BLD
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Mid-City West7450 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 930-9744
45 reviews
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
"I've been waiting to review Tart until after the purported new menu roll-out (due any day now apparently), but I just can't hold out any…" read more »
135 Reviews for BLD
Had lunch here today. Ordered eggs Florentine. Honestly, this is probably the most boring restaurant I've been to in LA. I'm sure if I ordered a cheese plate I would be singing a different tune, but three people for lunch was 70 bucks before tip. I think I'll keep looking.
I'll give it 4 stars for ambiance as well. It was clean and well-lit and everything, but still boring.
I thought BLD was a very nice place when I came here for breakfast. It's rare to find a place where you can bring your dog and enjoy a sophisticated dining experience experience and not just be abandoned outside. The place isn't cheap, but there are several times when I've wanted to go to a nicer place and not leave our dog at home. BLD is near the top of our list for that.
I've seen groups of 8 have a easy time fitting in here. The atmosphere is very social. True to their name, you really can come here for any meal and have a pleasant time. The bar is warm and inviting.
Price: Less than $15 breakfast entree
Food: Good (Salmon Scramble was good, French pressed coffee is nice, but no refills, and cheese and charcuterie was good)
Service: Good (It wasn't fast, but we had a nice time enjoying just lounging around, the only time I've asked the waiter for advise on which cheeses were his faves, I was disappointed with what he chose)
Ambiance: Great (Really like the decor inside and of course the tables out on the sidewalk are dog friendly)
Location: Good (lots of stuff nearby to do. I didn't see parking, but it hasn't been a problem parking on the metered street)
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I was pleasantly surprised with this place when we came in for a casual dinner the other evening... w/o any resv's on a Friday, we were warmly greeted and seated straght away. Our server just so happened to be standing next to the hostess and complimented me on my jacket. Big brown(nose)ie points.
Parking note: Try to find street parking if you aren't in any sort of hurry... we did. And saw that the valets here find street parking to park your car on Beverly Blvd. any way. After all, I do get a natural high when I do find good street parking, so it's almost like a game to me.
The menu is everything I pretty much expected - continental comfort fare with a twist. Impressive selection of charcuterie (bresaola, serrano ham & my favorite, prosciutto di parma to name a few) and cheeses (beemster aged gouda! manchego & saint andre, my personal favorites) to choose from to unwind prior to the start of your meal.
Service wise, I could not ask for more pleasant staff - our hostess and server were absolutely a class act. The only ding they get is that the food runners served our Hemp Seed Crusted Tofu Salad at the same time as our entrees, which were the Crab Salad Sandwich (me) and Spicy Cuban Style Pork Sandwich (EJ). Too much food on the table is never attractive to me, in an overwhelming, gluttonous, piggish way. That is NOT okay. The server came by and commented how sorry she was that everything came out all @ once and even offered to take some things away to be served later, but we were cool. And the chicka complimented me on my jacket earlier, remember? Haha, kindness takes you far with me ;)
The food quality was excellent and the portions were so ginormous, we were only able to consume about 50%. I needed to save room for dessert.
Dessert was the Banana Creme Pie (I really wanted the Nutella & Banana Crepes) but pie was pretty rich and dreamy. Much to my surprise, it was quite impressive with its chocolate cookie crust. I look forward to coming back here to check out their B & L.
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CHEESE!!
Have you been searching for a place that has a huge selection of cheese and presents them oh so beautifully AND has lots of other options? Then head to BLD aptly named because they do Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner :)
Cut to late lunch with friends at BLD, I have already eaten, so I just need a snack. Looking over the menu I am excited by the section labeled "still breakfasty" because they serve breakfast at this white table cloth establishment until 3pm. But then the huge cheese selection at the top of the menu caches my eye. You can choose from over 25 delicious chesses $8-$12 with an assortment of apples, nuts, quince, toasted french bread and cinnamon raisin bread. I ordered a creamy humbolt fog goat cheese and it paired fantastically with my water that the waiter was uber attentive to and filled-up more than 5 times during the meal.
