breakfast – lifeofacitygal

Palm Springs

Memorial Weekend was approaching rather quickly and my hubby and I still didn’t have travel plans. Rule of thumb in our household, if you’re off from work this equals vacation time 🙂 I believe that Tuesday or Wednesday before the holiday weekend I found a deal you couldn’t pass up on Hotels.com better known as Old Faithful. I am the BEST person to find a good deal on hotels if I do say so myself. Saturday we hit the road a little after 8am and headed for our first adventure in Palm Springs.

During our stay, we stayed at Musicland Hotel. It was absolutely perfect. We had a nicely renovated room which reminded me of a nice studio apartment in NYC for some reason. Possibly the layout instantly put me back into NYC circa 2014. The feature that got me the most was the cute swimming pool. This is what sold me in the first place. Needless to say, upon arrival we changed into swim gear and had a real pool day. I think I stayed on the watermelon float for at least 2 hours. The weather was perfect. We even had chilled wine poolside which was also an instant hit with the other guests staying at the hotel. During the day, my mother-in-law mentioned a site by Food Network (my fav) that lists places Guy Fieri suggests trying. You just type the location where you are and his food recommendations appear. How genius! One of the recommendations included Frankinbuns which was perfect for a midday snack. I went with the Chicago-style hot dog and it did not disappoint. For future reference, I will be using this website all the time because sometimes it does become difficult to make a solid restaurant choice. Thank you mom and Guy Fieri!

For the nightcap, we found a burger spot called Johnny’s located downtown. This was a cute place which was reminiscent of like Johnny Rocket’s. We decided to stop by Ace Hotel before heading in; this was a great decision by the way. They have a quaint bar called Amigo Bar with about 3 booth seating areas and standing room only for everyone else. I did not catch the DJ’s name but he definitely was in tune with music and the flow of the crowd. What a perfect nightcap.

For this particular trip, we did not plan one single thing which worked in our favor. Just a “go with the flow” vibe this time around. For brunch on Sunday, I yelped a few places and decided to try Broken Egg Café. I’ve gotten kind of hooked on bloody Mary’s as of lately so I started with that and ordered the country chicken steak for my meal. Neither one let me down. Did I also mention they had $6 mimosa flights and there were like 20 flavors to choose from? We also tried this and I think the strawberry flavor was my favorite.

Since LA weather has been sort of weird and rather cool temperature wise, we hung out by the pool again for a bit. This time just to enjoy the sun rays and the book I brought along on the trip. Nothing like being poolside with a good read. I found a couple of rooftops that looked very promising and decided to check out High Bar at the Rimowa Hotel. The ambiance here was unmatched. They had mini booths, dozens of pool chairs and private cabanas for you to sit back and enjoy cocktails and small bites. There was also a pool on the roof so if you wanted to take a swim or just be cute and put your fee in like me, that was perfectly alright too J I watched the sunset and became mesmerized by the shades of pink and blue that lined the skies as the sun went down. I would highly recommend visiting this bar if you take a trip to Palm Springs. You have to experience this for yourself. The restaurant 4 Saints is also located in this hotel. I did not din here this trip but definitely will on the next. For Sunday’s nightcap, we decided on a good pizza from none other than Pizza Hut. We enjoyed this right in the comfort of our hotel room and watched TV until we passed out. I’m leaning everything does not always have to be planned or require an itinerary. Sometimes it’s just best to go with the flow. Palm Springs provided just what we needed. Pure relaxation and chill vibes. Until next time….

Sweet Chick

Brunch always seems like a good idea to me. On Sundays, I normally try to venture out and find new brunch spots but on this particular Sunday I decided to do a repeat. Good ol’ Sweet Chick. I was first introduced to this chicken and waffle staple in Brooklyn, New York. Hop off the L train at Bedford Ave and just a few steps away is Sweet Chick in Williamsburg. Why not do a repeat while on the west coast?

Fairfax Ave is a trendy street/area in Los Angeles. You can literally stop for coffee, grab lunch, dinner and or drinks, stop at Supreme, check out kicks at Flight Club or grab brunch at Sweet Chick 😊. As you can see, I opted for the latter option. Sweet Chick is very popular and known for their take on chicken and waffles. You can get a classic waffle of course but why not try one of their many flavors like bacon cheddar, apple cinnamon or spiced pecan? I was torn between the shrimp & grits or chicken and waffles; from the luck of the draw I went with the apple cinnamon waffle and fried chicken. Probably the best decision I made on that Sunday was stopping for a bite to eat here. Something about the perfect crisp of their chicken that gets me every time. Not to forget, the three butters they serve with the waffle; regular, vegetable/herb and like a raspberry one I believe. Try them all if you haven’t before. Each offers a different taste that will not disappoint. There are a ton of other entrees too that I still need to try So if you’re ever in LA and are looking for a good brunch spot, stop on Fairfax and try Sweet Chick. Tell them I sent you 😊

Meet me at Mel’s

Mel’s Diner is considered a huge staple here in Los Angeles so it was only right that I made a visit to indulge in some of the diner’s favorite go to entrees. The décor gives you an Old Hollywood vibe while staying consistent with the ambiance of a true diner. Busy waiters going through the aisles, a semi open kitchen to see the food being made fresh to order and the infamous jukebox in the corner awaiting a customer to drop in a quarter and select an old tune to take you back to a nostalgic time.

I decided to try the French toast and my husband went with the old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes. You cannot go wrong with either choice. Both entrees were great and just what we had wanted in terms of getting that real breakfast fix. So far, I’ve seen 2 Mel’s locations; one a block from Hollywood and another in the Sherman Oaks area but I believe there’s a total of 4. The next time you visit California, I would be sure to make a stop here. It’s open 24 hours and has a welcoming menu of pretty much any craving you may have. Take a look at some of the snapshots I was able to get from Mel’s.

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BEC

After my recent visit to LA, I raved about the place Egglsut for their take on a simple breakfast; their bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a brioche bun. Well guys BEC is coming as a strong competitor here in New York. Same concept but their bun has bacon bits and cheese baked on top. Yes! You read that correctly 🙂

I stumbled across this little gem while venturing in Chelsea for new eyeglasses and immediately jotted it down in my notes to come and check it out later. Well the day had come and I made my way back over to BEC to have breakfast for lunch. It’s cue and quaint inside with the long wooden shareable bench seating along the wall and other small tables for dining in. I went with the BEC classic which only seemed like the right thing to do. The classic has two eggs, bacon and sharp cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. Not forgetting the bacon and cheese on top of the bun. To stay within my breakfast themed lunch, I ordered freshly squeezed orange juice as well. This sandwich literally melts in your mouth. They’ve mastered this classic breakfast sandwich and added their own little twist to it. I love when I find a new restaurant and they exceed my expectations. Guys please give this place a visit if you’re in the Chelsea area. You won’t regret it!

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