I hate the word "literati". The sound of it brings to mind black turtlenecks, chiseled cheekbones, and people sitting around at too-small cafe tables smoking cigarettes and using long words. As much as I cringe when I hear "literati", I love Literati Cafe in Brentwood. At this unpretentious, bright eatery, one orders at the counter, gets a number, and picks a table. There are free photocopies of crosswords with little pencils or newspapers to purchase . Breakfast at Literati Cafe is great, with a strong cup of coffee, a number of egg dishes that come with mixed greens or a Caesar salad, and an assortment of interesting, only-in-Los-Angeles characters that walk by. I remember the woman with a cropped top showing off toned abs, who was chowing down on, of all things, a cheesy breakfast quesadilla. There was also the guy wearing shoes with toe pockets for each of his toes--wiggling each enclosed toe. There are men with bluetooth devices seemingly glued to their ears who talk to the air and women with brightly dyed hair and all-black outfits.
But back to the food. Most of the dishes I have tasted featured fresh produce, were appropriately seasoned, and were relatively easy on the stomach (not too greasy). The only dishes I had that were less than ideal were the hash browns, which were crispy on the outside but barely cooked on the inside, and the Caesar salad dressing, which was not as zesty as I had hoped. But these are small complaints. Overall, Literati Cafe is a pleasant place for an easygoing brunch.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Roatan redux
"What did you eat while you were in Honduras?" is a question I've heard once or twice since I got back from vacation. Some common guesses are tortillas, beans, and bananas. Well, I did eat "baleadas"--thick, toasted tortillas folded over beans and cheese. I also ate a few smoky red bean purees, and found bananas folded into pancakes and fruit salads. But some of my favorite meals diverged from typical Honduran fare.
I spent a good part of my time on Roatan, one of the Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast where the residents are a hodgepodge of Hondurans, Garifunas, Britons, pirates, and divebums. While the island location and erratic electricity mean meals aren't cheap and spoil-resistant ingredients like bacon are ubiquitous, the melange of cultures leads to many food choices, from risotto to pho. Two of the foods I can't forget are:
1. Key "lemon" pie at The Lighthouse, a romantic restaurant set on the water that serves classy seafood platters with warm coconut bread (a Garifuna specialty), white rice and red beans, salad, and garlic vegetables. But the best thing is the pie, with a crumbly graham cracker crust and a tart, icy cold, lemon custard filling, which is sweet enough but not overwhelming.
2. The sausage plate at The Galley, a small shack set away from the road. This plate comes with two sausages (a popular choice is the bratwurst, although the frankfurter is pretty good). Next to the meat sits a huge leafy green salad with ripe tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, a baked potato or fries, a generous helping of sauerkraut, mustard and my personal favorite, a freshly baked pretzel with salt. Although the outdoor seating means bringing bug spray to dinner, it's a nice place to savor some good German/Northern Italian food with a Salva Vida or a glass of wine.
I spent a good part of my time on Roatan, one of the Bay Islands off the Caribbean coast where the residents are a hodgepodge of Hondurans, Garifunas, Britons, pirates, and divebums. While the island location and erratic electricity mean meals aren't cheap and spoil-resistant ingredients like bacon are ubiquitous, the melange of cultures leads to many food choices, from risotto to pho. Two of the foods I can't forget are:
1. Key "lemon" pie at The Lighthouse, a romantic restaurant set on the water that serves classy seafood platters with warm coconut bread (a Garifuna specialty), white rice and red beans, salad, and garlic vegetables. But the best thing is the pie, with a crumbly graham cracker crust and a tart, icy cold, lemon custard filling, which is sweet enough but not overwhelming.
2. The sausage plate at The Galley, a small shack set away from the road. This plate comes with two sausages (a popular choice is the bratwurst, although the frankfurter is pretty good). Next to the meat sits a huge leafy green salad with ripe tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, a baked potato or fries, a generous helping of sauerkraut, mustard and my personal favorite, a freshly baked pretzel with salt. Although the outdoor seating means bringing bug spray to dinner, it's a nice place to savor some good German/Northern Italian food with a Salva Vida or a glass of wine.
SF Farmer's Market in today's NYT
Like many of the the travel articles in the New York Times, the enthusiasm in today's piece on the San Francisco farmer's market is a bit much, almost forced, with phrases like "some of the nation's most spectacular farmland" and "the markets come into their full glory". However, I understand the writer's frothing at the mouth. Although this topic has been covered before in this blog, I return again, reminded by the article. The SF farmer's market is probably the best farmer's market I've been to. There are so many stalls it's overwhelming, and the plethora of free samples means you can have a meal just by going from stall to stall. You can buy fair-trade coffee or oysters, organic produce or tamales. The setting, right on San Francisco Bay, is lovely. Finally, as in the article, the people-watching is also an attraction. One of the last times I was there my companion whispered to me, "Some of these people are a little extremist." I'll leave you to decide what that means, but the Bay Area has lots of interesting characters.
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