Our go-to brunch spot, Literati in Brentwood

Hello faithful readers, I am back from my long and exhaustive Bali and Hong Kong trip! Believe me when I say I've got PLENTY of food porn to show you from both countries--I took over 1,500 pictures and it looks like most of them are of food. Shocking! I know! I'm still going through the images, and before I post full write-ups of all the foodie highlights, I wanted to share my fantastic brunch outing that took place just days before our departure.

On the Sunday before we left, our good friends Jay and Coralie made a trip to our neighborhood for brunch and we treated them to some fabulous eats at Literati, which is just up Bundy drive in the Brentwood area. Earlier this year, Literati underwent a remodel and a restructuring. Along with the name being changed from "Literati 2", the patio was refreshed, an updated menu was put in place, and the bar received a slight makeover and an expanded selection of European liquor. Those of you familiar with this corner restaurant know that Literati shares its space with Literati Cafe, which is a casual pay-at-the-counter version of Literati offering a simpler, smaller menu of mostly baked goods, salads, and sandwiches.

We arrive at the restaurant for our 12pm reservation and joined our friends who had just been seated. I would describe the Literati space as casual elegance. Artful photography adorns the walls, seating arrangements are a mix of leather booths and wooden chairs, and the staff is impeccably dressed. A bakery counter greets customers as they stroll through the front doors, tempting all with aromas and sights of freshly-baked goods.





Before even glancing at the menu, we give in to the bakery's temptation and order a giant pecan sticky bun:


I've ordered this before and I'll continue to order whenever we drop by for brunch. This is easily the best sticky bun I've ever had and I've had many a pecan sticky bun. Moist, flavorful, sweet, and loads of pecans; it's much better than the one at Tavern just down the street, which I tried twice and found to be--on both occasions--somewhat dry and less flavorful with far fewer pecans.

The menu itself has all the breakfast and brunch staples from pancakes and eggs Benedict to hamburgers and hearty salads:


I go with the flat-iron steak and eggs, with the steak cooked medium-rare and my eggs served medium:

Flat-iron steak and eggs

About as perfect as it gets! It's tough to tell from the pic, but the steak was cooked just right with a few rare pieces to accentuate the meaty flavor, and the eggs were cooked and seasoned nicely. The accompanying house-made thick-cut bread was excellent and held up nicely with the egg yolks. I think the salad was decent though I'm not too sure since I was so consumed with the proteins.


Fonda orders smoked salmon with poached eggs served on house-made English muffins. She downs this in quick order but left some of the bread, which I happily finished . Fresh, house-made English muffins are quite different from the ones you can purchase in a store--I should know as I've made my own from scratch many times. They have less of those nooks and crannies, but they're thicker, have a spongier texture, and carry a flavor and aroma you can only get from freshly-baked bread. I'd make them more often if they weren't such a time kill.

Poached eggs and smoked salmon with house-made English muffins

Jay orders the chorizo and egg scramble with black beans and sweet potato fries. I ordered this same dish during my previous visit and found it to be extremely satisfying. Good luck trying to finish this plate. I know I didn't and I don't think he did either, but that's why we have to-go boxes!

Chorizo and egg scramble with sweet potato fries

Coralie went with a California omelet with a side salad. I didn't try any of her dish but she enjoyed her entree selection and gave it high praises.

California omelet

Our spread of food for our Sunday brunch:



I left about as satisfied as one could be after a brunch meal. The steak, eggs, several cups of excellent organic coffee, and a hefty portion of the pecan sticky bun kept this foodie's mind and body in a state of bliss throughout the day. Total for all of this was about $60 with tax and tip. Not too bad for a sit-down meal of this quality in Brentwood . This is our third brunch meal here since the remodel and this spot is quickly becoming a go-to place for when we need a solid brunch or lunch option during the weekend. Highly recommended.

Coming VERY soon (hopefully by Sunday), a full posting of all the good eats we had in Bali. Suckling pig, deep-fried "dirty duck", durian (which I loved!), and the world's rarest coffee are just some of the eats you'll see.

Lastly, congrats to Jay and Coralie on the birth of their daughter Hailey! I'm sure she'll be a foodie just like me.


Literati (formerly "Literati 2")
12081 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90025