Creperie...what Jack N' Jill were really up to

8738 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310)858-4900
Mon-Thu 11AM-10PM
Fri 11AM-11PM
Sat 9AM-11PM
Sun 9AM-9PM

The small strip of area just west of the Beverly Center on 3rd has some amazing little gems for dining. A while ago I went with Celeste to Michelia and had an amazing meal (lobster that was to die for). Alas, Michelia's is now gone and in it's place is Creperie by Jack N Jill's. While I shall miss Michelia's, it's replacement is delightful and yet another great option for the all ready assorted breakfasty places on 3rd.

The spring time fresh vibe at Creperie is perfect now the weather has been heating up and will continue to the further we get towards summer (God I love LA). First things first, get the coffee. So freaking good and for $3.50 for the large French press of their special blend you will not be disappointed. Though you can't really tell from eyeing it, the French press they give you gives you about 5 of their cups of coffee.

Being as this is a place that specializes in crepes you'd be foolish to not get some (though the burger they have is something that must be had next time I go there...along with a crepe). Shown here is their Baton Rouge crepe which is made up of blackened chicken, red onion, cilantro, cheese, all in a smoky Pinot Noir reduction. Typically wine reductions that are this rich either lose the original wine flavor or are nothing but the wine flavor. The balance here is perfection; you can truly taste the Pinot Noir and yet it's not overpowering at all nor is it that rich. Indeed it's very savory but it's an easy choice for those desiring boldness without going over the edge.

Their "Perfect Little Creperie Salad" is the bomb. I, as many of you know, don't really care so much for salads of any sort. It's not that I hate them or anything, I just don't find them all that wonderful in my palate. In other words I'm not craving too many green things at all. This little salad which came as a side with our crepe is just like it say..."perfect". Fresh butter lettuce, candied pecans, roma tomatoes, mushrooms, shaved carrots, with their citrus vinaigrette was so dang good. This is honestly a salad I could have with just about any meal. Simply delicious.

The hearty eater in me had to have a main course since I'm not actually from LA (those of you from LA take that comment as you want). Their pulled pork sandwich was rich but in a good way since you don't really get tired of the sauce which was slightly tangy bbq with a hint of smokiness that glued all the pork fibers together. Amazing but I must admit I had food envy when I saw their burger delivered at the table next to me (should have snapped a shot but someone might have thought I was taking a pic of Adam Sandler who was in the same direction as that table).

A nice thing about crepes is you can get them hearty or sweet; giving yourself a dessert. The Gentilly (shown above) was a great introduction to a simple sweet crepe done well. Made with apricot preserves, cream cheese and honey it was a perfect ending for the already scrumptious meal we had. At times, I was a little apprehensive that there might not be enough cream cheese to balance out the preserves but it only happened in a couple of bites. No easy feat to pull that off.

I see myself coming here way more often since it's not on the immediate brunch stomping ground of 3rd st (Toast, Joan's, etc.) and for the fact that it's a little something different. Sure the parking can be weird (they do have valet if you don't mind waiting next to celebs or the or the other option of walking a couple of blocks for street parking) but the dining experience of quality, interesting food with quality service is always what's called for on this stretch of road. If there was anything I could have wanted to replace Michelia's when they left, it's the Creperie.

Free Refills: Don't know...get the coffee...it goes with everything they serve!
Entree Price Ranges: $9 to $14 for everything but the grill and rotisserie selections which range from $15 to $25...get a crepe ;)

Father's Office: 2.0...a most blessed day for Culver City

3229 Helms Ave
Culver City, CA 90232
(310)815-9820
Mon-Thu 5PM-1AM
Fri-Sat 12PM-2AM
Sun 12PM-12AM

I like to think I was on a sabbatical from writing on here until Sang Yoon was able to have everything aligned right to open the new location of Father's Office, which subsequently has been one of the most delayed AND most anticipated openings that we've been witness to in a long time in LA. Last night they opened and I was there on hand to witness the gloriousness of it all.

As many of you know, the one thing that the original suffers from is lack of space. Space for more tables, space at the bar, space to crawl passed someone without committing some sort of party foul.

The new location has a bar that is at least 3-4 times as big as the original with 72 taps on hand to satiate your thirst for fine beers. This alone helped with 1) getting your order in cause it was a ton easier to get the bartenders attention and 2) increased your odds of actually getting a spot at the bar (love the seats).

The new hit at the bar is the massive patio area with track heating. These seats I see as being THE coveted spots to grab. People were mixing it up and so light hearted even while eagerly waiting on these seats to open up. The gatekeeper (running the door) was telling me that people were sitting on the patio since the place opened at like 6:30...he told me this at like 8 o'clock. Indeed the mood of many of the people was that they would be there for a few hours more in fact.

