la.foodblogging

You’re probably aware that prowling for a carb-o-liscious brunch, in a vintage t-shirt, sweats, chucks and a miniature dog or pitbull by your side, in the vicinity of Sunset Junction on Saturday/Sunday is a past-time for many a Silver Lake local. You’ve got your Millie’s, Eat Well, Madame Matisse, Dusty’s (recent arrival), Casbah Cafe (site of odious print campaign for the Nissan Murano) and Prasadam — to name a few. If I seem like I’m trying to write with some authority about any of those places, I’m not. I frequently buy an early morning coffee at Casbah, but that’s it. I’ve never before eaten brunch at Sunset Junction… until today.

Why? Dunno. A little too much of a scene, just never made the standing-in-line and parking commitment. Today, we went to an almost completely empty brand new spot: Town and Country Bakery Cafe. It seemed like a soft-launch for a restaurant opening, only two other people in the cafe with us. No eggs (”We will, though!”), no lemonade (”Soon!”), very little furniture (”That whole room will be filled!”), new but soon-to-be-replaced refrigerated display cases (”We don’t like these…”), and so on.

My mate got the Sausage Breakfast Strata (pictured, bottom, left) ( re-heated sausage, potato, sauteed onion, mushroom in a creamy custard: $7.75). I ordered a Trio of Salads of (My) Choice (pictured, top, right) (roasted beets and toasted walnuts, roasted carrots with garbanzo beans and fruit salad: $9.25). Our waitron was very nice (in an ancient Rambo t-shirt and old Levi’s). She weeded out the *hitload of melon from the fruit salad, leaving me with just pineapple and nectarines, by special request. Sig-other liked his strata okay. I liked my salads fine. I just wished I’d also ordered the Banana, Toasted Coconut and Lime Bread ($2.25). Our dog however, got extra-special love as he sat out on the curb — with a crunchy biscuit, a big bowl of fresh water and a sweet pat on the head.

The selections remind me of Rita Flora Kitchen on La Brea — an array of healthy cold salads, although no pastas, and no flower market. But I think that area could use a Clementine-ish post — and no more psudeo-French spots, or trendy Americana fry-up joints. Instead, a home-made baked goods, gourmet salads and soups option would be a-okay. Pure speculation here, but it seems as if Town & Country is run by a former caterer — the recipe reference on the counter was a prodigiously flagged copy of The Gourmet Cookbook. As far as coffee goes, I think they were using beans from cans of Trader Joe’s espresso.

I’m intrigued by the Brine Roasted Chicken, West African Peanut Soup, and Granola Stuffed Baked Apple. Making any kind of judgment one way or another would be premature. When Town and Country is more than just a few hours old we may try again.

Town and Country Bakery Cafe
3823 Sunset Blvd.
Sliver Lake, CA 90026
Tues-Sun
9AM-5PM

Photo note: Gratuitous toy chihuahuas snap taken at UponShop, the jazz, soul, hip hop record shop across the street.