Bloom is a tranquil environment. It's actually two storefronts side to side. I've only sat on the right side (don't ask me why) so that's the space that I'm going to describe. Pale primary colored chairs (pistachio green, Dijon mustard yellow, pale orange) live in harmony with light wood tabletops. Brightly colored balls, like marbles, of hot orange, cream with an amber swirl and lime green dangle from the ceiling. Sleek track lighting adds to the modern, spare look. I love the "From La Brea to Fairfax on Pico" photo series on the wall. In one photo, a guy stands in front of a wall of skateboards. He's wearing large black sunglasses and is clad entirely in black, down to the black Chucks on his feet. In another a woman, who looks as though she could be a model, is caught mid-pose in front of the High Fashion $5.99 Clothing Store.
Pico is an interesting street visually, and these photos make you want to explore it.
I was comfortable using my laptop even though Bloom feels more like a restaurant to me. But I noticed that other customers were on their computers too. Wi-Fi is free. Servers don't hurry you along in an effort to get the table to turn over faster, which is a beautiful thing. Patrons seem to be regulars from the neighborhood or workers from local businesses on their lunch hour. It's a hip looking crowd.
Music is a little on the new-agey side, but I can live with it.
The food is tasty. It's an organic, green-feeling kind of place. I ordered the Santa Fe Scramble: scrambled eggs, chicken chorizo, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos. Salad and toast on the side. It was a ton of food and very reasonably priced. Normally I'm the queen of eating half and taking the rest home, but this time I ate every scrap. I wasn't planning to return to port, as it were, until the evening, and I needed fuel.
Service is good and friendly. The server asked me how I liked my food and was delighted that I was happy.
But why did I get a plastic cup for my water, when everyone else had glass? Did I look as though I wouldn't be staying? It's all about the experience of the place -- which includes a small detail like whether I'm eating with a plastic fork or drinking from a plastic cup. I didn't make a fuss, however, because I actually liked the way the cup looked. I've already mentioned that the place seemed green. Of course the "plastic" cup was made from plants and wasn't plastic at all. The water is flavored with cucumber, just as at a spa. The espresso is okay.
Bloom has an extensive repertoire of fresh squeezed juices and smoothies. I think I had the "Focus" (beet, celery, apple juice, ginger, lemon) on a previous visit. It was delicious.
Metered parking on Pico. Ample street parking on the side streets in the neighborhood.
As I finish my scramble, I hear a customer say "Thank you best friend." "Thank you sir, see you soon," the server replies. And then a chorus of goodbyes.
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