For dineLA.com
In the increasingly competitive LA dining scene, seemingly little touches like the bread course can make a big difference. Here are some of the more enticing breads that are hitting tables citywide.
This fashionable Sunset Strip steakhouse specializes in charbroiled cuts of premium beef, but it’s their Gruyere popovers that make the first impression. The softball-sized domes arrive hot, eggy inside and crusty outside. BLT Steak generously provides the recipe with your order.- BLT Steak, 8720 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 310.360.1950, www.bltsteak.com
Several Southern/soul food restaurants provide complimentary cornbread, perhaps none better than Sandra Foster’s mini muffins at Flossie’s in Torrance, which aren’t too sweet or salty and are equally adept at soaking up the pot likker from the turnip greens or the semi-sweet BBQ sauce from the chicken.
- Flossie’s, 3566 Redondo Beach Blvd, Torrance, 310.352.4037
Itzik Luzon and son Amos replicated their original Jaffa restaurant in Encino, an Israeli hub in Los Angeles. For only $9 per person (as long as you order a main course) they shower each table with a blizzard of salads, including several styles of eggplant and creamy mint-studded mushrooms. The primary vessel for consuming all these salads is house-baked laffa, a puffy pita-like flatbread studded with two-toned sesame seeds.- Itzik Hagadol Grill, 17201 Ventura Blvd, Encino, 818.784.4080, www.itzikhagadol.com
At this colorful haven for Mexican cuisine in the southeast LA city of Bell, chef-owners Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu present a basket of warm corn tortillas flavored with red guajillo chilies (red), cactus paddles (green) and unadulterated corn (white), representing the colors of the Mexican flag. Spoon on the duo’s spicy salsa roja. Better yet: shovel on Queso Azteco, a four-cheese blend of panella, Oaxaca, cotija and queso fresco, all baked until soft in banana leaves with mushrooms and nopales.- La Casita Mexicana, 4030 Gage Ave, Bell, 323.773.1898, www.casitamex.com
Anadama bread is available by request only in the former Sante Fe train depot, and it’s well worth the dollar price tag. A warm molasses-enriched loaf is coated with cornmeal and served on a wooden plank with a ramekin of soft butter that’s whipped with orange zest.- La Grande Orange Café, 260 S. Raymond Ave, Pasadena, 626.356.444, www.lgostationcafe.com
Mar’Sel is the signature restaurant at the Terranea, a cliff-top resort in the ritzy community of Ranchos Palos Verdes. Chef de Cuisine Michael Fiorelli presides over a sustainably-focused menu, and every meal starts with a thoughtful bread course. Possibilities include pull-apart green olive bread and mini baguettes, which come with ramekins of rich Plugra butter, Marcona almonds and sea salt.- Mar’sel, 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, 866.802.8000, www.terranea.com
At the nexus of the Byzantine-Latino Quarter, across from St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, you’ll find Papa Cristo’s Taverna, the casual offshoot of a Greek market that dates to 1948. Order an entrée and you’ll receive fluffy house-made pita that’s grilled on the flat-top just before serving. The pita soaks up residual gyro grease and creates a delicate crust.- Papa Cristo’s Taverna, 2771 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, 323.737.2970, www.papacristos.com
Mohammed Hossain and wife Aliza hail from Chittagund, Bangladesh. Their multifaceted café and market is named for their oldest son and resides just north of Koreatown. Taurat’s clay oven yields naan that’s soft up top and crisp on the bottom. It also helps to have the dough brushed with ghee, which is like butter on steroids. The puffy bread is ideal for scooping up spicy goat vindaloo, which is loaded with cardamom, cinnamon and cumin.- Taurat Tandoori, 101 S. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, 213.383.6780
Chef Loren Lawe delivers a full-loaded basket to diners at The Langham’s more casual restaurant, including crusty French bread, soft rosemary and crispy Parmesan-crusted lavash. You’ll get premium butter, but opt for the vibrant sun-dried tomato dip, which is flavored with olive oil and basil, with hints of garlic and Parmesan.- The Terrace at The Langham, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena, 626.585.6218, www.pasadena.langhamhotels.com
