{review of the alcove cafe & bakery in los angeles}

meandering down hillhurst in los angeles, you'll see nestled into the street, this cute old bungalow called the alcove cafe and bakery, with a large outdoor patio filled with lively chatter, colorful chairs, and the look of happy people eating brunch. walking up, you'll see a long line out the door and quickly discover that you're standing in line to place your order for the food. when you finally are able to grab a menu, you'll see a lovely offering of everything from farm egg omelettes, french toast, freshly squeezed juices to a display case of freshly baked goods. it was definitely a little hectic inside to try and squeeze your way through the crowd, but once you place your order, you grab your number and find a seat indoors or outdoors.



as i stood there staring at the menu, i began to have the recurrent epic brunch battle in my mind--sweet or salty? sweet or salty? heehee. do you have that debate as well?

i usually have to tell myself, make a decision girl! so i did. sweet won that day (sort of). so i chose the brioche french toasts topped with blueberries with vermont maple syrup and creme fraiche. great thing about it was that the french toast was not smothered in butter. the blueberries-as you can see from the picture, had the appearance of thawed out frozen berries. (not sure if thats how it was prepared though) overall, the french toast was well made and it was a good dish, but, not mind blowing, especially for the hefty price tag of 10.95 with no sides.


ok ok, so the sweet did not totally win that day. i caved and ordered a side of salty. i chose the side of two potato pancakes with caramelized apples and.... creme fraiche (it appears again!!) for $3.50. yay for salty. the potato pancakes were a yummy version of hashbrowns. the "caramelized apples" were...an "interesting" flavor combination with the potato pancakes . it tasted like dehydrated chewy apples seasoned with cinnamon and maybe brown sugar? the potato pancakes sat on a bed of arugula, which was a nice compliment to the salty crunch of the potatoes.


and, finally, my hubster ordered the smoked salmon breakfast stack, which included two potato pancakes, topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs, and....wait for it...wait for it.... Creme Fraiche (!!!) and fresh dill, and a side of seasonal fresh fruit. haha. who knew creme fraiche could be soo versatile...(or not!). he enjoyed his dish, except wishing that there was not creme fraiche poured all over the dish. i unfortunately, did not take a bite of it, so i can't comment on it other than the fact that it looked delicious.


overall, i would say the place has a wonderful ambience and an enticing menu list. its a great place to go on a date or to hang out with your friends over brunch. my dishes were good, but probably not on the top of my list for brunch food. i would definitely go back though to try a few other dishes and to just enjoy the lively atmosphere.

Plum's Cafe Review for Brunch - Costa Mesa

Plum's Cafe is this great place tucked away in a strip mall that I discovered a few years ago. On weekends, the place is packed, and rightfully so. It is one of the best brunch places that I have been to in SoCal. Its a bustling environment filled with indoor seating (where you can appreciate awesome local artwork) and outdoor seating. I have tried a myriad of things at Plum's and have always been generally satisfied. 

Some of my favorite dishes include the Raspberry Pancakes with an Orange Marscapone Cream, Coconut French Toast with Fresh Strawberries/Papayas/Bananas with Orange Butter and Maple Syrup, Oregon Pepper Bacon, Alderwood Smoked Salmon Hash, and the Santa Fe Eggs Benedict. 

The Raspberry Pancakes are a must-try, at least once, since it is not your typical pancake with only fresh fruit and maple syrup. The pancakes are fluffy and layered with fresh raspberries and drizzled with a raspberry sauce...but the real kicker is the marscapone sauce they use that is melted all over the warm pancakes. Okay, who does not love marscapone? (think tiramisu)...It is this creamy, sweetened wonder that feels like your eating a decadent dessert. Oolala. Have it with a cappuccino or a coffee to balance the sweetness and you're practically in heaven.  

The Alderwood Smoked Salmon Hash is also really wonderful.  You basically have this giant hearty plate of breakfast potatoes/peppers/onion hash with pieces of smoked salmon that is slightly cooked as it sits on warm hash as well as 2 poached eggs (one of my favorite ways to eat eggs) gently covered in a hollandaise sauce. You break into the poached egg and the yolk slowly but surely oozes onto the potatoes! Yumm! The smoked salmon is a slightly fishy but has a great smoked flavor as well as a hint of some acidity (which I love).  Ok, now I'm getting really hungry thinking about it....

Some of the other things I've tried, but did not love as much was the Cheddar and Chive popover (probably ruined by the Jordan Pond popover experience I reviewed earlier) and the French Rolled Omelette (a little bland for me....). 

All in all, a solid place for brunch and somewhere I will frequently return to eat...

Location:

Plum's Cafe

369 East 17th St

Costa Mesa, CA

http://www.plumscafe.com/