Best Brunch in Los Angeles and a Weekend Recap

What a week!  So much has happened at the Utah house, I’m actually headed back up there today because there are so many decisions to be made. All of this back and forth, leaving my kiddos and hubby behind are starting to wear on all of us I think.  This weekend my sweet husband surprised me with a weekend away to celebrate my upcoming birthday.  A movie, fun dinners, amazing brunches at new LA hot-spots, shopping and a beautiful tour of the Pasadena Showcase Design House topped off with a stay at the beautiful Fairmont Santa Monica…he knocked it out of the park!  It was really what we both needed after many draining months and lots of stress.  It was wonderful to get away a forget about it all for 36 hours!  Here are some of the new things I discovered for you to add to your list of things to do in LA next time you’re in town…

This gorgeous rooftop restaurant may just be my new favorite spot.  Catch has been a popular spot in NYC for some time, and they just recently opened in LA.  This spot perched up high on Melrose in West Hollywood did not disappoint.  How gorgeous is that door??

This avocado toast was incredible!!  This might just be the best brunch in Los Angeles.

The bougainvillea was incredible climbing all over the painted brick walls…

Um, this waffle tower…with ice cream…there are no words.  Well, ok, maybe a few.  Cinnamon waffles with chocolate, vanilla and raspberry ice cream, chocolate ganache and raspberry puree.  INCREDIBLE!!

We needed to walk off our meal, so we hit Melrose to do some shopping.  I had been dying to visit some of my favorite shops…Walker Zanger, Waterworks and some other specialty home stores.  We also stopped into the new Restoration Hardware that is massive and gorgeous…

These hand painted terra cotta tiles are so pretty.  I love all the fun colors and the slight imperfections that make each one unique.

This pretty linen cabinet caught my eye.  We are going to have a linen cabinet like this in the new master bath, so I might be stealing this idea. 🙂

I love these simple mirrors.  The tile behind it is pretty fabulous too.

I’m considering these sconces for a few places in the house.

There are some great sconces on Amazon too if you are in the market. I saw several like these in the fun restaurants this weekend…

How about a copper bathtub? WOW!!

This three story Restoration Hardware store is incredible!  There are gorgeous rooms showcasing all of their products.  It is total eye candy to spend time wandering through.

This tub is a contender for the master bath.

After working off our brunch, we headed to Pasadena to the Pasadena Showcase House of Design.  We stumbled upon a flyer in the window of Walker Zanger and decided to go take a look.  This year’s house is a gorgeous 1916 English Tudor Estate that once belonged to the actor that played Jimmy Stewart’s dad in It’s a Wonderful Life.  They create one of these showcase houses every year and use it as a fundraiser for the Pasadena school’s Arts programs.  It was a fun tour.  You can see the transformation video here…

Pasadena Showcase House of Design Video

We spent a little time wandering around downtown Pasadena and shopping too.  I haven’t spent much time there, but it is such a cute place!  I want to live there now!

We headed back to the hotel and spent the evening playing scrabble in the lobby…with Emilio Estevez. 😉  I love LA!  Seriously though, we were sitting on a couch that was in a small part of the lobby and he was sitting in the couch next to us for an hour and a half hanging out.  I love a good celebrity sighting.  We didn’t say anything to him because we didn’t want to bother him, but I just love when we have these run-ins with celebs when we’re in LA.  They are always in the most unexpected places.

Before we headed home we had brunch at another amazing place…Fig.  It is in the Fairmont and SO cute and good.  If you are ever looking for a great place to stay in Santa Monica, definitely check the Fairmont out.  We love to stay there.  It is right across the street from the beach and Santa Monica Pier and right next to the Third Street Promenade.  Lots of great shopping!  You are also only 10 minutes from everything in Beverly Hills.  It is so convenient!  It’s a little tropical oasis in the middle of the city.

I think my favorite way to shop for home inspiration is by visiting super cute restaurants to get ideas.  I basically wanted to just move into Fig. 😉

Painted white brick, black windows, reclaimed wood and herringbone floors…yes please!

These lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberry butter and sliced almonds were divine.  Fig is definitely giving Catch a run for it’s money as the best brunch in Los Angeles.

It was SUCH a great weekend and it is amazing just how much you can pack into a few hours!  Now, back to reality! 😉 I’m heading to the airport shortly, so stay tuned tomorrow for a big update on the house!

Have a great Monday!

Tammy