Having Sunday brunch is definitely a right of passage for folks in Los Angeles. It’s our opportunity to gloat about how sunny and beautiful it is here year-round to our friends on the East Coast, while eating at the latest and greatest restaurant. My friend Jessica and I did just that a Sunday or two ago.

We started at the lovely Hart and Hunter located at the Palihotel on Melrose. This place has been on my list for quite some time. We snagged some seats outside and shared some cheddar grits and each had a crab benedict over fried green tomatoes while sipping mimosas.

We weren’t ready to have the day stopped there so we continued onto Eveleigh down a squish on Sunset Boulevard which is up there with some of the best patio dining in Los Angeles. We shared some serious sun and some wonderful conversation about life and the direction we were headed. I made the official statement to have Sundays like these more often.

Oh, and the bloody mary was darn fine.

+ The Hart and Hunter (7950 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046)

+ Eveleigh (8752 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069)

Fish ribs. Never ever could I conceive such things myself. La Pulperia is a Latin American restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen that captures the neighborhood restaurant feel with brass fixtures and natural wood everywhere. Pacu is a large Brazilian fish that is sizable enough to produce ribs that match the size and substance of meat ribs. The ribs are glazed with an orange chipotle BBQ sauce and served with coconut rice.

The ribs were so rich and really gave an amazingly similar experience to having a meat rib. The difference however, is that each piece contains a few bones rather than just one large bone running through. But seriously though, bravo, La Pulperia. Who would have thought?

Oh, and to top it off, we had the luxury of sitting near a couple in an epic fight. The one where he keeps eating and she’s suddenly lost her appetite and they can no longer stand to look at one another in the eye. Hey, we’ve all been there–that’s why it’s so entertaining. We all know she walked three steps ahead of him the whole way home and there was the opposite of no talking once the door closed at home. We definitely had dinner and show playing out the scenario behind us. Fish ribs barely inched by with a victory for best part of La Pulperia.

+ La Pulperia located at 371 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036 +

Okay, I need to get serious for a minute. The truffled egg toast is the best breakfast in the world. I first tried this dish almost ten years ago at the now closed cafe ‘ino on Bedford Street. When I learned this tiny hideaway cafe had closed, my life flashed before my eyes. Upon further research to prevent permanent heartbreak, I learned that they had a more large scale operation in the Lower East Side that has this signature dish fixed on its menu. And now, I introduce you to a dish that will change your life–truffled egg toast.

This masterpiece is so simple and perfectly executed. It is a twist on a egg-in-hole and starts with a square of white bread with an egg dropped inside of it. They then robe the egg and bread with thinly sliced fontina cheese and somehow, who knows how, perfectly soft cook the egg, toast the bread, and melt the cheese without messing up any of the three. It’s topped off with a drizzle of white truffle oil and sprinkled around with asparagus. Life changing stuff, I tell you. 

+ ‘inoteca NYC located at 98 Rivington Street at Ludlow +