In our Dining Reports, we share a firsthand perspective of a recent restaurant visit, covering everything from the vibe to must-get dishes. See more in the Eater app.
A collective heartbreak could be felt throughout Los Angeles when news broke that the temporary closure of the legendary 101 Coffee Shop in Hollywood, known for its celebrity clientele and star-making cameo in Swingers, would become permanent. But in late 2021, baker Zack Hall of locally loved Clark Street Bakery reopened the restaurant as Clark Street Diner. Any concern that the revival would kill the spirit of the iconic space was quickly dispelled when the doors opened to the same beloved camel-colored booths (albeit refurbished), iconic rock wall, and spinning seats at the bar still intact. Clark Street Diner deftly brings diner culture into the modern era while still tapping into nostalgia, its jazzed up diner classics engendering a new generation of fans.
- Clark Street’s Diner Breakfast arrives on a vintage-style, oblong plate that platforms a stack of two golden-brown Sonora buttermilk pancakes topped with a pat of butter; eggs prepared to your liking (scrambled or sunny side up are the way to go); two strips of crispy bacon; and a rectangular slab of hash browns.
- Load up on mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and bell peppers — all blanketed in cheese (go for cheddar) — with the veggie omelet. The omelets here are rolled, akin to French omelets, letting the thin sheet of eggs envelop the fillings without drying out from too much time in the pan.
- The side of corned beef hash is an underrated heavy hitter with generous strips of salty corned beef bedded in a thin brick of shredded potatoes. The hash also comes as a main with two eggs and toast, but with its punchy flavor and salinity, this is a dish best for sharing with the table.
Mid-week brunch that rarely comes with a wait, fulfilling self-insert fantasies of sipping black diner coffee while doing the newspaper crossword; 1 p.m. Sunday recap breakfasts over a parade of carbs…