Alcove Cafe & Bakery

Alcove Cafe & Bakery is another gastronomic gem in Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles whose "cool" factor seems to be shooting through the roof! I've lived in and around this area for most of my life and I can say wholeheartedly that the addition of Alcove Cafe & Bakery is definitely an improvement over the space's former life as a real estate office.

Intricate brickwork leads you away from the gray sidewalk though the front patio dining area. The front patio area has various sized tables shaded by burnt orange umbrellas. Other seating areas on the sides of the building have matching and mismatched patio furnishings that give the place a kitschy (in a good way) charm. Indoor seating is few and far between but since LA generally has great weather, dining outdoors here is a must! Alcove's dark wood tones and fresh flower arrangements gives the interior cafe space a gourmet look. Beneath their coffee bar is a refrigerator case filled with tempting cakes, pies, tarts, and pastries.

Gourmet...rightly so because the food served here is DELICIOUS!:P Alcove serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and baked goods. In addition to coffee and tea, Alcove also has a decent wine and beer list.

Mar, Leanne, and I had breakfast here on an early Tuesday morning. You order your food at the coffee bar/cash register and they give you a number that you place at your table. The server then delivers your meal and utensils.

I ordered the Americana Panini...scrabbled eggs, aged cheddar, tomato, and your choice of meat (applewood smoked bacon, prosciutto, turkey sausage, or grilled chicken) on foccacia alongside rosemary potatoes. I chose bacon!

Mar ordered the Cobb Omelette...grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, Point Reyes blue cheese, tomato, and avocado with potatoes and toast.

Leanne ordered the Brioche French Toast with Vermont maple syrup, creme fraiche, and a compote/sauce of sliced bananas in orange juice and rum.

If reading this makes you salivate...then good because we were too! MMMM...BACON! Applewood Smoked Bacon...yummy! My panini was crisp even with sliced tomatoes in it. The bacon and cheddar was the best part...smoky and tangy. The rosemary potatoes were ok...I actually prefer a stronger rosemary flavor. Mar's omelette was great because of the bacon. Leanne French toast was fabulous and the best dish. The French toast was prepped and cooked well...the bread had just the right amount of egg/milk mix so as not to make the brioche soggy but rather moist and custard-like. The banana, OJ, rum sauce was a bit too tangy. You can never go wrong with maple syrup. Mixing the creme fraiche with the maple syrup was good...the creme fraiche off set the syrup's sweetness with a slight tang. Even the still water service is frou frou...it's self serve but you get a choice citrus fruit slices...lemon, lime, or blood orange. If this doesn't sound gourmet enough for you, the Village Gourmet...a fine foods, wine, and cheese shop...is right next door.

You betcha...I'm gonna eat here again!:P It's a good thing that I live a hop, skip, and a jump away from Alcove. Though it can be pricey, the portions are large and perfect for sharing and the ambiance was comforting and homey. The service was great and our food came out quick but its probably because its early morning on a Tuesday.

Be forewarned...Alcove Cafe & Bakery is a popular place...every time I've driven by it looked packed (isn't that a good thing?!?). So plan to go early...they open at 6 am everyday except Sunday when they open at 7 am. I will have to come back for lunch and baked goods. I think they recently started dinner service because their dinner menu is not uploaded on their website.

There is a small valet parking in back of the cafe. Finding street parking is another dilemma. There is metered parking along Hillhurst Ave. There is parking on Franklin Ave. but it is a busy street. Best bet is to find parking in the residential streets nearby like Clarissa Ave., Finley Ave., and Russell Ave...all within walking distance.