The Definitive List of LA Brunch Achievement

By AJ Feuerman

Brunch has become more than just a mid-morning meal come Sunday. In Los Angeles, it’s part of our culture. It’s oversized sunglasses and purposefully tousled ponytails, three-day-old beards, and whatever wasn’t already in the laundry when you got dressed. It’s also celebratory. What are we celebrating? Everything. A fabulous weekend! Our fabulous lives! Absolutely nothing! No matter. For now, we are celebrating these categories of brunch achievement.

Best Use of a Croissant

26 Beach (Marina del Rey)

Any given weekend you will find hordes of people waiting to be seated at 26 Beach. The tiny restaurant is half chic, half “my daughter is having a tea party with her stuffed animals,” and 100% charming. The highlight of the extensive brunch menu is the signature Croissant French Toast dishes such as the Peach Melba: two pieces of croissant French toast, caramelized peaches, vanilla ice cream, and melba sauce. Or try the French Toast L’orange, which is two pieces of croissant French toast topped with Grand Marnier mascarpone and an orange maple reduction.

Best Patio Escape

Cliff’s Edge (Silver Lake)

Located in the heart of Silver Lake on Sunset Blvd. near the Sunset Junction, Cliff’s Edge is definitely an Eastside favorite. The owners pride themselves on rustic, elegant food created from local, fresh produce for a regularly changing menu. The patio may be just 15 feet from the street, but stepping through the entry is like entering another world, protected by the long arms of a huge tree and other greenery. This is not a show-offy brunch; it’s tasteful and elegant. Parking in the area can prove challenging but that doesn’t matter because you should probably Uber there anyway. Cliff’s has an extensive wine list, and acclaimed mixologists Richard Swan and Dan Thompson have crafted a really wonderful cocktail menu for which they make fresh syrups and infusions daily. While the menu may change, the restaurant’s aura never does. (PS: Cliff’s also wins Best Eggs Benedict.)

Best All You Can Eat

La Sandia (Santa Monica Place)

Just this year, La Sandia threw its hat into the all-you-can-eat ring with a rather sonorous bang. Set on the top floor of Santa Monica Place, prime real estate for beach breezes and people watching, La Sandia has rolled out a bottomless food and cocktails program that will have you begging to be carried out to your car afterward (in the best way possible). Choose from small portions of chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, huevo con chile relleno, fried eggs divorciadas, or breakfast-style enfrijoladas, to name a few. It is a crazy good deal at $39.00 per person, which includes bottomless cocktails and classic south-of-the-border dishes from the father of modern-Mexican cuisine, renowned celebrity chef Richard Sandoval.

A close runner-up — the Border Grill’s all-you-can eat Border Brunch — also just launched this year.

Best Bloody Mary

Eclectic (NoHo Arts District)

At the apex of the up-and-coming NoHo Arts District, the business of a Bloody Mary is taken seriously. You can take advantage of the Bloody Mary/Maria Bar ($12 for your first, $7 for each one thereafter) and choose from a variety of sauces and add-ons that include asparagus, pearl onions, beets, cucumbers, peppers, and more. Or get a drink mixed especially for you. You can’t go wrong with either choice, but do take note: The Eclectic Bloody Mary includes homemade bacon-infused vodka and a long, delicious piece of actual bacon. Who says no to bacon?

Best Brunch Pizza

On the Thirty (Sherman Oaks)

Named for its 30 boutique California wines by the glass and 30 California craft beers on draft and by the bottle. And it’d be a shame if you forgot about the Sunday Funday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On the Thirty looks small from the street but its cozy patio entry gives way to a long bar space and a back room. While the regular pizza menu (the prosciutto pizza comes with a fried egg and it’s a win) is available during brunch, you need not worry about substituting breakfast food for pizza because there’s a delicious pie on the brunch menu topped with two sunny-side up eggs, chorizo, mozzarella, and … syrup. Oh yes.

Best Bacon

Bow & Truss (NoHo Arts District)

Another strong member of the NoHo Arts District community, Bow & Truss (it’s a Knitting Factory property) puts a unique spin on brunch with a tapas-style menu. Some of the dishes can be eaten as a meal but they’re all meant to be shared. That said, keep your friends’ grubby little hands off your precious, thick-cut, carefully cured bacon. There is none like it anywhere. In fact, bacon plays another role on this brunch menu — the bourbon bacon waffle is pretty tasty. Bonus points for a nice outdoor space and, despite the bacon lust, Bow & Truss is actually very vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free friendly.

Best Brunch View

The Bathroom at the Penthouse (Santa Monica)

Is there anything more LA than taking in a beautiful ocean view while sipping mimosas, cold-pressed juices, and enjoying an egg white omelet? Yes, there is: doing all of those things 18 stories above the California shore. The food plays second fiddle to the space’s stunning 360º views through sweeping walls of windows. It’s a very serene setting for a mid-morning or early afternoon meal. If you start to notice people making long trips to the restroom, try not to judge them. Nor judge them when you walk into the restroom to find a line even while the front stalls remain empty. People line up to use the last stall where a giant window gives way to another beautiful view.

Best Brunch You May Not Know About

SteamPunk Coffeebar and Kitchen (Valley Village)

Everything about SteamPunk screams, well, steampunk: from the alley you almost miss that gives way to the bumpy little parking lot to the motley crew of friendly folk who work here to the selection of industrial-inspired jewelry you can buy at the same time you order a breakfast burrito. Breakfast is actually served all daylong and it’s best to try it at a less popular hour. Once you order at the front, you have to hope you’ll find a table. However, for that perfect combination of great food, great space, and great coffee, you’re looking at a good return on your investment!

Best Brunch to Take Mom To

Del Frisco’s Grille (Santa Monica)

Del Frisco’s Grille, located on the northeast corner of Colorado and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, prides itself on creative twists of American comfort classics like eggs Benedict served over white cheddar biscuits with a chipotle hollandaise. The bar is right up front, giving the whole space a great, vibrant energy. The space is large and decorated with class and style that somehow make it a perfect setting for Mother’s Day brunch with the whole family (and not just because you want Dad to pop for the $8 valet). Make sure you don’t overlook the wine list, the White Sangria, or the Bloody Mary. If the family knows anything about vodka, they’ll appreciate that Tito’s is the house favorite!

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