3 posts tagged “bacon”
Yesterday, I was at The Grove, picking up some potions at Kiehl's and some other necessities from the shops (no, not shoes at Nordstrom! Don't judge!), when I got kind of hungry and decided to grab something to take back to the office from Morels. I for some reason remembered crab cakes on their menu, but when I actually looked it over, there weren't any. (Drat!) I guess the times that I've been, I've really only ever had the mussels with pommes frittes. I didn't feel like eating mussels at my desk though. The thing that was calling out to me (besides a cinnamon-sugar rimmed sidecar they mix up at Morels, which I resisted) was the quiche: yummy, easily transportable, non-messy food. The only kind they had, though, was quiche lorraine, which, of course, has bacon in it (or sometimes ham). I hemmed and hawed, but eventually submitted to the bacon-filled quiche.
Omg, it was good!
That's the first bit of bacon I've had in a year.* As I was eating my food, I suddenly found myself semi-seriously conjuring ways of fitting bacon into my all-but-seafood vegetarian diet. (Pigs like to swim, right?) Ultimately, I got right back on the wagon, though. Today, for example, I had lunch at Vegan Glory -- basil leaves w/ tofu chicken. Before you, "Ewww!" you should try it; not even approximately tasting like chicken, but it's good all the same.
*Not counting the bacon-flavored exotic chocolate bar that I had a few weeks ago. Had bought it well in advance of Valentine's Day, only to have no one to actually bestow it upon. (See below.) As a kind of strange punishment, I ate it myself. ('That'll show me/him!') It was way too sweet for my taste, but I appreciated the salty bite of the bacon with the milk chocolate. I'm just more of a dark chocolate kind of a girl. How characteristically bitter-sweet of me, I know; but really, I've had that preference since childhood. Worth a try though. Best in small nibbles.
For my friend Christine's birthday, we went out for all-girls brunch at Square One Dining. I had been hearing about this neighborhood place for some time, and listening to Evan Kleiman's Good Food show yesterday on KCRW, I was reminded of its much vaunted tastiness and proximity. Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold was extolling its virtues in his run down of best places for bacon dishes in Los Angeles. Even though I'm vegetarian these days, I confess: sometimes I do still miss bacon. And, I know my friends like (read: love) it, so we settled in for brunch with whetted appetites.
On weekends only, they make a scrumptious and impossibly moist maple-pecan coffee cake, which Devon ordered with a pair of poached eggs, toast, side salad and some rashers of that sinfully good looking, artisinal Nueske's of Wisconsin bacon. This bacon appeared to be everything I had been expecting it to be: dark slabs of maple-y goodness in very thick-cut slices. It was almost enough to make me surrender to the bacon. I didn't, though. Christine ordered the baked frittata, which had all kinds of yummy things in it, including bits of the bacon and came with another kind of toast. I splurged and got the poached eggs with smoked salmon, served over the most amazingly flaky and crisp potato pancakes ever and drizzled generously with hollandaise. I got the greens on the side to cut some of the richness (and was glad I did), though you could also
The staff is friendly and efficient. The interior dining area is bright and cheerful in a modern way, but on the small side. They do have a good sized patio in back, which is where we were seated. I think I'd opt for indoors next time, though, to avoid flies and the sun. It could be shadier. They need more foliage back there instead of just umbrellas. Even though the place is hipster central, it only took about 20 minutes for us to get a table during the brunch rush. Not bad at all. Far less impacted than HOME, S&W Country Diner, The Griddle or Doughboys (all favorites of mine) during weekend brunch. I can't wait to go back!
Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave. (@ Catalina, right behind the Scientology compound)
323.661.1109
Open for Breakfast and Lunch only.
