Square One: Great French Toast, Plum Topping and Ham

I ventured into the thick of hispterland for brunch at Square One, a solid breakfast and lunch joint smack across from a bright blue art deco building with an imposing sign that reads "SCIENTOLOGY." The wait is bad (20-30 minutes) unless you go before 10 but the line moves somewhat quickly because it has quite a bit of tables in its patio, which are the best tables in the house anyway.


I was torn on whether to get the French toast or baked eggs but I settled for French toast with a plum and almond topping and smoked ham on the side (gotta have my protein).

The brioche bread was delicious and the plums were super sweet and interesting since I'd never had it with French toast before. The French toast was browned just right with some crunchy edges.



The only thing I would have liked better was that the egg batter covering the toast be less sweet. I liked the crunchiness from the almonds but a tad sweet.

The prices are definitely on the higher side but it's obvious the cooks use fresh quality ingredients so it's worth it. The ham was  juicy and very salty, just like any ham should be. It was thick enough to satiate my craving for something meaty and savory to balance out the sweet carb I was having.

The outdoor patio is the perfect place for a Sunday brunch on a nice sunny LA day, which is pretty much any day.

The breakfast quesadilla with squash blossoms, feta cheese, jalapenos and scrambled eggs was ok but nothing fantastic. I liked the tomatillo salsa that came with it. The quesadilla came with a green salad (or choice of potatoes).

The restaurant also has breakfast tacos and I would definitely like to try the baked egg dishes.

The freshly squeezed orange juice was good, as was the service.

Besides the wait, most everything was positive.