Eat in West Hollywood: La Conversation

Classic Salad Nicoise with ahi tuna, green beans, red onion, new potatoes, Roma tomatoes, hard boiled egg, Nicoise olives, and balsamic vinaigrette




Tostada Salad with iceberg lettuce, black beans, feta, onion, tomato, cilantro grilled corn, and grilled chicken on a baked flour tortilla


Eggs La Conversation with scrambled eggs, croissant, and filet mignon


Cappuccino

After walking by La Conversation for years, I finally visited this French cafe and bakery a couple weeks ago. Located on the West Hollywood side of Doheny north of Santa Monica, La Conversation is known for serving a variety of omelettes, salads, pastries, and more.

I tried the Classic Salad Nicoise with ahi tuna, green beans, red onion, new potatoes, Roma tomatoes, hard boiled egg, Nicoise olives, and balsamic vinaigrette. It was pretty good. All the ingredients were fresh, prepared perfectly, and tasted great together. They gave me a generous portion of seared ahi tuna. My mom enjoyed her Tostada Salad, as did my brother like his modified Eggs La Conversation. I also had a cappuccino with the most foam I've ever had. It was stronger than I'm used to, but I'm definitely not complaining.

The highlight of the visit was seeing the restaurant's interior. It's a lot larger on the inside with its high ceilings covered with red and white striped wallpaper that resembles fabric waving in the wind. Along the walls, you'll find a few paintings, porcelain vases and plates, and elaborate chandeliers hanging from above. Within their bakery display cases, there's a wide selection of éclairs, tarts, cakes, and other treats.

When we visited, we noticed that there were many Europeans patronizing the cafe which seems like no coincidence. After all, La Conversation feels like more of slice of Paris than a bakery on the Westside. I will have to try dessert the next time I stop by this quaint cafe.

La Conversation
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638 N. Doheny Dr., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Open: Monday - Saturday 7 - 7, Sunday 8 - 4

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Eat in Berkeley: La Note (Pt. 2)

Cote Ouest: three-egg omelette with ratatouille, served with home fries


Salade Nicoise with shredded Albacore tuna, marinated beets, corn, potatoes, carrots, Nicoise olives, hard-boiled eggs, anchovies, tossed greens, and the house Dijon vinaigrette

This is a first for the blog: I'm writing about a restaurant I've shared previously. Yup, it's one of my favorite places in Berkeley, La Note.

I've decided to make a separate post about this visit, instead of adding to the original, for a few reasons. Last time I visited the Provencal French eatery for dinner; I stopped by this past Friday for breakfast / lunch. (I had lunch, while my blogging buddy Anisa of Young and Seamless had breakfast.) I also think that the photos deserved their own spotlight. Plus, it's French food. Who doesn't want to see pictures of delicious French food all the time, especially from La Note?

This time, we sat in their outside patio area in back of the restaurant. I actually did not know this area existed before this visit. They have a great open-air space with umbrellas and tables over a blue-painted, wooden deck. The table settings are equally picturesque, as you can tell from the lively, yellow-patterned tablecloth, personal water pitchers, and use of doilies for the sake of doilies.

Although I never order salad as an entree, I decided to try the only salad ever worth ordering, the Salade Nicoise. I love this salad, and La Note's in particular, because it includes so much non-lettuce stuff like potatoes, carrots, corn, tuna, anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and beets. Like every other course I've had at La Note, it was perfect. I ordered the small, which was rather large. 

Now that I've done lunch and dinner, brunch is my next target. La Note, à bientôt...

La Note

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2377 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704

Open: Monday - Friday 8 - 2:30, Saturday - Sunday 8 - 3, Thursday - Saturday 6 - 10

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Eat in Oakland: Oeste

Pibil Chicken sandwich made with slow-cooked chicken, achiote sauce, avocado, and pickled onions


Vegan Sandwich made with cauliflower, cucumber, red bell pepper, and lime cucumber almond spread


Charcuterie & Cheese sandwich made with salami, green olives, Romesco, and San Joaquin Gold cheese


Brie & Apple sandwich made with brie, pink lady apples, arugula, and Dijon mustard


Tuna Nicoise made with house-poached tuna, little gem lettuce, boiled egg, Yukon Gold potatoes, tomatoes, green olives, and lemon vinaigrette


Chicken Confit & Lentil salad made with chicken, lentils with herbs and vegetables, arugula, radicchio, and pomegranate vinaigrette


Oeste's Spanish Tortilla made with eggs, potatoes, onions, olive oil, salt, and pepper


Espresso Tonic, made with espresso, tonic syrup, and mineral water, and Lavender Oat Milk Latte, made with lavender syrup and creamy oat milk


Pecan Bread Pudding with bourbon-lemon sauce

A week ago I was invited to attend a media preview of Oeste, a cafe located on Clay between 7th and 8th Streets in Old Oakland. Right next to their bar by the same name, the new cafe offers a variety of sandwiches and salads, special treats like Spanish tortilla and bread pudding, and delicious coffee drinks like the Lavender Oat Milk Latte.

I had the opportunity to try a bit of everything. The salads were made with fresh ingredients, while the sandwiches had the dynamic flavors I like. I really enjoyed the Lavender Oat Milk Latte, whose lavender flavor wasn't overpowering.

I would definitely stop by Oeste the next time I'm looking for brunch in Old Oakland. If you've been to Oeste, what do you recommend trying?

Thanks to Christina of East Bay Dish for the invitation!

Oeste

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730 Clay St., Oakland, CA 94607
Open: Tuesday - Friday 6:30am - 3pm, Saturday 8:30am - 2:30pm, Sunday 11am - 2:30pm

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