My friends all ordered sandwiches, the turkey club, the breakfast sandwich and the turkey burger and I was impressed by the size and presentation for the price!
If I am in the neighborhood, I will be back! I have sooo many more cheeses to try and they have a great wine selection to pair it with!
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We are always trying out new places to eat and decided upon this dainty place for dinner. it was a perfect little spot to have a small group to celebrate our friend's 21st birthday. Our waitress was brilliant! Needless to say, we got excellent service
- Loved the decor. Dim lighting and an intimate setting
- The menu is filled with a variety of different and new things... all of which are totally worth trying! Appetizers, cheese and meat included. (except maybe not the Tofu dish. it was al-right.)
- A good portion, though you pay for what you get. Most of us had the rest of our dinner boxed for lunch the next day.
Finally got around to trying BLD. Had the spicy Cuban pork sandwich which was very good, and a nice, upscale variation on the traditional versions I've had. Some of the fries were a little mushy and oil-saturated which makes me wonder about the fyer oil temperature. Overall a good lunch, although on the pricy side.
Had dinner here and was really impressed by the food and portions. Just don't order the tater tot appetizer things... those were a little yuck. Other than that, the pasta, sandwiches, soup, dessert and everything else we sampled were delicious. Can't wait to go back for Breakfast and Lunch!
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I was here on a Wed night about 7:30 and there was no wait for a table of two although every table seemed full. They have a good wine selection with about 4 diff reds available by the glass, all around $7-10 per glass. For appetizers, you can get a plate of meat (e.g. chorizo, salami, etc.) or some cheese, or just go with a salad. I got their caesar; it had really good dressing and just the right amount of anchovies draped across the top, with lots of parm cheese the way I like it, but a little too much dressing.
There is an interesting "build your own meal" option where you choose 2 sides and a main dish, but I went with a tasty top sirloin burger, cooked perfectly to my medium order and served on a buttery, thick roll with a home made pickle. Tasty! Their fries were fresh and perfectly crispy, nice and thin with lots of salt & pepper.
Awesome service without being solicitous. Good with suggestions and offering opinions; not to mention attentive. I also liked that they did the KCRW discount of 15% including your alkeehol, and that valet parking is just $1.
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Dropped in on a breezy, beautiful late Sunday morning for brunch with a special someone.
The restaurant was light and airy with lots of windows. Service is quick and efficient.
Pretty people on a pretty day....lalalalalalalala
The COFFEE IS AWESOME. I absolutely hate it when I go to a restaurant for brunch and the coffee tastes like...err..well OFFICE COFFEE! Don't bring me a cup of Flavia!
I had the Eggs Benedict...Duh! I was kinda scared tho.
I read a LA Times article recently about some people getting sick from eating the Eggs Benedict here.
Everyone makes mistakes, right? So I trusted that they had taken care of the "issue" and took a huge bite.
YUMMMMMM!
I very much enjoyed the hollandaise sauce even tho I was way too nervous to really put a substantial amount of food in my mouth.
If I remember correctly, my date had the braised pork and poached eggs. I think he really liked it...kekeke.
We both agreed on the fingerling potatoes as our choice of sides. My heart skipped a little!
*GASP* it must be fate!
BLD is the kind of place that non-Angelenos must believe that we hang out at for brunch on the weekends. Sipping coffee and laughing as if we were starring in the latest romantic comedy.
Or maybe it's just me...
Kisses,
Pooks
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Just had lunch here with a friend and after all the great things I've been hearing, it was really no big deal. The lunch menu is very very meat-heavy so if you're vegeterian or a fish-eater then this ain't your spot. That being said, I ordered the Nicoise Salad and it came covered in a pile of albacore tuna OUT OF A CAN??? For a $17 salad I was expecting seared albacore or even an albacore steak. The Apple Caramel Crumble was pretty good but, again, nothing to write home about. Lunch for 2 salads and 2 desserts was $55... I think Ammo or Doughboys is a much better way to go!!!
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Great little creative restaurant with some health options.
