Millie's...because I'm obligated to (and I just so happen to love it)

3524 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 664-0404
Sun-Thu 7:30AM-3PM
Fri-Sat 7:30AM-4PM

Let you in on a little secret. Okay, you know how everyone goes to Millie's for food when they wake up from being hungover? And how the place is packed and you have to wait forever for seating? Well here's the simple secret why I have yet to wait for a spot at Millie's... go for breakfast. I mean breakfast breakfast hours not late breakfast... we're NOT talking 7:30am here, just get there before 10:30am and you probably won't have to even wait a minute. Reason being is hipsters are what pack this place out and usually they're still exhausted or wasted from the night before. I mean looking that good constantly takes a toll on people, especially younger people. There I said it.

On to the food. It's always a decent meal. Prices are not too shabby either considering the portions, the quality and the fact that there were three of us eating(and drinking) and the total was under $30.

I had Devil's Mess, which is three scrambled eggs with Cajun-spiced turkey sausage, cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa and avocado. It's got solid flavor and the spiciness level spares the faint of heart while also allowing a perfect window for those(like me) who like hot sauce on their eggs.


The Salmon Benedict, which is a toasted English muffin with grilled salmon , sauteed spinach, two poached eggs with home made Hollandaise sauce. Now, you'd think that there'd be about the same amount of salmon as they would put on a bagel with cream cheese... but noooooooo, this was a fillet-o-salmon. Our friend struggled to eat half this thing, and of course we helped cause it was awesome and the sauce wasn't overpowering.

"The Usual" (with pancakes) which is basically what you see here was ordered by Celeste, who took the advice of the waitress on their french toast vs their pancakes and was very glad that she did... not too doughy, not too chewy and just heavy enough.

I could recommend every plate we got to you and to myself on my next trip. But, if you're into the healthy stuff you'll be quite pleased(the granola's supposed to be sensational), cause remember this is Silverlake, and their hipsters need to stay beautiful, so with places like Millie's around, they can have their cake and eat it too.

Parking can kind of be tough in the area, but, like I said just come like one or two hours before you'd think to normally come and you'll be fine... unless you're too delicate to take a short walk down the street. And even if you are, come on! Take tomorrow(that's Saturday) to celebrate the joy of not being at work (maybe then your walk will be a skip if you keep that in mind) !

Refills: Yup!
Prices: $4.75-9.95 for breakfast, and if you hit lunch there it's only $5.50-10.95

(Hipster) Pho Cafe

2841 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90026
(213)413-0888
Everyday 11AM-Midnight

I love our girl JAX over at Rockinsider. She's a transplant from Utah who will decidedly live and die in Echo Park. She introduces me to lots on the east side... hence why I myself will be moving there this year sometime (hopefully sooner than later). She is all about sharing the love of why LA kicks so much butt and also dishes out why pretentious Angelenos can at least be enjoyed for their comedy effect. She brought me and Celeste here to Pho Cafe a while back. Thanks JAX for all the love.

Pho Cafe is hidden in plain sight like a where's waldo at the silverlake/echo park border. There's no sign and it's in a small strip mall that is mostly ghost town. I can't say I've ever seen the other businesses open except for maybe the liquor store (with the perpetually broken ATM). I speak of the ATM cause Pho Cafe is cash only and have gone at times only to remember that "shoot I need to go out and grab some cash". Silversun Liquor store where famed Silverlake band, Silversun Pickups would go for alcohol is right on the corner and in front of that is the Silverlake Lounge where you can catch some amazing music at night. A Silversun Pickups song for the moment:


Last night I attempted the theoretically possible that turned into the extremely impossible. I would show up at home load up my upright in my car (had to record on a cartoon after Brendan Hunt's "5 Years in Amsterdam), meet a friend for coffee and while out grab some cash for Pho and for the show I was going to at 8pm (5 Years...). Come to find out LA was basically on lock down mid-city thanks to the MacArthur Park incident. Sooo... no pre show pho. But the night was not yet thwarted (love that word...should use it more often). Caught Brendan Hunt who killed it. I'll miss that show. We went right after the show to record on the cartoon Papiroflexia (it'll be up soon and will be at the UCLA animation festival at UCLA on June 9th. Screenings at 5:30 and 8:45 but you have to RSVP at 310-825-5829) and that only took an hour for both of us so we headed over to Pho Cafe with time to spare.

