Adventures in the World of Mobile Knowledge Workers

Ramma Geni Cafe - Melrose between La Cienega & West Knoll Drive

I stumbled upon another slice of undiscovered LA recently. The subtitle of this post should read "In which the Mobile Knowledge Worker discovers free wi-fi, great food and wonderful service at a West Hollywood hookah lounge." But I'm getting ahead of my story.

I walked into Ramma Geni Cafe and immediately felt that I had walked into a speakeasy. The bright light of day version.

Kaffee Wien - Melrose Ave. between Norwich & Huntley

On the day that I visited Kaffee Wien, everyone was talking about the weather. Even me. It was overcast and rainy. Rain is the Los Angeles equivalent of "weather," i.e., snow on the East Coast. The server said "We need some rain. I like rainy days." That's what people always say. The veracity of this statement is undeniable. And yet, I'm often a little annoyed when it rains. Los Angeles is known as the Land of Endless Summer. When I moved here, I expected sunny, mild conditions and being able to drive down the coast with all the windows open, the radio playing and the breeze blowing my hair. All year round. The idea of a rainy day must have been in the small print that I somehow missed.

As we'd gotten the weather discussion out of the way, we began to talk about more important things. Like my food choices.

Plaisir - Santa Monica Blvd between Westmount & Westbourne

Plaisir is the Mobile Knowledge Worker's wet dream: the food is great, the vibe is good and the experience is customizable.

Owner Philippe, Mr. Plaisir, is behind the counter. I know his name because it's lettered in white (I think) on his black chef's top. He's very personable. Perhaps he spotted my fantastic laptop backpack (more about that in another post). But in any event, he volunteered that Plaisir has free Wi-Fi.

The menu is classic French cafe fare: Croque Monsieurs, quiches, etc. I'm in the mood for a sandwich, however. I notice the turkey and brie option. "Is it good?" "Yes, very good." Philippe replies. And as for the salad that comes with it, "Do you want Caesar or spinach with strawberries?" Always a forthright Midwesterner, I ask, "That sounds a little odd -- is it good?" "Yes, it's very nice. There's a raspberry dressing and some feta." I decide to trust him and select the spinach salad.  I finish up by ordering a Napoleon pastry and coffee.

I take my place at one of the glossy copper-colored bar tables around the perimeter of the room.

Threads Cafe & Lounge - San Pedro & 3rd

Are you looking for a cafe? Do you need a t-shirt? Then Threads Cafe & Lounge might be for you. It is, indeed, a cafe that offers free Wi-Fi and the usual amenities to customers. It's also an instant custom t-shirt printing business.

There's a lot that's good about this place. Let's address that first. The space is lovely. The cafe is set back from the street and situated on an angle at the corner of San Pedro and 3rd in Little Tokyo. The space is filled with light. It also happens to be located on the ground floor of the Teramachi Homes luxury apartment building. The sign says that these condos are for people aged "55 or better." I love that phrase.

The Cow's End Cafe -- Washington Blvd. & Pacific Ave.

The Cow's End Cafe is a bit of a mystery at first. The coffee is just okay. It's not the sort of place that will deliver an aesthetically pleasing food experience. You have to buy something in order to use Wi-Fi. And yet there is something about the Cow's End that's kind of appealing. I visited once in the morning and another time in the afternoon. I had a different experience each time.

The first time, I sat downstairs on a bar stool right in front of a large window next to the door. The corner that I sat in smelled like other people had been there before. Not exactly like a gym, but the air was a little stale. Note to self: sitting near a doorway does not guarantee breezes nor fresh air. For some reason, I'm reminded of a college pizza place.

But the positive point was that I was in the perfect spot to watch the world go by. It was one of those afternoons when the sun is really strong and the sky is very blue and you're excited about living in Southern California. The Cow's End is less than a block from Venice Beach.

Deeply tanned French people sat at a sidewalk table. One of them was barefoot, which gave a holiday air to the scene.

Salades de Provence - La Cienega & Holloway

As promised, I went back to check this place out. This time I was armed with my laptop. The same handsome waiters were in attendance. It looked as though sunlight had painted the walls, but it was simply a clever paint job using  burnt yellow paint. You can see the brushstrokes. The tables are dark wood; there's a tablecloth near the entrance with one of those typical Provencal patterns (olives I think, on a yellow background). Lovely.

I couldn't decide what to order. Should I try a sandwich? Or a salad? Or should I just go with a quiche? The waiter walks towards me. But then he immediately says,  "Prenez votre temps Madame (Take your time Madame)," because he reads the indecision on my face. Nice.

