Good, inexpensive brunch in LA?
 

I'm meeting some friends in Los Angeles next Sunday and I'd like to find an affordable place for Brunch somewhere around Santa Monica to LAX. We're staying in Marina Del Rey and I have a 1 pm flight out of LAX. Looking to max out at $15 per person. Do-able? Suggestions?

Thanks,
Cricket

Go to the Los Angeles board at www.chowhound.com.

You'll get some good answers there.

I don't have a suggestion in that price range, but Debbie I'm curious. I always see these recommendations for Chowhound and I've sorted through a lot of their stuff over and over again, trying to figure out what people mean.
But what is it you're suggesting? Does Cricket need to go there, register and pose her question and wait for answers? You could spend days reading through all that very user-unfriendly site trying to find what restaurants served brunch, where they were (rarely do posts tell that), and what prices they charge. It's just all so difficult to find answers there. The one time I posted a similar type question on the NY Chowhound site, I got no answers.

I posted on the Chowhound website and got 2 replys so far. Thanks. Anyone else?

It's not a brunch suggestion per se, but two weeks ago I was searching for a breakfast spot near LAX and we ended up trying Good Stuff in Manhattan Beach
http://www.eatgoodstuff.com/manhatt.html
which was recommended to me by someone here. We were very pleased, except I did get a parking ticket. I read on the meter that I did not need to add any $$ until 9 am, but I completely missed the very small print at the bottom of the sign, almost on the curb that warned of no parking on Wed am for street sweeping. That is the first time I have ever seen the no parking sign hidden in fine print below a meter. Cie la vie.

I'll jump in on this one too-- Patrick is right, the Chowhound board is far from helpful for a question like this.

I would really recommend staying in MdR and taking an early brunch at, say, Café del Rey (a few blocks away from your hotel on Admiralty), Harbor House (catty-corner from the Marriott), Casa Escobar (a short walk away) or even Cheesecake Factory (quick walk or drive away). With a 1 PM flight, I'd try to get to LAX by 11:30 AM (luckily, ten minutes away). Brunch is doable if you start early....

Patrick,

I so agree with you! When people come here to ask for first-hand advice, they're so often sent to chowhound, zagat, tripadvisor, etc. Please assume that we know about these places, and have looked up our destination beforehand. I have a subscription to Zagat's, but I'm generally looking for that special, maybe "off-the-beaten path" tip that the great people of this board usually offer.

Cricket, I'm sorry to hijack your thread. I don't get up to MDR/Santa Monica that often, so I don't have an intelligent tip to add (Cheesecake Factory?) If you were to come down to the South Bay, I would have lots of suggestions for you.

here today,

How was your Island Fish breakfast? Sorry you got nailed by the "parking nazis". They're everywhere down here, just waiting to pounce! :)

I only put Cheesecake Factory as an outside suggestion-- I don't feel awful recommending it as it DID start in the LA area and it's perfectly acceptable grub, for a chain. All of the area CFs get ridiculous crowds, so it would be a "last choice" for that reason alone, frankly.

If you can stand the kitsch, Edie's Diner is another possibility, though not strictly a brunch joint. It's a block down (and across the street) from your hotel. Again, it's been years since I've eaten there, but it was pretty good.

RJW,

I wasn't criticizing your suggestion of CK. As you can see, we posted our replies at the exact same time. I put Cheesecake Factory in parenthesis because it's the only place I know of in MDR that serves brunch. No offense intended. :) You always have very good suggestions for the Santa Monica/Venice/MDR areas.

Another annoyance of the Chowhound crew (among many-- don't get me started on the fetishistic fascination they have with heart-stoppingly expensive sushi restaurants with surly chefs and whale gum mystery dishes, construction-site taco trucks [!!] and dirty hole-in-the-wall Chinese places in the San Gabriel Valley) is their vague recommendations-- they name a place without giving an address.

One of those chowhound posting notes 26 Beach Café. Nice idea, but they give no address. Do a Google search and you find out its original location closed and it has moved to a much less pleasant stretch of Washington Blvd. in MdR. Not too helpful IMHO....

The breakfast was fabulous. The meter dude was so nice. We were eating outside and I saw him ticketing me. I thought it was for my registration, as my car had been parked in Pasadena for the past 6 months andf although I had renewed it, I had the new sticker in my luggage and had not yet put it on. When I approached him he told me it was street sweeping day and pointed down to the sign for me. then he told me not to bother moving the car, as the sweeper had come through pre-dawn. Aarrgghh

But, I am from Pasadena, where the signs on the edge of town say "Welcome to Pasadena" and then "No Parking"

Good Stuff... Do they have one at Redondo Beach? Not sure I'm thinking of the same restaurant, but if it is, it was great food at good prices. Thanks for the info. I'll check in to it.

There is a Good Stuff in Redondo-- PCH, corner of Elena and Ave I (I used to live about 10 minutes from there in Torrance)....

And lvk, no offense taken. It can be difficult for me to recommend specific places on the Westside any more as I work here but haven't spent real down time in the area for more than 10 years (but I used to date someone in MdR-- in fact, went through a fairly large earthquake during one sleepover!). But I do recall the CF being pretty good, and having pretty nice views of the Marina.

I'm sure Chowhound will come up with just as many good suggestions as the ones found on this thread so far!

VIVA CHOWHOUND!

I have always had a hard time with chowhound, too.

I haven't had a hard time there, and you don't have to register to pose a question.

And as far as "Please assume that we know about these places, and have looked up our destination beforehand" - -- Huh? Why would we assume that???

There's a Good Stuff in Hermosa...right on the strand. Great location!

What's "the strand", in Hermosa?

Cricket

The Strand is the strip right in front of the Beach and goes along Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach. Expensive homes are packed in a long the strand, and in certain areas, you can veer off for good eats.

To get to the Good Stuff in Hermosa Beach from LAX, take Sepulveda South to Pier Ave (you'll pass some large Boulevards like El Segundo, Rosecrans, Manhattan Beach Blvd, and Artesia, in that order. Pier Ave is not too far down from Artesia - if you get to Aviation Blvd, you've gone too far). Make a right on Pier Ave. Find parking closer to the beach. Bring change, or park in the parking structure (right turn on Hermosa Ave, it's on the left) Walk to the end of Pier Ave to the pedestrian square, until you hit the end which is The Strand. Make a right, and the good stuff will be on your right, a few feet down. Drive time from LAX is 15-20 minutes, depending on traffic of course!

Enjoy!

Okay, now I know. I've walked that before to people watch. Never knew that strip was called that. Thanks. Going to have to try a Good Stuff! Do they have patio seating?

They have outdoor seating, yes. However on Sunday mornings, especially if it nice outside, it may be quite a wait.

poor cricket! you are going to exaused. you need to be at LAX at 11:00.
i like hermosa beach a lot but you are doing a lot of driving for good stuff. i also wrote to you regarding the ivy. Let your friends meet you at
The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey go to theJer-Ne Restaurant
or the Wave - by the pool. is less expensive.

The Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey
4375 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: (310) 823-1700
Fax: (310) 574-4258

Oooh, that sounds nice. We're staying at the Marriott on Admiralty. Are they pretty close?
I misspoke on my first post. My flight is at 3, I wanted to get there by 1pm. Probably couldn't do brunch if I had to be there at 11!