Monday, September 20, 2004

Mini-review: Alcove

I can't really review the food or service at Alcove Cafe on Hillhurst, because it was way too crowded on Sunday afternoon to ever get a table or get served. The line snaked out the door as if no one in Los Feliz had ever seen a brunch place before. But I am glad they finally put the interesting little brick house that houses Alcove to good use, instead of tearing it down. The patio is charming and the baked goods looked lovely, although Kathy said it wasn't a good sign that every single table bore a number and had not yet been served. I noted that $10 is the new minimum price point for sandwiches, burgers and omelettes at most cafes...it seems like there used to be such a thing as a $6.00 sandwich, but no more, apparently. We grabbed a few things from the Village Gourmet next door and took them home to my quiet, dogless patio. Kathy liked her curried chicken salad on a bed of baby greens. I was happy with my chicken apricot salad after dousing it with a little of Kathy's balsamic viniagrette -- it was dry at first, with a strong, yet not unpleasant, dose of rosemary. My Italian white bean salad with chunks of carrots was also nice. It's a good place to pick up a picnic for the Bowl or Griffith Park, if you don't mind paying dearly for stuff you could throw together in the kitchen in a few minutes.
Alcove Cafe
1929 Hillhurst Ave. (Los Feliz)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's too bad that Pat didn't stick around because,while it can sometimes be crowded, the Alcove is most definitely worth the wait. The service is friendly, the food is great with generous portions and often with several healthy choices - something that is not easy to find when dining out. The desserts taste even better than they look. Oh, and the atmosphere is great and absolutely spotless.

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CAB said...

Good call on the rosemary--it's a well-used spice, but it's pretty good! My favorite thing is the apple-brie panini on rosemary and sea salt foccacia. Tasty!

I'm a village resident and have been for about 4 years now, and the Alcove is such a great, alebit pricey, addition to our little town's offerings. It's a pleasant atmosphere when not crowded (hint: avoid the weekends is crowds crowd you), and I especially like weekday nights outside on the candle-lit patio with the heaters going--perfect for a glass of wine and semi-lux food that I probably wouldn't make myself. Also, their dessert offerings are insane. They're like the Cheesecake Factory of Cake. And, if you don't like what they have, head across the street to the new gelato place. :)