Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cafe Etc. Chicken Panini

Tried Cafe Etc. today on Selma just south of Hollywood Blvd. The cafe is a nice little place that has good coffee drinks and a gang of magazines apparently you can read while you sip on caffeine. But I wasn't there for drinks I was there for food and that food happened to be a Chicken Panini.

The Chicken Panini was on sour dough and came with a side salad which felt like an after thought. It was a simple green salad with a balsamic vinaigrette but added nothing spectacular to the meal. I could have done with out it, maybe sub in a pickle or even a small bag of kettle chips would have added more to my Panini.

The Chicken Panini was toasted perfectly but the flavors did not pop. When you would get the perfect bite of chicken, tomato, swiss and other ingredients it was very good. The chicken though cooked perfectly was not very flavorful if you ate a bite that had more chicken than other ingredients. 

Final bite: Cafe Etc. has some really great coffee and I am sure their other food offerings are very tasty. Ask for a reference on what they feel is amazing to eat, if they say Chicken Panini get something else. 

Cafe Ect.
6371 Selma Ave
Hollywood CA
323.464.8824

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Basix Cafe Huevos Rancheros

So I've been to Basix Cafe many times but usually for dinner (They have a great skirt steak fyi). Today we decided to try it for brunch, A: to be different and 2: they have a nice little outdoor seating area where you can sit and enjoy your food. 

I do not often get breakfast when I go to brunch because I am not a HUGE breakfast fan but seriously Huevos Rancheros isn't really that breakfasty of a breakfast food. It's more like a open faced taco with an egg on top of it. The flavors were strong but it could have used a bit more kick. I like to add a little Tabasco to each bite to add a touch of a kick. 

I also got a side of italian sausage despite not being a huge sausage fan. The sausage was very tasty. The thinner pieces were actually my favorite part because I like when sausage is crispy. 

The best part about my brunch was the Arnold Palmer. Basix makes one of the best Arnold Palmers in the city and definitely something you should try if you go there. 


Final bite: Basix is a great little brunch spot but an even better for a cheap dinner or lunch. The prices are fair and the food is very good. Try the skirt steak and the plantains.

Basix Cafe
8333 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
323.848.2460