I live in NYC, and really get spoiled by all the great restaurants. On this trip to California I was really let down by all the bad food I'd had, and BLD was definitely a welcome change.
The salads were great, and the deserts even better. Calm, clean atmosphere with an industrial-ish design. Definitely recommend it.
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One of my favorite social meal spots in LA. The cheese platters are killer and come complete with an array of spreads, breads and other treats.
It's not cheap, but the food's authentic and sassy to make it worth a visit.
I went at about 8pm on a Thursday night. The hostess said it would only be about a 30 min. wait to seat our party of six. However, we ended up waiting for over an hour to get a table! Granted it was our mistake for not making a reservation ahead of time. I had the Spicy Cuban Pork Sandwich, which was delicious. My friends ordered various desserts that were also yummy. I liked the decor and I want to go back to try the cheese appetizers. I gave it a three because of the wait time and I felt like it was slightly overpriced.
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I came here for brunch with my parental units and a few friends. I was pleasantly surprised by the casual elegant design of the restaurant, sort of a minimalistic contempoary style. We sat indoors since there were only a few tables available outside. We all ordered a large french press coffee that was enough for about 7 cups. The coffee was delicious, definitely a must have if you enjoy coffee.
The menu included the usual LA brunch options with a sophisticated twist as there were cheese and charcuterie assortments. Altogether, we enjoyed our experience here and would definitely return for a special time. The only drawback is the items are on the pricey side for a casual brunch, so I will return for an occassion or a nice date.
I really like BLD. It has a modern, rather industrial feeling, but clean and airy at the same time. The food is pretty good- not the greatest, but it comes with the atmosphere that I prefer. Especially sitting iin the patio on a spring or fall weekend. I like their egg dishes and sandwiches, but their desert crepe was definitely not a memorable one. If the prices were a notch lower, I would go more often.
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One of the best places in LA for brunch. Fried egg sandwich, pork shank with poached eggs, and their generous use of hollandaise sauce put this place on my favorites list.
the weekend leading up to tax day 2008 was a cluster of out-of-town-visitor, birthday party, going away brunch, tax freak out, and, of course, being hotter than the sun. my non-air conditioned hancock park apartment was actually cooler than the outdoors, oddly enough, and i sprung a gallon of sweat just walking to my car in the afternoon, so i holed up in the apartment waiting for the sun to go down. when my out of town guest finally arrived, all i wanted to do was have a nice, leisurely dinner with a fresh, crisp white wine. a perfect night to check out BLD.
got there fairly early on saturday, about a quarter to 7 and there were a lot of empty tables. for some reason we were seated at a the table immediately next to an occupied table of loud talkers. mildly annoying, but not worth requesting to be moved.
server recommended his favorite white, which was indeed tasty, the name of which escapes me (even though it sort of rhymed) but could possibly return if someone flashed the menu in front of my face. service was good, attentive, and relatively prompt, though it took a bit of time for our entrees to hit the table. the server came by twice to tell us that our food was on the way and i'd say it was about 20-25 min between app and main course, but i was tipsy from the wine and minimal food at that point. oh, they kept our bottle of white at the bar, presumably on ice, and were very attentive in refilling our glasses, which i appreciated. the only weird thing was that the server never did the twist with the bottle after pouring, so wine seemed to be forever dribbling down the side of the bottle.
appetizer special was a polenta cake with mushrooms in gruyere fondue. or something close to that. drizzle of basil oil, some tomatoes. it was completely perfect and regretted not licking the plate.
i went with the grouper special, and while it was good and meaty (also recommended by server), it wasn't my favorite. i wanted fish and they really only offered this special or salmon in the construct your own dinner part of the menu (choose a protein, two sides and a sauce) and i just didn't want salmon. i am a sucker for pea tendrils on a menu, so that's what happens. it could have been seasoned a tad more, but was by no means bad.
my friend had the crab salad sandwich, which was nice. very light and flavorful, but for $21 just seemed a bit much. then again, you could pay $20 for two little crab cakes depending where you go. (ok, just checked the hungry cat menu and the lobster roll for $23 is a much better deal. go eat that instead).
