Last weekend I struck up a new friendship over tortilla soup and lemonade at the Alcove Cafe. Nestled in the heart of Los Feliz, across the street from the Mustard Seed Cafe (another lovely spot), this venue really embraces the surrounding community vibe.
Sunday late-mornings are bustling and packed full of girl dates, bro dates, hangover dates, and family dates. Yet for all the crowd and elbow jostling, there is surprisingly a lot of room, and I quickly found a few unclaimed tables around back. The exterior is full of garden-esque colorful chairs and tables, not quite mismatched and not quite uniform. I kept thinking of the Mad Hatter's Tea Party (not Tim Burton's rendition). The interior has an antique feel, you can imagine just how small and cozy the place once was before it became a hot spot (and might still be at 6am).
The menu has typical LA pricey-ness, but it offers up an interesting array of options made from fresh, local, and hand-crafted ingredients. (The espresso and coffee is hand roasted by Fonte, a Seattle based micro-roaster, their loose leaf teas are also hand-made, and their baked goods come from local artisan bakeries). There is something for everyone, and often more than just something. As someone with an unsteady work schedule, the real winner for me is their 6am-11pm hours.
The Alcove Cafe also serves as a great spot for people watching (Los Feliz attracts both interesting and dull characters of all sorts.)
Not your quiet, unknown, hideout to retreat to for introspection and whispered conversation. But definitely and energetic and fun place to check out when you are in the mood for an interesting, sometimes bustling, vibe. Busy as it is, it doesn't intrude upon conversation, so its still a lovely spot to bring a new acquaintance, or perhaps catch up with old ones. Alcove Cafe is one of those places that makes me excited to live in LA and reminds me that there are interesting, unique places on every corner, home to many stories, a bit of history, and little landmarks of their respective communities
So glad that you liked the Alcove Cafe enough to write it up! I really like your blog, it has such a great foodie vibe. :)
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