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L.A. Parent’s Best of 2008
FAMILY DINING!
BREAKFAST
• Auntie Em’s Kitchen – Auntie Em’s offers open-faced breakfast sandwiches served on ciabatta bread with gruyere cheese, scrambled eggs and a mouth-watering selection of toppings like roasted vegetables, applewood smoked bacon and Cajun turkey sausage guaranteed to start your day right. Otherwise try the Honey Orange French Toast topped with berries and powdered sugar or the Black Forest ham and eggs. Weekend breakfast specials include buttermilk pancakes piled with fresh berries and coconu as well as quiche and a grits casserole. Don’t miss out on the baked goods, including pies, cobblers, cookies and Auntie Em’s famous cupcakes.
8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Mon. – Fri., 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sat. and Sun.
4616 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles; 323•255•0800; www.auntieemskitchen.com
• Square One Dining – It’s hard to decide between the brioche French toast with banana and citrus caramel or the eggs Benedict with house-cured salmon on a shredded potato pancake smothered in the most heavenly Hollandaise sauce in Los Angeles. The chorizo omelet with tomato, jalapeno, onion and mozzarella is big enough to split when ordered with one of the freshly baked muffins or a side of grits. Kids of all ages love the fluffy buttermilk pancakes with warm maple syrup topped with seasonal fresh fruit and vanilla whipped cream.
8 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily
4854 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles; 323•661•1109; www.squareonedining.com
LUNCH
• Marty’s Deluxe Dogs and Desserts – Marty and Sandy Davidson have brought a little bit of Coney Island to Beverly Hills with Marty D’s Deluxe Dogs and Desserts. This is the hot dog elevated to haute cuisine. The deluxe combo is a third-pound kosher dog, flame grilled and served with sautéed onions, sweet relish, horseradish coleslaw and Coney Island fries. Try it with the strawberry lemonade or a Boylan Bottleworks Crème Soda. Classic grilled cheese, tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches are favorites with the kids. Do save room for dessert: The classic hot fudge sundae will knock your socks off.
230 South Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills; 310•273•7771; www.martyds.com
• The Oinkster – The Oinkster’s menu is built on sandwiches and burgers, rotisserie chicken, salads and sides. There are lots of veggie options as well. The standout pastrami is cured for two weeks, rubbed with special spices and slowly smoked with applewood. It is peppery, delicious and lean. Try it Oinkster-style with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and red cabbage slaw. The BBQ pulled pork sandwich is equally savory with Carolina barbecue sauce. Choice Angus burgers are a whopping six ounces of lean ground steak, served with Belgian fries and aioli. The rotisserie chicken with black beans, rice and plantains is crispy and juicy. The beet salad is out of this world, with goat cheese croutons that will have you coming back for more. The outdoor patio is shady and especially great for kids.
11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Mon. – Thurs., 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Fri. – Sat., 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sun.
2005 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock; 323-255-OINK; www.theoinkster.com
DINNER
• Dominick’s – The back patio at Dominick’s in West Hollywood is heavenly for a family with small children in tow. It is spacious and lovely and very relaxing. A great option is the Sunday Supper special, a three-course meal for $15 that changes weekly. Start with the grilled artichoke or the ricotta stuffed squash blossoms. Kid favorites are the Italian wedding soup, fried calamari and the fettuccini carbonara. The gelato trio is a wonderful dessert – three mini-cones of house-made gelato served upside down on a frozen slab of marble.
6 p.m. – midnight daily
8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood; 310•652•2335; www.dominicksrestaurant.com
• Gus’s Barbeque – American comfort food is what you can expect from Gus’s Barbeque. Start with the spicy smothered hot wings or an order of the BBQ sliders, three mini-cheeseburgers with onion rings and barbeque sauce. Then decide between the baby back ribs and the fried chicken, which are both cooked to perfection. Hamburgers, soups and salads round out the menu nicely. Each entrée is served with a choice of two sides. We like the classic coleslaw and the sweet potato fries. The sugar snap peas and carrots are kid pleasers. The kids’ menu is a great value; they’ll love the quarter slab of baby back ribs, fries and a drink for $6.75.
11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sun. – Thurs., 11 a.m. – midnight Fri. – Sat.
808 Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena; 626•799•3251; www.gussbbq.com
DESSERT
• Fosselman’s Ice Cream – Fosselman’s Ice Cream has been family owned and operated since 1924 and has won numerous awards for its quality ice cream. The shop has more than 50 flavors to choose from and many seasonal favorites offered throughout the year. The menu consists of shakes, malts, sundaes, banana splits, brownie sundaes, smoothies, floats and ice cream sodas. Ice Cream cakes are available to order and really make a celebration special. This is old-fashioned, classic ice cream at its best. Local favorites include ube, taro and lychee flavors.
1824 West Main St., Alhambra; 626•282•6533; www.fosselmans.com
• Milk – Chef/Owner Bret Thompson makes some of the best ice creams and baked goods in Los Angeles. His ice cream is seriously rich and creamy. Try the Milkie Way Malt, which has vanilla ice cream, malted milk, chocolate chips and caramel-chocolate swirl. The baked goods at MILK are decadent creations – rich loaf cakes, muffins, scones and cookies with crisp edges and chewy centers. Want more than dessert? The hot pressed sandwiches and macaroni and cheese are superb as are the seasonally inspired soups. The full espresso bar cranks out great vanilla lattes.
7290 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; 323•939•6455; www.themilkshop.com
• Susiecakes – SusieCakes is an all-American, home-style bake shop specializing in an array of sentimental dessert favorites. Offering classic treats made from scratch with one-of-a-kind taste, SusieCakes owner Susan Sarich provides customers with a friendly neighborhood experience. SusieCakes features a variety of sought-after Americana desserts, including Susie’s Specialty Layer Cakes in flavors like Southern Red Velvet and Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting; Susie’s Signature Frosting-Filled Cupcakes; House Made Puddings; Seasonal Pies; and Traditional Cookies and Bars such as Whoopie Pies and Frosted Animal Cookies.
11708 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles; 310•442•2253; www.susiecakesla.com
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