dessert and coffee. holy cow. the banana cream pie was fantastic. light and sweet, tasty graham cracker (i think crust). also had some strawberry blood orange sorbet which was more strawberry than blood orange, but very good. and the coffee hit the spot. wonderful. will definitely go back for the scrumpdiddlyumptious looking yellow cake that passed by.
toward the end of our meal, topher grace came in and ended up having to wait for a table. my friend thought the hostess station was giving us the "get the hell out of here" glare, which i didn't witness since my back was to them. in all fairness, we had been there for close to 2 hours, but it did take a bit of time for our entrees and for the check to make its way out to the table.
it wasn't a perfect experience, but a pretty damn good one. i think of this place around the same level as hungry cat, in terms of price range and quality though i think hungry cat edges this place out just a bit, though seating at bld seems much more abundant.
BLD is a great spot for brunch on the weekend, or a client lunch during the week. Service is quick and friendly, and the food has yet to disappoint us any time we've visited. They've also been very accommodating to those of us with dietary restrictions. The sunny dining room is inviting, and while the restaurant is always full, we've never felt crowded next to the neighboring table.
The coffee is also really, really good. The server was even so gracious to remind me how to operate a French press, which had temporarily befuddled me thanks to too many cocktails the night before. Press now? Press later? Sometimes things are hard.
Very much worth a visit.
Well I know this is just another review added to many reviews already but i find it important to keep reviews going on places to see trends.
BLD is no doubt a place that can fall easily into a trend, however had done a very good job at not doing so thus far. Service, decor, quality of food is all up there and i have not seem any decrease in it for awhile.
My best part of this place.... the coffee. i drove 2 hours to BLD from San Diego just for the coffee pretty much on a Sunday afternoon with a friend. The french press coffee is perfect, not too acidic or strong, yet great flavor.
The only thing bad about BLD is the size, parking, and location to a point. however we all go to different lengths for places we like and these are minor for me. Check it out, I am sure you will be happy you did.
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this place has become my new obsession. all i can think about is the next time i can have brunch there. i had the proscuitto di parma frittata and the blueberry ricotta pancakes (both shared with a friend) and they were PERFECT. the right amount of savory and sweet respectively. i don't even know if i'll ever make it past these two things to try other things on the menu, although i hear the fried egg sandwich is pretty damn good too. i had a bellini the first time i was there which was pretty average and some lapsang souchong tea the second time, which was brought out in a very large french press, which i appreciated.
the service has been good both the times i've been there and all the windows make it very inviting on any given sunny california day, so it's been very enjoyable overrall.
I love this place. The food is GREAT, the ambiance is nice, and wait staff are in the stratosphere of friendliness and helpfulness. You are guaranteed a good experience here.
I stumbled in incredibly hungover for Sunday brunch. I got the steak and eggs with chorizo home fries and an english muffin.
The chefs in the kitchen are a bunch of pranksters as they loosened the salt shaker such that when they were trying to season my steak, it fell off and unloaded a brick of salt onto my meat.
English muffin? Try Italian Marble. Hard and inedible. Avoid.
Chorizo home fries were great. Couldn't really taste the chorizo but potatoes work well when hungover.
Eggs were eggcelent. That was the lamest pun ever written. But really, my scrambled eggs were so good I actually blurted out, "Wow" upon the first bite.
Highlight of the meal was the blueberry pancakes. They were so good I wanted to ditch my fork and knife, tie my hands behind my back and facedive like a pie-eating contest. Make sure to pick these up.
Service was great--even on Sunday (around 11am), we were seated immediately (table for 2). A little loud so if you're hungover with a pounding headache, take an advil before heading out or bring your Bose isolating headphones to wear inside.
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BLD has a pretty good tasting breakfast(with reviving french press coffee). However, make sure the waiter/waitress understands your order. They lost major points from me by forgetting to take out the ham from my breakfast order. There is nothing worse than eating pig when you dont eat pig. They didnt comp me, they reluctantly apologized, and it seemed as if the entire waiting staff was EXTREMELY hung over. I cant stress this enough. How are you going to serve breakfast on a sunday morning when your hands are shaking, you have cold sweat running down your forehead, and stink of two-buck chuck and parliaments(the harsh, full flavored ones). However, I should mention that this only happened to me once at BLD. The other times were quite pleasant, and the wine selection is pretty decent. I live down the block, so they get an extra star.
