Last we heard, Sam's Bagels on Larchmont was in danger of being replaced by a Panda Express. That would have been a shame, as we had a crispy lox-topped wheat bagel there this morning that really hit the spot with a cup of Peet's Coffee. But the counterman at Sam's told me that they're not going anywhere, as they were apparently deemed "historic," and that the lease has been renewed for at least another year.
With mom 'n pop businesses on Larchmont dropping like flies, it's nice to know Sam's will be boiling bagels for a while longer. Also, Crumbs Bakeshop, which handed out free cupcakes last week even though they weren't open yet, still doesn't look quite ready. Maybe later this week.
8 comments:
If we don't want chains on Larchmont, we have to stop patronizing chains on Larchmont. Buy coffee at Sam's.
[Which I'm finding hard, since I love Peet's too and the sugar/cream/lid setup at Sam's sucks. Last week I bought beans and have been brewing at home, which is kind of the halfway house of anti-chain rebellion. One of these days, though.]
Why would you get your coffee at Sam's if you love Peet's? I love local business as much as the next guy, but think Sam's is pretty poor (coffee and bagels both - perhaps my east coast bias is showing). Deeming it "historic" is a bit of a stretch.
The coffee shop that was on larchmont before Peets was always empty, and now Peets (in the exact same location) is always full. Yet larchmont wine always has a line for sandwiches and avocado grill is always empty... let the market decide.
in the humble opinion of this born and raised NYC transplant...
sam's = best bagels in LA, bar none! better than the decent ones in the fairfax district, and even the really good ones at laurel canyon/ventura (next to pinkberry)
don't even get me started on the weak, cardboard-y (ie. reminiscent of cardboard) mess that is noah's bagels.
glad to hear they've been deemed "historic" and are staying put for the time being. I deem them "great"!
cp, have you had Brookly Bagels on Beverly? Far better than Sam's. I've never been a huge Sam's fan. They are better than Noah's but still not great.
As to Larchmont, I don't really sympathize that much with the anti-chain argument because not all chains are bad. I understand not wanting it to look like Old Town Pasadena, but Crumbs and Peet's are chains I could welcome because they produce a quality product. They are much different than Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Panda Express. I guess I base my preferences on quality more than corporate structure.
Frankly, most of the food on Larchmont is just not that great...chain or not, and I'd like to see better quality so I'm excited about Crumbs and thankful for Peet's.
could you imagine how much money a chinese food joint could rake in though off larchmont? my wife and i always talk about how much successful a chinese restaurant would be on that strip.
Love the wheat bagels at Sam's, and was also happy to hear that they're sticking around (though the historic argument seems a stretch).
Crumbs has now opened, but the sample I got of the red velvet cupcake seemed more frosting than cake, and $3.75 per cupcake is even higher than sprinkles prices. hmmm.
sku,
been there once, remember not really feeling it, but will definitely try again and report back (as I'm always happy to find a great bagel...)
thanks for the tip!
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