LITERATI | lunch

Girlfriend, don't get me started on cafes. I love cafes. Give me a latte, anything from the bakery and some soft but lively music churned into the low hum of regulars mewling over humdrum life events, and you will be giving me a shot of happiness. Cafe culture is my forte; I live for cafes. And though Fire City is not a purveyor to the sauntering lifestyle (to which cafes typically cater), it does try hard to pretend. Isn't that what this city is about? Pretending? And thus, it has a high number of cafes stationed county-wide, albeit far apart.

LITERATI CAFE in Yupwood is a new discovery of mine. After it had been recommended to me by a number of friends, I looked it up and realised it was down the street from my place of business. I fancied a stop-in. I've been there twice now, and each time was wonderful. LITERATI is not flawless, however. But would I recommend and revisit? Most definitely.

Having recently undergone a makeover, Literati now inhabits two side-by-side locations. Side A is casual but always crowded, with Ikea-like wooden tables crammed too close together. But there is wi-fi, and the service is quick. Side B is a bit more upscale, more "this-is-strictly-business" lunch. The food items seem a touch more refined, and they are also pricier. I have only eaten on Side A and only during lunchtime. First visit, I had a grilled portabello mushroom panini with melted swiss on focaccia (amazing); second visit, I had carrot ginger soup with a side of Mediterranean salad replete with olives and pine nuts and a splash of house vinaigrette. Are you salivating yet? It's okay. I did, too.

I have yet to try the desserts or the classier end of the half-cafe-half-restaurant, but if the first two tastes are anything to go by, I doubt I could ever be disappointed. Now, I don't know if I could do work at Literati--for a place with that name, it seems a bit too busy for any sort of literary endeavor--but it is on my cafe radar. But when it comes to places to station yourself for an afternoon of laptop time, I think my picks are elsewhere.

the place: 12081 Wilshire Blvd 90025 - (310) 231-7484
the taste: Light, farm-fresh, American organic.
in five: 4/5

dine out: http://www.literaticafe.com/