They have limited vegetarian options. The smoked ketchup is not nearly as good as it sounds (which is a major upset for a sauce afficianado such as myself). And the vegi burger was mediocre, but filling. Fun for people watching though.
I won't give a place five stars without going there at least twice, but this place certainly could earn it if I continued to go. Too bad I'm from out of town. My buddy took me there as the place to go for breakfast and he was right. It was excellent.
We started off our meal by splitting the blueberry ricotta pancakes (among 4 people). Let me tell you, I don't even LIKE ricotta and these were superb. The ricotta makes the batter creamy and smooth. These pancakes were tasty without being overly rich. Even better, the pancakes came with hot maple syrup and real whipped butter which just topped off the excellence of these pancakes.
I had the salmon benedict which was an muffin with spinach, salmon, poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. The flavors were in balance. The hollandaise wasn't overly rich. The spinach was cooked perfectly. Most places overcook the spinach and turn it mushy. Not here. The poached eggs were just ever so slightly overcooked, but they were still acceptable. It came with herbed fingerling potatoes which were quite tasty.
My wife had the white bean huevos rancheros. The mistake on this dish is simple: Crisp the tortilla! Otherwise, the ingredients were top notch. That's all they need to do to make the dish perfect.
My sister-in-law had tofu scramble. Now, as an Asian, I usually hate any preparation of tofu not done in a traditional style, but it was actually quite good! Surprisingly, the tofu wasn't salty at all! Most places think that since tofu is tasteless, you need to salt it to give it flavor. BLD instead used colored peppers to give it some kick.
My friend had the vegetable frittata and that had to be the best of all of our dishes. Mushrooms, peppers, spinach, topped with mozzarella cheese and a pesto. Just simply excellent. If I were to go back, I'd order this and not share.
Finally, the chive biscuits are to die for. They come with butter and a homemade jam, but you don't need either (although it tastes yummy with either/both).
On my next visit to LA, BLD will be on my list of places to go.
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We went there Saturday night at around 6pm and we got seated right away. Our waiter was AWESOME, smiled the entire time and was just so nice and attentive.We had the pate and Humbolt (not sure if I spelled that correctly) goat cheese. That is now my favorite thing to eat. A-MA-ZING. The flat iron steak was cooked perfect and was so tasty. We also had the liguini with shrimp and the home made sausage pasta. Both were really good, not great. For dessert we had the yellow cake and brownie both a la mode. The yellow cake was okay but the brownie was exceptional.Fantastic food, as well as service.
Great food with a great atmosphere. The only downside is the price of the food. But you know what they say, "You have to pay to play." Overall, the food was worth the price. Will return soon :)
People may tend to think the name Breakfast Lunch Dinner is a "dive joint" if they haven't seen it before but find out it has a very contemporary space with lots of ambient light flooding in.
I always go here for the dreadful Sunday hangover around 2pm so we miss the lunch rush. Park in the neighborhood right next to the restaurant or valet if your cautious because parking sucks. My first visit I saw Marisa Tomei a couple of tables down - she was just as beautiful in person but a little shorter than I thought. The last visit I saw Gerard Butler from 300 dining as well - no opinion on him. The clientele speaks on behalf of the restaurant's name.
Our buddy Adolfo, who is a Sous Chef here and at Fraiche, always makes our group a platter that consists of truffle, blue and cream cheese, quince paste, raisin bread, warm bread, spanish nuts and sliced apples. Mmmm. We follow with the blueberry ricotta pancakes that they are famous for. Keep in mind that I don't like pancakes, but I always have these at BLD.
