pork.
The fried oysters.
And the warm tofu with fish roe was outstanding.
The next day, we went classic for lunch. Pro tip: the tuna melt is off the menu at the Apple Pan, and it is perfection.
The evening activity was Emily’s birthday party. We picked up the NY-style pizzas from Appolonias. There was a serious line, but ours fourteen pizza pick-up had been pre-ordered.
Sunday is my favorite. We picked up my brother and went to Petit Grain Boulangerie for breakfast treats. This bakery is so good that I am not going out on a limb when I say they make the best croissants and scones ever.
My next stop was the farmers market. The fruits, lettuce, vegetables, and everything else made me smile. It was also such a community event—so many families seeing each other. It is so nice. We do the Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sundays, although the Santa Monica one on Wednesdays is the best of them all.
It is fantastic to be in LA and work remotely in NY. One more week, which is the perfect amount.
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