5 Places To Eat With The Girls // Spring 2019
Who said going out in LA is just for date nights? As much as you might love your bae, let’s be real; having time with your friends to catch up on each others’ lives is super important. And of course, you want to find a place that’s cute, fun, serves good food, and has plenty of booze. Here are some of our recent faves for a meal with the girls:
1. Brunch at Terra Eataly, Century City
Ever since Eataly opened their LA flagship, it’s been a fun destination for Italian grocery shopping, popping in for a gelato, and enjoying a casual bowl of pasta. But still one of the best kept secrets is their rooftop restaurant, Terra. First of all, it’s one of the few rooftop restaurants in West LA— which seems like an odd oversight when you think about it (why aren’t restaurants capitalizing on those ocean views?). Second, it’s got indoor and outdoor seating, but obviously we’d recommend getting a spot on the patio if you can. Third, they just launched brunch! Seriously, we can’t think of a much better way to catch up with the girls than dining on their unique, Italian-inspired brunch dishes like the “Crespelle Della Nonna,” a ricotta-filled Italian crepe with tomato, Parmigiano Reggiano, and basil. Make sure to hit up their Bloody Mary cart to create a custom drink!
2. Brunch @ The Draycott in Palisades Village
It seems only too appropriate that our second choice would be a restaurant at Caruso’s chic and feminine Palisades Village. The outdoor development in the Pacific Palisades is definitely an LA-centric shopping destination, with high-end boutiques tailor-made for the average Goop fanatic. But even more impressive is their dining selection, which includes perennial sushi favorite Blue Ribbon Sushi, ice cream purveyor McConnell’s, and The Draycott. From Marissa and Matt Hermer, The Draycott is a British-inspired restaurant with a feminine, contemporary California look. And their weekend brunch buffet is not to be missed! Like Terra, they boast an extensive Bloody Mary cart along with an overflowing seafood station, bagel bar, made to order omelettes, and a dessert bar that could easily send any sugar addict into a coma. Of course, this bounty comes at a steep price, but you get a lot of bang for your buck. Either way, we recommend taking the girls here for an upcoming special occasion.
3. Brunch @ Cecconi’s West Hollywood
Cecconi’s in West Hollywood is hardly a new addition to this list, but the steadfast WeHo hotspot has maintained a relevance and quality level that continue to feed its popularity amongst local tastemakers. It’s undoubtedly a power lunch spot during the week, but on the weekend, morphs into a cute place to have brunch and bubbles with the girls. Thankfully, the food is good too! I always opt for a Full English Breakfast, because where else in LA can you get that? But their lobster spaghetti is a definitely favorite, and you really can’t go wrong with any of their pizzas.
4. Lunch @ Massilia in Santa Monica
A new addition to the Santa Monica dining scene, Massilia took over the former Border Grill space, flipping it into a modern, airy French bistro that’s been flying under the radar. But just because it isn’t the loudest new opening in the city doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a visit. Their all-day breakfast and extensive lunch menu make it another great spot to visit with girlfriends for some ocean-adjacent patio dining. A few favorites included French classics like clams (made a bit less classic with merguez sausage) and a fluffy, buttery Quiche Lorraine. They also have mediterranean style pita sandwiches, beautiful salads, and pastas. It’s a varied menu to be sure, but all with an attention to Southern French and mediterranean flavors, making it a great spot to take picky friends as they’ll find plenty to choose from.
5. Brunch @ Baltaire in Brentwood
Since opening 4 years ago in Brentwood, Baltaire has quickly become a neighborhood staple for the well-to-do Hollywood crowd. At night, this luxe, modern steakhouse is packed with diners, but on the weekends, their newly reimagined brunch service is still pretty quiet. Which is pretty crazy, because it’s good. First of all, the restaurant provides everything from approachable brunch favorites like avocado toast and a classic egg breakfast, to more luxe choices like a Prime Filet Benedict (this is a steakhouse, after all) and a Butter Poached Maine Lobster Omelette. Second, cost-conscious customers can stick with some of these more classic dishes for a luxe, high-end brunch that won’t cost them their first born, so that’s nice! And third, you get to enjoy the opulent dining experience and sumptuous food Baltaire provides in a much more casual, relaxed, and quiet setting.