While this does increase the chances of getting a seat right away, it by no means guarantees it. The first Father's Office suffered terribly in this aspect. While this does make things way more comfortable, it by no means solves the seat stalker syndrome that has always plagued them and is singularly the only thing wrong with this one. That being said, we waited for only 10 minutes to grab a seat once we were in.

The real question then boils down to what has made this restaurant and the one before it, a place that people will gladly wait in line for (which there was last night)? The killer Office burger that annihilates the senses. Rest assured that it is still gorgeous and complex in all it's magnificence like the original location's. I took a buddy of mine there last night and I told him he had to at least order the classic Office Burger with sweet potato fries and whatever beer he wanted. He got it and remarked "I don't like onions or bleu cheese and am just okay with arugula but I LOVE THIS BURGER! I don't get it". I do. Sang Yoon is a genius.

I can't say enough good things about this place but that I'm sure it will only continue to wow the crowds like he's been doing over in Santa Monica for quite some time now. Big plus is the abundant free parking! Sang, you know how to pick'em!

Free Refills: Of course not, it's a bar.
Average price: $26 for the Office Burger , sweet potato fries and beer combination but I know you'll want to stay and spend more!

Cora's Coffee Shop...a small personification of LA

1802 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310)451-9562
Tues-Fri 6:30AM-3PM
Sat-Sun 7AM-3PM

Though we've been having some wind lately and even a touch of rain every once in a great while, for the most part, winter is already gone and has been for a little bit. This is part of the joy of living in Southern California. We can go out in shorts for about 90% of the year and it doesn't even have to be anything extreme.

L.A. in particular is something special. Besides the great weather, we have everyone who wants to be someone, tons of tourists, more beautiful people per capita than anywhere in America (thanks to the industries that call this home) and our stores and restaurants reflect this. Restaurants by nature are where deals are made and our restaurants always look like they are the breeding ground for such people to wheel and deal.

One small place that takes an easy approach to the LA lifestyle is Cora's Coffee Shop in Santa Monica. Though it's says coffee shop in it's name, don't let that fool you. The "shop" looks more like a place that girls could invite guys to if they were having tea. Cute...but not that cute.

Here's the cute I was talking about. A garden party while somehow still safe for my masculinity. This is where most of the seating is. They do have an extremely limited amount of space inside but this is California and it's hardly ever that cold that you would be apprehensive about sitting in the "veranda" (besides the staff are always going in and out that you'd probably get more draft from the door opening and closing then just being outside).

The menu is something that I found to be both quirky and amusing. It's not all that big nor that diverse. But what they do make is solidly good and of course part of the catch is that you're eating right by the water in one of the most famous areas in LA county, thereby in America as well. Take for instance the burrata caprese omelet shown above. It's one of the few official breakfast items on their menu. Solidly good. Packed with smooth burrata and fresh basil and tomatoes on top. I found nothing wrong with this plate and would go back for it anytime. The weird thing about the menu is that people come here pretty much for breakfast or brunch. The selection of choices for those 2 meals is pretty narrow. And yet notice the line out the door on the top pic. They're doing something right. Now that I think about it, the menu is like a menu you'd see at a nice hotel. Limited but all very good.

Here we have a specialty of theirs. This is their fluffy orange pancakes which, when in season (like right now), are loaded with sweet fresh blueberries. The orange is subtle, as it should be (considering you could go wrong with this really fast), with more the flavor of the zest than juice. The blueberries were warm, but had retained their firmness. Very refreshing compared to all the frozen results we get assaulted with.

The Italian sausage was like everything else...perfect complimentary for the meal. And very well priced for a side of meat all things considered.

Being as it is a "coffee shop" they do actually serve coffee. They serve up great cups of Illy coffee that is some of the best in the area.

The restaurant has a staff that's "on it" and they aim to please. They have a small parking lot in the back as well as street parking for days (or for the people shopping you can always just walk there from the Santa Monica Place mall at the Promenade).

So how is this place like LA? It's mostly sunny, filled with people who want to be somebody, are somebody, or like to look at those people with their cameras, is slightly pricey, but not when you consider the location (darn you beach front property), has enough parking unless you really need there to be, and is a spot many would gladly call home except for the fact that no one is really from there.

I love LA!

Free Refills: No...but make sure you sample the coffee which does have free refills.
Entree Price Range: Breakfast is $5.25 to $15 and lunch/dinner is $8.75 to $12.75