The EGGS FLORENTINE is great but is very rich and filling! It comes with four pieces of toast and I also had the homestyle potatoes (very oily). I highly suggest you use this as a dish as something for everyone to try. I haven't had the burger and fries but they look amazing! The ODE TO BUTTERFIELDS is delicioso with steak, eggs and a cabernet and hollandaise sauce. The PORK EGGS BENEDICT is good too.
I highly recommend you start with a cheese platter and blueberry ricotta pancakes to start for everyone. Then, share a main entre between two or three people so you can cover a large surface area.
Lunch was great & Dinner was pretty tasty.... the prices are a little high for a "casual" dinner spot with a majority of the menu dedicated to sandwiches. The turkey burger was quite good but the fries stood out from the rest of the food. The wine selection was nice, not complicated or toooo over priced. The lunch & breakfast was definitely something to check out.
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yay!
i've added a new option for a nice weekend breakfast/brunch to my list.
always wanted to try bld - but hadn't gotten around to it...
the servings were perfect - and everything that was brought to the table looked delish - the eggs florentine looked amazing - not like the standard benedict with spinach substituted for bacon... it was a completely different dish (using manchego, rapini, roasted red peppers and the poached eggs served in a little cast iron pot)... i'd definitely order that if i could have dairy... alas... the coffee was strong (yay) but the chicken merguez sausages weren't spicy enough for me...
we sat outside so i didn't even see what the decor was like inside - but the table setting was lovely and comfortable on the sidewalk. the atmosphere seems streamlined and clean - but not cold... and the service was especially friendly... our server looked like he could have been adam corolla's less cantankerous younger brother without the unibrow... well, i thought he was kinda cute...
all in all - good experience - i'd come here again.
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A fried egg sandwich and a bloody mary from this hip joint and I am in heaven. Seriously. The sourdough was perfectly toasted and the fried egg was perfectly in between over easy and over medium. I took a bite and yolk oozed out of my sandwich and almost onto my lap! Did I mention there was bacon too? My choice of potatoes: simply roasted with olive oil and thyme. It was all so good... MMM. I'll definitely be back for more. Maybe next time, I'll see Heidi!!
I have been to BLD 3 or 4 times.
I know 3 times me and my girlfriend sat at the bar and the bartender completely comped us. No bill. Told us to get out. I offered a $20 tip. Nope. He threw it at me. I'm not sure if he thought l was hot, she was hot, or both of us, or just wanted us to come back next time and hook him up large, but everytime I offered money and nope.
Whutev. Not gonna complain!!
Good wine. Great cheese, meats, and wine at the bar.
Thanks bartender, wherevere you are!!!
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this place is currently a huge favorite of mine. I never seem to have anything less than a kick-ass meal here, and I have eaten all three of the B-L-D's offered. (that's breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for the non-initiated)
The room is stylish and cool, but not pretentious. even if it's packed, you never have to wait terribly long (unless it's a weekend night between 8-9pm) and the waiters are friendly and helpful. Even when it's crowded it doesn't feel over-crowded like some places...the tables are well-spaced in the room. Cool bar area, too.
My favorite brunch: the braised pork eggs benedict. holy crap, it's so damn good, I've ordered it like 3 times and it never ceases to send me into hazy sunday bliss.
They also have the tastiest, most well-presented cheese plates I've found anywhere. The perfect combo of cheeses with sliced fruits, nuts, different yummy types of breads, and quince paste, which is way delicious than it might sound.
For dinner, I'd also recommend the Tater Tots appetizer. it's like that "guilty pleasure" deep-fried bar food you crave, but with a haute-cuisine twist. They are the ultimate flavor bombs.
The flat-iron steak was surprisingly good... i'm not terribly familiar with this cut of steak, but it was tender, perfectly seasoned, and most of all, perfectly cooked. How often have you ordered a medium-rare steak in this town, and it just didn't quite hit the mark?
I've paid over $40 for a steak at various A-list steakhouses in town (I'm talking about YOU, Mastros, Balboa, and Sterling) and the BLD steak was, for some reason, way better, and also it was $26.
One last cool thing about BLD... they are very friendly to dogs. If you sit outside for Brunch, there are often as many dogs as people. They will happily provide you with a big, sturdy water-bowl for your pooch.
