Diners, Drive-Ins, & Shark Dives
I’m coming out of a short writing hiatus after spending the last few weeks focusing my attention on the bread and butter that keeps me writing about bread and butter :). More details on this can be found here! But now I’m back and it’s time to talk about the most important meal of the day…breakfast!
Los Angeles offers a million ways to have it, but there’s nothing I enjoy more than a plate of eggs with a side of nostalgia.
Sharky’s Woodfired Mexican Grill
Although technically a chain restaurant, the September takeover of the former Twain’s Diner in Studio City gives this franchise an authentic and localized feel. Perhaps it’s the Googie-style architecture that whisks you back to the Los Angeles of 50 years ago that we all wish we could have been a part of.
While Sharky’s is known for its healthier take on traditional Mexican food, the breakfast menu only offered at the Studio City location far surpasses the standard breakfast burrito (but don’t worry they still have those) with menu offerings you might find in a trendy juice bar. Try an Organic Breakfast Bowl ($10.99) made with quinoa, veggies, and two poached eggs or my favorite, Wild Salmon & Avocado Toast (12.99) made with organic rustic wheat toast and wild caught salmon.
Be sure to save room in that lean and trim figure of yours for some Organic Whole Grain Pancakes ($9.99) or better yet, share some with your little one as the kids meal portions are HUGE and only half the price!!
Baby Bonus: My 14-month old got to enjoy his first item off a kids menu like a little man, and I felt much less guilty about the slight dusting of powdered sugar when considering that the Whole Grain Pancake & One Egg ($4.99) is whole wheat and cage free!
Any Los Angeles transplant missing New York City or their Jewish grandmother can find a slice of home at Lenny’s Deli in Westwood. Owned by restaurant guru Lenny Rosenberg (The Nosh in Beverly Hills) the former Junior’s Deli space is known for a level of comfort dining offered to locals and celebrities alike. Even on my first time visiting the waiter urged me to “get the nova” like he had known me all my life.
Breakfast is offered all day and you can expect deli standards like Two Egg Breakfast specials, Hot Cakes or Matzo Brie ($10.95) as well as Healthy Kale Egg White Scrambles ($11.95). As for me I couldn’t resist a Nova Scotia Lox & Cream Cheese Sandwich ($17.95) off the Lenny’s All Time Favorite’s section of the menu.
This San Francisco chain captured our hearts in “American Graffiti” and with three locations in the Southern California area it’s a great go-to spot when you’re in the mood for some good old Americana. While the Hollywood location can tend to be a little too seedy for my taste, the West Hollywood location on Sunset blvd is bright and centrally located right near The Roxy, and The Whiskey A Go-Go.
Close your eyes and you can almost hear the superior guitar riffs of a bygone era. Snap back to circa now and sip on an Instant Breakfast made with fresh grapefruit, carrot, ginger, and chia seeds or enjoy a few slices of Mels Thick-Slice French Toast before heading out on the Sunset strip. I recommend sitting outside to reach the optimal level of people watching and carbo-loading.
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