Auntie Em's Kitchen   

The low-key but hip eastside neighborhood of Eagle Rock may have the greatest per-capita concentration of breakfast joints of anywhere in Los Angeles. But even amongst plentiful competition, Auntie Em's stands tall. Opened as the bricks-and-mortar outlet of a longtime entertainment industry caterer (and former punk rocker), Em's wasted little time in attracting a loyal clientele for their breakfast, lunch, desserts and once-monthly "market" dinner events. What Em's does might be considered "the basics," but how they do them makes all the difference. Breakfasts, which focus on orange French toast, blueberry pancakes and creative egg dishes with various meats are truly things of beauty (and usually just a little too much to finish). The home fries are nearly addictive. Lunch sandwiches are hearty but fresh (virtually everything here is housemade) and their salads are elegant enough to seem out of place in the kitschy seat-yourself storefront. At both meals, vegetarians will actually be pleased to see they have more than one option. Prices may be just slightly higher than the competition, but the difference in quality is clear. Service is not only friendly, but familiar. If possible, leave room for desserts, which is where Em's truly stands alone. Classic recipes -- coconut, chocolate and red velvet cakes, peach cobbler, brownies, fruit pies, etc -- always look and taste homemade, in the best way possible. Not an easy feat, considering they seem to sell out of one thing or another every day. There is outdoor seating both out front and in back, and in late 2005, Auntie Em's added a small gourmet market with small batch treats. Em's also still does catering, with a full menu of tasty party bites not available at the restaurant.