Sycamore Kitchen: The neighborhood spot La Brea needed

In the 1990s, lunchers along La Brea were happy with spots like Rita Flora, Maison et Cafe and Sonora Cafe. After all, you can't always spend three hours at Campanile, and there's no place to eat items bought at the bakery.
So Sycamore Kitchen, the more casual spot from Hatfield's Karen and Quinn Hatfield, is a welcome update to the street. Right now the emphasis is on fresh and light sandwiches and salads at lunchtime, an ambitious array of homey baked goods and Portland's Stumptown Coffee, though full breakfasts are coming soon.



My lunching companion's turkey sandwich had a certain spare purity compared to the sauce-laden version over at Mendocino Farms: where everything there says FARM! FRESH! LOTSA MAYO! IN YOUR FACE, LOCAVORES!, the food at Sycamore Kitchen whispers "berry cream cookie...you know you want it...freshly roasted turkey with just the right amount of cherry mostarda spread...we're quiet but we're the real deal." Both approaches are fine, but Sycamore Kitchen clearly shows the sophistication that the Hatfields are known for. The turkey meat was thick and seemed recently-roasted, and it was served onb bread baked at the restaurant. (The bread's not available for purchase at the moment.) Some might call it too simple, like something you would prepare at home if you happened to have cherry mostarda, a turkey and a freshly-baked load of bread on hand, but I think that's kind of the point.


Mediterranean chicken salad was a well-balanced bowl of radicchio, kale, dates, hazelnuts, blue cheese and chicken, lightly dressed to let the assertive blue cheese and dates shine through. The afore-mentioned berries and cream cookie was a compelling idea for this berry-phile, but the "cream" part (white chocolate?) was way too sweet for me. My friend took a piece of the moist, restrained ale gingerbread home and I envied his afternoon teatime snack.The gooey pecan bun has drawn attention, but I fear it would be even sweeter than the cookie. Next time I'll try the sour cherry scone or fruit tartlets instead.
The ambiance is industrial and the patio's a tad stark, while those who want backs on their chairs should sit along the long brick wall to the side. Prices are what they are at all the stylish newer places -- $9-$12 for salads, sandwiches and open-faced toasts like cured salmon with capers, avocado and egg. Also on the menu are turkey chili, soup of the day, some veg sides and freshly made potato chips.
Sorry, Maison et Cafe, I've had some good times with you and your Eurotrash friends, but I'll be saying adieu to your tired, over-priced menu now that this sleek newcomer has moved in across the street.

Sycamore Kitchen
143 S. La Brea
323-935-2977

Casa Bianca Pizza's old-school charm: The classics series

The pizza you grew up with often becomes your platonic ideal of pizza. In my case, that would probably be Di Vita's, which still turns out a credible pie in West L.A. Or maybe it was the pizza you ate in college -- our go-to place was The Brass Ass, which must have piled several pounds of mozzarella on each pizza, but went down well with endless pitchers of Michelob.
So I didn't grow up with Casa Bianca Pizza in Eagle Rock, though half the people I know seem to have -- it's been there since 1955. I've grown impatient with the hallmarks of places that have become institutions -- some of the indicators are long waits, cash only policies, lots of reviews plastered on the wall and sometimes food that's a few decades past its prime. Casa Bianca is indeed cash-only, with a punishing wait unless you do takeout. But the pizza is as good as ever, so its reputation is justified.
The people: During the inevitable wait, you'll get to check out the full array of Eagle Rock area pizza lovers, from groups of elderly smoking Russians to smoking suburban middle-aged white couples (the place seems to draw smokers, who knows why) to young rockabilly couples who look to have much more exciting plans for after dinner.

The rest of the menu: Casa Bianca not only has beer and wine, they've recently added a couple of craft beers to their list. There's a large menu of pastas and main dishes, but I don't know anyone who orders them -- you're there for the pizza. But it takes a while to come out, so it's probably a good idea to get an antipasto salad for the table to share while you're waiting.
The pizza: Get the thin crust, preferably with the homemade sausage, flavored with plenty of fennel seeds. Skip the canned mushrooms -- if you want another topping, try olives or garlic. The cheese, sauce and toppings are perfectly proportioned, and the crust is just the right thickness to support it all. The crust isn't as flavorful as at the new wild yeast, wood-fired places, but Casa Bianca is more about the right interplay between the ingredients. The toppings and sauce continue right to the edge of the pizza, a divisive issue. If the crust is really good on it's own, then the little ledge of dough can be a nice treat at the end of the slice. If it's undistinguished, as at Casa Bianca, then by all means, take it to the edge. This is not a sophisticated pizza, but your table will likely devour the delicious, strangely-cut pieces before you even have a chance to contemplate where Casa Bianca falls on L.A.'s new pizza map.
The details: Go early. Bring cash. And remember, pizza is usually better when consumed on-site instead of to-go.
Casa Bianca
1650 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock
323- 256-9617