Anyway, I hope this place stays as good as it is. Perhaps that's a pipe dream, but one can hope...
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Three fabulously hip ladies went out for brunch this morning after an early AM yoga class! OK, OK...two fabulously hip ladies and one...umm, librarian? went out for brunch this morning after an early AM yoga class. LOL!
This was my first and certainly not the last time I will go to BLD. I loved it. I had so much fun! There is a warm, friendly vibe inside...mostly families mixed in with a few Hollywood types. Everyone appeared to be happily eating their food and chatting away with their friends and families! Our adorable scruffy waiter looked like he had his surf board out back, he was so funny and chilled out, huge smile on his face.
My one very small gripe was that you couldn't order anything that wasn't on the brunch menu. I was craving a veggie omelet but I had to get the grilled veggie frittata, closest thing I could find to it. But, it was delicious. Lots of veggies, a layer of crisp cheese on top, and perfectly cooked eggs! My fabulous new friend suggested that I get the fingerling potatoes and I am so glad I listened to her. Perfectly seasoned and just the right amount of saltiness! Perfection.
Also, HUGE thumbs up on the big ole press pot of lavender chamomile tea that I got. I was able to fill my cup several times. Applause all around to that!
We also got this trio of breakfast danish type items. Perfect way to off-set an early morning workout if you ask me, right? They were really great. So good! I think they were a polenta fig cake, a chocolate danish, and a blackberry crumb cake. I loved the blackberry crumb cake, wow...it was so good!
My dining companions loved what they got too! One got the eggs Florentine and the other got a sandwich, why can't I remember what it was? Oh yeah.....I was probably in a food coma by that point, that's why!
I just had such a great time. Great conversations, lots of laughs, and so much good food. I want to go back to BLD very soon! :)
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Now, I'm a laid-back, easygoing girl. And I'm always willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. But my experience at BLD truly tested my patience.
I went with two other girls--Jessica and Elissa (who were equally easygoing). At around 9 p.m., we walked into the hip, open space and were immediately greeted by the ultra-perky hostess. "It shouldn't be very long at all. If you want, you can grab a drink at the bar, and we'll have a table up soon." Cool. We knew they didn't take reservations. So we were fine with a pre-dinner drink.
As we sipped our libations at the bar, we watched in awe as the crepe-maker worked his magic with Nutella and sliced banana pieces. Before we knew it, about 35 minutes had passed. I thought maybe the hostess didn't see us, so I went back over to her.
"Oh, I know where you're at. Over at the bar. Should be a table soon!" She chirped brightly.
Another half-hour passed, and we saw TWO tables open up. A group that just walked in got one of them. At this point Elissa and I were about ready to eat our own arms. "What the...?" This time, Jessica decided to go over to our hostess. "What should I say?" she asked us. "Just tell her that we're pretty hungry, so we'll just eat at the bar--unless we can have one of those open tables."
Jessica walked over to the hostess, talked to her for a few minutes and returned with a strange look on her face. "Well?" we asked her.
"She said, 'I am SO sorry. I TOTALLY forgot about you guys! Here, let me get you a table,'" Jessica told us. "And then, she said she'd give us a free dessert to make up for it." What? How could she forget about us? Whatever.
So we were FINALLY seated at a table. And there we sat for 20 minutes. I was tempted to start gnawing on my plastic menu. We stopped a busser on his way by and asked if we had a server. "Oh, let me send someone over."
Jess and I ordered turkey burgers with fries. Elissa ordered the mussels. The burger was very average. Fries weren't bad. Then, they brought out our alleged *free* dessert--a chocolate crepe--which totally ROCKED. We practically licked the plate clean. It was that good.
We finished our meal and waited for our server to bring us our check. And waited. And waited. No server. Finally, we saw our server breeze by us with her backpack in tow and wave to the barbacks as she jetted out the door.
Yes, folks, our server has left the building.
