I found myself at Animal over the weekend for brunch. The items have sort of been calling to me, so I ordered all of the interesting looking ones haha It’s a pretty awesome brunch place, and shockingly easy to walk into.
The cornmeal waffle comes dressed in syrup, just enough to keep it crispy, plus a heap of coconut-laden butter and wonderful strawberries. Awesome waffle. Very addictive in its crispy, sweet, vaguely tropical and fruity flavor combination. I inhaled the thing haha
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPkCBrE0I7/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
The Pastrami Reuben Benedict is an absolutely fabulous creation that I wish was on their dinner menu. They make everything themselves. Their pastrami tastes really similar to Gjusta’s, so I thought they might just import it, but they do make it themselves. Their sauerkraut is also really tart, and awesome, some of the best I’ve had in LA, and very much needed with the fat from the pastrami, with the torch-melted cheese, and the creamy hollandaise, and the gooey egg yolk haha The super thick slice of hearty bread holds up shockingly well to all of this. One of the most addictive benedicts I’ve ever had. Would eat this all the time if available at night time. Fucking brilliant.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPkMatE0JM/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
The boner burger…why did I order this at brunch when I could get it at night?? I was just craving it damn it! And it’s pretty tasty, kind of like a patty melt, but with the usual meat-to-rye-bread ratio reversed, and a ton of really good poblano sauce on it. Also, the bone marrow in the burger helps it be incredibly tender, and fatty. Winner.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPkQsyk0JU/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Chilaquiles looked awesome and added some much-needed spiciness to my meal. A friend says they are horrible because they use tortilla chips instead of tortillas to soak in the sauce, but as far as I know this is what chilaquiles are in LA (just probably not in Mexico I guess?). For me, heat level was perfect, but could be too much for some people I guess. I was surprised by it, in a good way. I loved the crunchy housemade chips, and tangy, spicy sauce with soft eggs. Nothing to complain about for me, although no meat, and it is $14…kind of feel like they could’ve put some chicken in there for the price.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPkVmDk0Jb/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
The sleeper hit though is their cinnamon rolls. Holy shit. The PERFECT cinnamon roll frosting, and the perfect amount of it. Everything about their cinnamon rolls is just perfect in terms of proportions and flavors. GOD DAMN. I am glad a server mentioned this to me as I was finishing up. They almost couldn’t believe I could still eat more, but I had to try it, and it was incredible. I am not sure I have ever had a cinnamon roll quite as good as this; it was like the cinnamon roll I always eat in my dreams, but just assumed all actual versions fell short of because, you know, it’s a dream version…
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDPkZEWk0Ji/?taken-by=compulsiveaesthete
Basically, it’s fucking Animal, they’re fucking ballers, and they make a fucking baller brunch. Just go.
