Best Places To Escape Cooking In L.A.

Morning time is prime “me” time and there’s no better way to start the day off than a delicious breakfast at the L.A. Chapter in the chic Ace Hotel. L.A. Chapter is by the same fabulous team behind my favorite brunch spot in Brooklyn, Five Leaves. They serve up incredibly flavorful dishes like the Moroccan egg scramble with housemade Merguez sausage, a crushed avocado and a chickpea salad with a lot of kick, and the fluffiest ricotta pancakes served with banana, berries, and a healthy scoop of honeycomb butter.

Rivaling these life-changing pancakes are the melt-in-your-mouth blueberry ones by Lil Dom’s in Los Feliz. While you’re at the east-side joint, order the Lil Dom’s breakfast pizza with a sunny side egg, speck, mozzarella and tomato sauce with a side of the extra crispy on the outside but super soft in the inside fried potatoes that will probably tempt your breakfast escape into a full-day one.

Bonus: For a quick guilt-free/waistline friendly option, get the rice bowl at Sqirl in Echo Park. Made with Kokohu Rose brown rice, sorrel pesto, preserved Meyer lemon, special Sqirl hot sauce, black radish, French sheep feta and a poached egg, it will leave you fully energized and focused to conquer the day.

Nothing beats a midday feast at Gjelina perfectly serves the purpose with its fresh California cuisine, including their celebrated pizzas, and gorgeous back patio. Delicious menu highlights include the housemade chorizo pizza with tomato, cream, fennel, chili and basil, the grilled Kabocha squash with mint pesto and pomegranate, and the braised pork meatballs with an addictive red wine tomato sauce.

If you find yourself in need of a more central escape, then look no further than Ludo Lefebvre’s Petit Trois in West Hollywood. This intimate bistro (bar seating, no reservations, and credit card only) is an ode to classic French cuisine and bar à la carte dining in Paris. The menu includes one of the best escargot in Los Angeles, as well as classic steak frites. The buttered brioche crumbed chicken leg is a must-try. Make sure to have at least a couple of pals with you in order to try a bit of everything!

For a solo adventure, I like to head to Grand Central Market in Downtown L.A. and hop from vendor to vendor. There’s an all day breakfast sandwich at Eggslut that’s so incredible that people wait in line for hours to get it. You can also get one of the best burgers and fries you will ever eat at Belcampo Meat Co. For dessert, head to Valerie Confection’s for flaky fleur de sel caramel croissants and finish at Better Booch’s inventive kombucha bar— and that’s only a smattering of GCM’s offerings.

Located in Koreatown’s trendy The Line Hotel, The Commissary was my favorite new restaurant of 2014. Roy Choi’s delicious venture is housed in a stunning greenhouse with a loving focus on locally grown vegetables and fruits. My favorite must order’s are the roasted carrots, French dip sandwich, sea bass with green peas, and the perfectly cooked scallops. Seriously, I would recommend trying to order every item on the menu— it will leave you wanting to come back each and every night.

If you’re craving innovative Italian food, I love Bestia. Located in the Arts District downtown in an industrial warehouse-like space that’s always packed with a fun crowd, Bestia’s menu is equally ambitious as it is creative. Bestia is ideal for a large group because it means you can order one of everything for the table. Don’t miss out on the housemade salumi board, spicy ‘nduja pizza, and cavatelli alla norcina with black truffles.

Lastly, for a cozy, homey vibe head to Son of Gun. You and your guests will feel like you’ve just stepped into an East coast fish house and although Son of a Gun caters mostly to the passionate seafood lover (don’t miss out on the shrimp toast sandwich, lobster roll, and smoked mahi fish dip), the fried chicken sandwich with pickle slaw and rooster hot-sauced aioli will leave your carnivorous side more than satisfied and eager for a return visit.