The BEST Cup of Coffee in LA

/ Monday, April 26, 2010

My morning coffee routine is not unlike the majority of workaholics' in NY: Leave apartment; grab a $0.75 coffee from the cart down the street; sip coffee on crosstown bus; get 2nd cup of coffee in the office; sip and answer e-mails. Quality is compromised when convenience and caffeine are the 2 most important factors in the equation. But not at LAMILL.

During my trip to LA, Cera and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast on LAMILL's front patio. Here I experienced the west coast way to get your morning coffee fix: unhurried, in a super swanky cafe. (That's not to say the LA doesn't have it's share of DD's, Coffee Beans and Starbucks, but go with me.)The husband and wife team who opened LAMILL in Silverlake, CA, have taken the guess work out of getting the best cup-a-joe by hand selecting each bean on the menu. They also provide you with a list of brewing options: French pressed, dripped, percolated or served in a chemex. The pot we selected was brewed by our waitress right at our table. Like Turkish or Greek coffee, the roast was strong but the flavor wasn't bitter or burnt to sully its taste. This was the first cup of strong coffee that I have ever enjoyed...and I down a lot of joe.

Their breakfast menu certainly is not shabby either.

The highlight of the morning were the House-Made Brioche Doughnut Holes with Madagascar Vanilla Crème–they were still warm when they came to the table. Think of these as deconstructed cream-filled doughnut but much more refined: tiny brioche wholes, lightly fried and served with a whipped cream: The best part were the flecks of real vanilla seeds.

Actually the whole treat was surprisingly light. Look at how airy the doughnuts were. That's what they're supposed to be like! I don't think I'll be able to go back to the dense, belly bombs in NYC.

The savory part of our breakfast was a bowl of scrambled eggs with wild mushrooms, lardon from Niman Ranch (which is just thick-cubed applewood smoked bacon) and fines herbs. Mhmmm, the eggs and mushrooms were definitely cooked in butter, so perfect. There is something very lush about slow-cooked eggs. You should try it at home: Keep the heat on low to medium-low then your scrambling your next batch of eggs. You'll have to stir them for a while as they firm up, but the texture and flavor is unmatched, like velvet!

For a place that aims to bring the best quality of ingredients and service to all that they do, LAMILL has certainly met its mark. Now if only they would open a location on the Upper East Side...


  1. Reading your post and enjoying the photos makes me crave Zeppole's. Thanks.

  2. Oh Joy Eats was there too! Look at her breakfast:



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