My new favorite

I picked the Dark Knight up from the airport Sunday morning. After dropping off his friend/flightmate Booker, we headed east on Pico, hungry and in desperate need of brunch. I pulled out my trusty Blackberry, scrolled through a few web pages, and ta-daa! Bloom.

Located on the not-so-genteel stretch of Pico between Fairfax and La Brea, the Dark Knight was concerned that I was leading him to an adventure in the 'hood. Not so, my dear superhero. Huge, colorful flowers are painted on the bright white walls, lit by track lighting. The warm smiles of the waitstaff welcomed us to a table for two right across from the pastry counter, beckoning us to try any of their baked goods, including the ubiquitous red velvet cupcakes.

With a breakfast menu focused mostly on magical egg dishes, the Dark Knight had little trouble choosing their chorizo omelette. "Real chorizo!" he exclaimed upon first bite. Served with a small salad of mixed baby greens and a bowl of fresh fruit (we picked out all the mango first), this breakfast was a real winner.

I had more trouble deciding on my order. With choices like Moroccan lamb pita, smoke salmon tartine, and heirloom tomato salad, it was hard to decide. I finally opted for the red curry chicken salad sandwich with fries. After one bite, I knew I had hit the jackpot--sweet bits of apple and raisin married perfectly with the creamy curry-tinged dressing and the freshly-baked whole wheat seeded bread.

I also had to try their much-lauded crushed mint lemonade, which was refreshing and not at all sweet. It was perfect for our warm Sunday brunch.

One of these days, the Dark Knight and I will be back to try their dinner menu, served from 5:00-10:00pm. Until then, I will refer to this neighborhood joint as my new favorite brunch place.