A few minutes later, a male supervisor-type sensed that we needed something and stopped at our table. "Are you ladies doing alright?" he asked us. That's when it all came out. [Note to supervisor-guy: Sorry we dumped our complaints on you. But you were the only one who seemed to care.]
We recounted the entire evening to him up to the point where our server just walked out without saying anything to us or bringing us our check. "It's like we've been 'Punk'd!" I said, in disbelief. Then, we explained that we're all pretty laid-back, and we've never complained in a restaurant before.
We really didn't know how to handle the situation. But we figured if there was ever a time when a manager needed to be notified about poor service, this was it.
"I'll see what I can do," he said calmly. He spoke with a few people and returned shortly thereafter. He apologized, said that this was unusual behavior for BLD and said that they would knock 25% off our bill. At this point, it was nearly midnight. It was almost too late to try to get in anywhere. Even at Bar Lubitsch (our tentative next stop), it would probably be at max capacity.
We paid our bill (they charged us for the dessert, by the way) and walked out. As we exited, our ultra-perky hostess exclaimed, "Have a great night, ladies!" What? Was she on crack? Elissa and I ignored her. Jessica muttered, "I'm bitter," as she swung open the heavy glass door.
Yes, this is a long-winded review. But in summary:
B L D should be called B A D, at least for the service. I give it one star--for the crepe, the good drink and the good company.
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Time for another snack. We came to the bar and had some coffee and some incredible prosciutto. The prosciutto came with some french bread, warm raisin bread, sliced peaches and honey glazed nuts. Just what I needed. Place looks pretty sleek too. I like conteporary and simple.
Came back again in November and their Spanish Chorizo Scramble is off the hook YO. You must try!
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My friend and I went to BLD for the first time last week on a Friday night. We had wonderful cocktails, split a perfectly dressed and not too creamy ceasar salad, and both enjoyed our dinners (my friend had a scallop special and I savored a spicy shrimp and broccoli rabe pasta). The vibe at BLD is good - dim and chatty but not loud.
What's interesting to me about the space itself is that for some reason over the years, restaurants have had a hard time lasting at this location. BLD seems to be doing well since they opened, and I certainly found myself thinking 'i'm ready to come back for breakfast!' when we got the check.
By far the best part of the already satisfying experience was dessert. I ordered the freshly baked warm chocolate chip cookies and was ready to die and transcend off the planet right then and there. Seriously. I had one cookie, gave two away, and savored every last morsel of the fourth one the next night back in the comforts of home. I'm definitely ready to see what B and L have to offer in the BLD lineup.
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OVERRATED!!! The service was lame & the drinks & food were even worse. Everyone knows champagne should be chilled, right? We sent ours back because it was warm -- when the second round came we realized it was just their fridge (or lack thereof). From the very beginning we were treated to attitude. The now infamous eggs benedict were bland. Never going back!
Follow the smell of stinky cheese.
After reading rave reviews about the cheese plate, I ordered a few moldies with high expectations. The selection was good and the add-ons (two kinds of warm bread, quince paste, nuts, sliced apples, fig cake) were worth the price. But what made this cheese plate ab fab was our server. I asked for her opinion on some wine and she helped me pick out the perfect wine for the cheeses I selected. Kudos madam!
Other plates being served around me looked good but caloric. Truly heart-stopping, syrup-drenched concoctions that would take me five hours on a treadmill to work off.
So I finally was able to eat here after hearing about it forever from my coworker. My friend and I arrived just in time before a long wait started on a Friday night. We saw down and was greated by a very pleasant waitress. We ordered wine. It was nice to see they had a selection of "different" wines than just your basics. We started with the sweet potato fries which were really good...especially the maple dip...mmm. We ordered some cheese but didn't know which ones we wanted. I knew I didn't want blue and Laura knew she wanted something with the consistency of brie. The waitress was very knowledgeable and helped us select a great cheese. I loved the little platter it came out on with breads and apples. For our entree we ordered the tofu salad (wow that was a lot of tofu) and the fresh veggie salad. Both were very filling and very light at the same time. I truly enjoyed eating here and want to go back.
On the plus side for parking...only $1 with validation!