Paper or Plastik Cafe - Mid City

Paper or Plastik Cafe was founded in 2010 by a family of artists: husband-and-wife design team Anya & Yasha Michelson alongside daughter, Marina, a filmmaker and actor. Their mission is to sustain their customers not only with quality food and drink, but also with culture and community all under one roof.

After a good workout from the gym, I was so ready to eat! I've mentioned this before, but I love finding places that offers a good brunch selection away from the typical. After browsing the menu, I was pretty sure I knew what I wanted to try.

First things first. Caffeine.

Left to right: Cappuccino, Maple Latte, and Canelé. The maple latte was definitely a nice touch and I highly recommend it if you love sweet flavored lattes. I also loved the Canelé. In addition to their made-in-house menu, they also work with excellent local bakeries, including Cake Monkey, Clark Street Bread, CocoBakes, and Bread Lounge.

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Avocado & Prosciutto Toast poached egg, aleppo pepper & micro greens

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Moroccan Fried Chicken Sandwich - buttermilk, cilantro & jalapeno battered chicken, tangy slaw, harissa aioli on ciabatta

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Polentina & Root Vegetable Bowl - red flint polenta and tomato-chile broth, poached egg, roasted broccolini, pecorino

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Shakshuka & Griddled Polenta - red flint polenta, labneh, za’atar, sunny side eggs

I will definitely be back. 

7AM - 10PM 5772 W PICO BLVD LOS ANGELES, CA 90019

Casa Chocolate - Mid-City Los Angeles

I know a lot of people that hate LA because of traffic. People who live on the west side would take an our or more just to get to work that's a few miles away. And on the weekends, you are lucky if there isn't any traffic. All native LA residents know what it's like to drive out to Santa Monica, West Hollywood (oh god), Beverly Hills, Culver City, and so on. So when I am actually out towards that area, it gives me an incentive to find a local restaurant to eat.

I had to run some errands one Sunday morning and found a small cafe tucked in a small plaza. It's called Casa Chocolate.

5450 W Pico Blvd, Ste 501 Los Angeles, CA 90019

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I instantly fell in love with their displays. It's simple yet catchy. From the photos of the doors, to the self serving water with lemon and orange slices, to the ketchup, and the array of classic hot sauce and sweeteners.

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They have a huge menu with tons of variety. Prices are also very decent especially for the location. I stuck with their traditional house favorites.

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Ordered 2 cappuccinos. One for John and one for, well, me. Espresso from Groundworks.

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Huevos Rancheros Campesino

Amazing take on the classic dish - 2 farm eggs cooked to your liking, I had mine over easy. Black pinto beans cooked perfectly and not overly starched, everything served over a corn tostada, topped with ranchero sauce, green tomatillo salsa, avocado salsa, sour cream and queso fresca. So flavorful and so delicious. Loved the char onion and serrano on the side. A must order.

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Cholula complimented by Huevos Ranchero

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Ranchero steak omelette. FULL of flavor. The beef was perfectly marinaded, extremely tender, and smokey from the char. Cooked with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, folded inside the egg with monterey jack, ranchero salsa and queso fresco. John ordered this, but I am going to make sure I get dibs on this next time. Served with a side of fruit,  ranchero sauce and green tomatillo.

Enjoy when you are in the area or passing.