He has brought me a glass bottle filled with water. Slices of lemons are at the bottom. The bottle has a heft that's comforting. The water tastes good. I munch on ratatouille on "toasts" as I mull over my food choices.

All kinds of people come in:  a woman with a baby, who gurgles.

Massimo's Mud Spot - La Brea & 8th

At first I thought that I had entered a 1950s set. Two walls are a dull pale blue; one is a dull pale yellow. They have an institutional feel and look like they should be in an old downtown office building. I found the color combination off-putting at first, as it gave me a queasy feeling. But I got used to it. Bright orange spherical drop lights hang from the ceiling. I'm not 100% sure because this isn't my design period, but it really does feel very 1950s. 

And just as in those detective movies from the '50s, a metal ceiling fan whirs away. There are even slatted blinds -- on the small windows above the large storefront ones. A mini-library is set up in one of the storefront windows. 

Thankfully, although the staffer working behind the counter continued the '50s theme, she was cheery. She wears a dress that looks like it could break into song on its own.

Cafe Flourish - Wilshire & Cloverdale

The sign that I took to my seat, after I ordered my lunch, had a drawing of a school of fish and the sentence, "You are in the flow."  This was one of many indicators that we weren't in Kansas anymore, Toto. And you know something? This Midwestern girl liked it. 

Cafe Flourish, per its menu, is "committed to sustainable food practices, we use organic wherever possible, we don't use animal products... and our food is lovingly prepared, embedded with positive intentions." Okay, but does it taste good?

I selected the BLT&A (Be Love, Thanks & Abundance), which is the plant-based version of a bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich. I chose quinoa salad as the side. The irony is that people often think that I'm vegetarian and I'm absolutely not. I don't overdo it, and of course I eat edamame, tofu, etc. But I've had soy hot dogs and stuff like that in the past and I don't like them. The "b"  in this case was smokey tempeh bacon. So I didn't hold out much hope for this sandwich.

But it was really good. The bread was soft with a smidgen of crunch (the menu calls it "half-toasted").

Jones Coffee Roasters - Raymond Ave. in Pasadena

I seem to be destined to make my excursions on the hottest days of the year. And so it was that, on the first day of autumn, I found myself driving out to Pasadena. Sadly, although my car looks cool, it does not have air-conditioning. 

Jones Coffee Roasters is in a kind of mini-strip mall/mini-industrial park space. I turned in to park. Don't waste your time: there are only two spots reserved for Jones customers. I was annoyed by this turn of events, especially as I had a heavy bag, completely jam-packed with books and laptop. (Note to Self: get a good-looking backpack soon -- your shoulders will thank you.)

But my friend Tom had recommended the place to me, and I was all the way out in Pasadena. So I persevered. I parked on Bellevue (one of the cross streets) and would recommend that you do the same.

I felt a little better as I walked on Bellevue past a two-story industrial building where workers wearing white lab coats smoked outside. 'Interesting,' I thought to myself.  My crabbiness started to fade as I walked past the Royal Laundry building and saw the really cool blue (or was it green?) and white tiled entrance. It made me think of India. Passing by another building, I noticed that there were thousands of Little Mermaid and Cinderella figurines on the desks.

Hygge Bakery - 11th and Hope

Another incredible taste sensation. But I'm getting ahead of my story.

I had an appointment with the Fabulous Jessica at Salon 11. I got there uncharacteristically early and had time to grab lunch before my appointment. Having previously heard my bitter complaints about the local Starbucks, Jessica suggested that I try the Danish bakery around the corner. I decided to check it out. 

My first order of business at Hygge Bakery was to select a sandwich. I chose tuna fish and chatted with the server as he made it for me. I learned that Hygge's baker is a bit of a celebrity in Denmark and baked for the Queen. The server and I determined that I was, therefore, getting the same fare as the Queen of Denmark. Well, the bread, anyway. 

I learned that two of the owners are Danish, that Danes use almonds frequently in their baked goods and that the Morning Poppy bun, which features white poppy seeds, is a typically Danish breakfast item.  

I looked around. There are so many pastry choices that the Mobile Knowledge Worker could find herself losing her svelte appearance if she isn't careful. I looked at petit fours, frog snaps, rose bread, waterkringle, kamme, a full-sized almond tart, mazarin, apricot mazarin... I selected the Sarah Bernhardt which is shown in the picture above. I liked the name. 

I'm sure you want to know the verdict.