The Alcove, Part 2

Laura already wrote a post about The Alcove Cafe and Bakery in Los Feliz a while ago, but it sounded so good that we all scheduled a day and went for Sunday morning brunch. First thing you notice is that the cafe is totally packed on weekend mornings. It must be a popular place for locals, the line had wrapped outside and was winding through the tables. Luckily Laura was able to snag us a good table. Although there was a long line, I thought that it moved pretty quickly and after not much time we were ordering our food. Again, I was thrilled to see lots of vegetarian options. The benefits of going to a more liberal artsy neighborhood is that the restaurants cater to vegetarians. I wanted to try the Tofu Benedict but instead went with the Caprese Omelet. Laura also had the caprese omelet and Tsz had the scrambled eggs, bacon and toast combo. I also got a giant hot latte which was pretty yummy but was perhaps the wrong choice to order in 90 degree heat and then have to sip in direct sunlight. What can I say though...I'm a hopeless caffeine addict and I've come to terms with that. The omelet, I'm sad to say, was only so-so. Laura and I both agreed that they put too many tomatos in there. The portions are huge!! I was able to eat most of my omelet, but then I was stuffed and I still had a healthy sized portion of roasted rosemary potatos and bread. The cutest thing about the meal is that the bread comes with its own individual sized glass bottle of jam. I thought it added a nice touch to the meal.

The atmosphere was unbeatable. Even though it was crowded, people weren't getting annoyed or hovering over your table to pressure you into leaving early. The crowd was laid back and much less hipster-y than I had envisioned. A lot of the girls were wearing summer dresses so I didn't feel too out of place. Some people brought their small dogs which didn't bother me at all, thought it added to the ambiance. We were too full to try any of their baked goods, but the ones we could see in the display case looked phenomenal. Attached to the cafe was a small store that sold cheeses, jams, olive spreads and crackers. I bought a bottle of peach cinnamon job that I'm anticipating to be delcious.

All in all this place is one I'd deflintely love to go back to, especially to try one of their giant cupcakes from the bakery. If you go though, try to get a table in the shade because it does get very hot in the sun.

Sondre Lerche is the best brunch music.