Jax dubbed this place as Hipster Pho Cafe, as that's who primarily frequents the spot. The shop is cool with it's hanging bulbs in glass spheres. The food comes out quickly and for how much you get it's a pretty good deal. I will mention that their spring rolls(assembly required) are killer (sometimes we go for those alone as they are so filling) (sorry no pics this time for them). The pho is down home cooking pho. Slightly on the milder side but I think it's so that you can dress it up to your liking with all the herbs, lime and hot sauce that you like in it. Last night I grabbed the Pho Dac Diet (has tripe in it with raw meat and meatballs).

Here's something other bloggers won't tell you. The parking lot there is small so street parking is the special route. But we often get to park in the parking lot and lots of times so will you. I tell you this piece of insider info. Inside the parking lot you'll see this billboard spot:

I firmly believe that every bird who has the "runs" within a 2 mile radius comes to take a dump up at this billboard. If you park there you will come out and feel like they have some sort of evil vendetta against you. Be warned.

Pho cafe isn't as much of a hidden place as some would have you think but it seems to love the fact that they've gotten as popular as they are based only on word of mouth. It's the best advertising cause you figure unless there's a conspiracy going on it must be the truth on how good it is.

Below you can click on the menu to see the details for prices and what they have. I'd recommend downloading it then blowing that bad boy up:

Free Drink Refills: No but I will say my wife loves the tea there which is ample and the coffee is also pretty killer.
Entree Price Range: about $7.50 for HUGE bowl of Pho

Music Venue Food/ Breakfast: The Brite Spot

1918 Sunset Blvd.

Echo Park, CA 90026

(213) 484-9800

Everyday from 7AM-4AM

Since 1949, the Brite Spot has been there. Like anything old and reliable you can tend to take it for granted and yet if this place were gone there would be a great hole in LA. The food while not rated as the most amazing (though it does have some tasty dishes that you'll have to guess through their vast menu) it has a special quality about just being there. The place is located a couple of short blocks from The Echo in Echo Park where you can catch amazing shows by many of tomorrow's biggest names.

So why do I say eat hear? Cause everyone does. The food is pretty cheap especially if you catch a breafast special after a show (all breakfast specials cost $5.50 after 10PM) and it's like the "Cheers" of Echo Park. You just go there and grab food with friends because everyone does (can you say peer pressure...come on everyone's doing it). It's as simple as that. Can I tell you that you'll get the best food ever...nope. Can I tell you that everyone and there gramma goes there for a cheap meal that causes many a great conversation...I can.

I'd recommend the chilaquiles with chorizo or the amazing huevos rancheros. They have hearty pancakes that look like they came off a lumberjacks griddle. The staff is super cool (even to the point of causing some notorious stories themselves)! It really is our own version of Cheers just minus the bar, the bartenders, the steps that lead downstairs, the Boston weirdos, the fat guy who everyone knows his name, that wannabe nerdy mailman, blah, blah, blah. We're LA...everything is better here.

A small word on The Echo...go there. Especially on the HellYa nights. It's usually super cheap or free and you can catch many great acts that'll be huge tomorrow. Say Hi to the spunky shorter dj if you do.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: Cheap...such a varitable menu and yet I can say to anyone that the price range is just plain old cheap for anyone's pocket.

El Cochinito

3508 W. Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

(323)668-0737

Sun-Wed 11AM-8:30PM

Thur-Sat 11AM-9PM

Being that I'm half Puerto Rican and half black (I'm full of surprises I know) I take pride in the foods of my cultures. This past weekend, while hanging with my very good friend Ashley, we wanted to hit some affordable food. We passed by this place called El Cochinito that her roommate recommended. Now her roommate is Finnish with a hyper valley style of talking. Was I skeptical? Only a little.

We popped ourselves down at this cozy little place that didn't say much except for that they were concerned with making food, and that only. This is Cuban food like my gramma used to make. I had some Ropa Vieja that came with rice & beans and a side of platanos (not to mention a bottle of malta to wash it down). So perfect. Ashley had the chicken fricasie and it was the picture of perfection. Service was fast and friendly. Parking is a little tight as there are two restaurants in the tiny strip mall that houses El Cochinito but there's also street parking for days.

Order a plate and close your eyes...you can almost feel the Carribean hurricane coming.

Free Drink Refills: No

Entree Price Range: $8 to $12