I could have slept in this past Saturday and further nursed my wicked allergies/cold (that I would later find out was a sinus infection), but why do that when the Work Son was offering a ride to LA to pick up sammies and ice cream? Only condition was that I had to busy myself for about 45 minutes while he got his haircut. He added that there was a popular coffee shop just around the corner where I could hang/read/write while he got snipped. I was all in – just had to load up on the OTC drugs.
The shop was Urth Caffe – which proved to be a little too well known, as I spent most of William’s hair cutting time waiting to order, and then waiting again for my drink, a Spanish latte that was delightfully rich and bold; just sweet enough, but teeny. The 35 minute wait to 2 minute swig ratio is just wrong.
The sandwiches were from Ink Sack, another short walk from the barbershop; a place owned by Michael Voltaggio of Top Chef fame, known for general badassness. From here, I got the cold fried chicken sandwich on wheat and a bag of crab chips. The sandwich fared much better than my coffee in its wait time to eat time ratio; add to it that it was affordable at five bucks and packed with bright flavors (moist chicken, a creamy sauce with a slight tang) and robust texture (the chicken had a good bite to it, the bread balance soft and crunchy). And I didn’t ask what made the chips crabby – they looked like ordinary potato chips – but I finished every last greasy, crunchy crumb left in the bag. This place was definitely worth getting out of bed. (Work son William went for the turkey melt and the pork shoulder banh mi).
But then there was ice cream. Salt & Straw was our destination. I’ve been to one of the Portland locations but never to LA’s first outpost. After samples, I almost went with the gritty, unapologetic Stumptown Coffee & Burnside Bourbon, but opted instead for the indulgent Salted Malted Chocolate Cookie Dough. Honestly, I think the odds of going wrong at Salt & Straw are 0 to none – they just make quality ice cream. And they’re so cute!
Outing done, I spent the rest of the afternoon and the next day in bed, finally getting myself to urgent care on Monday with a trip to Northern Cali planned for the next morning. Happy to say I’m 90% recovered with a 100% chance that I’ll be eating lots more once I’m fully back.
Baxter Finley Barber & Shop
515 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Urth Caffe
8565 MelroseAvenue in West Hollywood
and other locations
ink.sack
8360 Melrose Avenue
Salt & Straw Larchmont
240 N. Larchmont Blvd.