so i can’t believe i totally forgot to blog about novel cafe, especially since it’s one of my fave places in westwood. seeing as how i don’t go very often, it might seem surprising to hear me say that. but honestly, it’s mainly b/c the portions are so big! i have to be seriously hungry before it’s worth going there. seeing as how leftovers usually end up in the trash (yeah, i know, so wasteful. sorry, sarah!), i don’t want to go unless i think i’m going to be able to make it through the entire entree. logical, right? right.
anyways, lunch was w/katie and i know she’s a pretty healthy eater, so i thought this would be the perfect place to head back to. (especially since i hadn’t gotten a chance to blog about it yet!) and when i saw and passed the super long line for free burritos at chipotle, i knew i was right!
there are two things that really make novel cafe AMAZING. first of all, the menu is tremendous. it goes on and on and on, and EVERYTHING looks good. there’s pretty much no wrong option. i won’t guarantee anything (for fear of getting called out for false advertising), but i’m pretty sure that you’ll find something good about whatever you end up ordering. second, they’re just really organic and healthy. on top of there being so many things to choose from, all of them are (or at least sound) totally natural. i seriously don’t think you can go wrong.
for this meal, katie and i were pretty much in synch and totally ended up choosing things the other person had considered ordering. i ended up getting the mushroom soup (one of my faves) and the goat cheese sandwich on wheat (w/eggplant & spinach). katie chose the white bean soup and the grilled cheese sandwich on wheat (w/cheddar). since both sandwiches were pretty similar, we ended up swapping halves so we could sample each of them. (personally, i’d had both before and neither failed to live up to expectations!)
my mushroom soup was totally vegan (no cream) and absolutely DELISH. it’s totally one of my faves, but i suppose the best things can go downhill if made incorrectly. to be sure, this version was awesome. and it went down the hatch super quick! especially since it was a nippy day. the goat cheese sandwich was the perfect marriage of flavors in b/w two crispy wheat slices. (i can’t believe i missed out on eggplant when i was younger, b/c this vegetable is absolute decadence when made well.) mmm.... the grilled cheese was also divine in all its melt-ey glory. personally, i could’ve done w/o the tomato (which ruins the simplicity of the sandwich), and i know paul would’ve demanded even sharper cheddar. however, given these limitations, i’ve still never been disappointed.
sitting outside is definitely the least claustrophobic, though you should certainly demand the heat lamps be turned on if you’re nippy or, worse yet, frigid. the inside lower level is ok too, but often cluttered w/people working on laptops who you may or may not want to disturb. the inside upper level is better for single parties, who just want to eat and work and not be distracted. it’s definitely more of a coffee/study area upstairs, but nice if that’s what you’re looking for.
the last time i had lunch here, i was w/jess and she loved her veggie sandwich. (i swear i’ve got to try that soon, especially while i’m on my veggie kick! that and the BLT – *IIPE*) and i think i ordered one of the two sandwiches above. i’ve also ordered the super huge cobb salad (my all-time fave salad) and various breakfast entrees, all of which have failed to disappoint. (btw, the salad list online definitely doesn’t do this place justice. you’ll just have to go check out the menu in person!) drink-wise, i’m generally prone to iced tea (if not plain water w/lemon), but i’ve had their blended green tea drink before. and while it doesn’t hold up to coffee bean’s green tea iced blendz, it was still pretty delish. then again, i think anything green tea-flavored is pretty delish.
all in all, i think we had a pretty fabulous and yummy lunch. i swear, we looked down and it’d been over two hours! thanks to katie’s fascinating storytelling abilities, of course. (kudos, katie!)
for yummy organic....
novel cafe
1101 gayley ave
los angeles, ca 90024
310.208.6410
http://www.novelcafe.com/
FYI that the link is actually for the original novel cafe in santa monica, but don't let the address fool you, the menu's pretty much exactly the same!
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