Saturday morning my cousins Alex and Bill took me out to the Starling Cafe, voted one of the best brunch places in Long Beach. It is a cute place, reminding me of the now-defunct Miss Millie’s on 24th Street in San Francisco.
Thankfully, by the time we arrived the breakfast crowds had thinned and we had no wait for a table. The menu had all the usual suspects including a French Toast that they claimed was absolutely unlike any French Toast you had ever eaten before: stuffed with marscapone cheese, the baguette was dipped in creme anglaise and then broiled instead of the usual frying.
The French Toast, above, was absolutely every bit as good as they claimed with a nice light crunch on the outside and a moist but not soggy interior. With plenty of fresh berries and some whipped cream, it was a nice treat.
There were several scrambles, too. This one was a smoked salmon scramble that was very tasty. Alex had a pulled pork scramble that had some of the tenderest barbeque pork shoulder I’ve had.
A trio of cousins, Chris, Alex and Bill. Would you believe she’s already six months along? Barely showing!
Afterwards, we made a few stops in and around Long Beach, cruising down Second Street and seeing the sights.
Looking towards the harbor with an oil tanker off in the distance.
A beautiful dog in a stylish kerchief waits for her owner at a sidewalk cafe.
A pair of cats wait for adoption outside a pet store. They were sitting in the shade and were huddled together as if they were chilly.
Saturday afternoon I drove to Culver City to visit my high school friend Lalima and her husband Aaron and son Devin. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures but had a fun time visiting with them and eating a fresh peach pie they had bought especially for me to enjoy. Oh, summer fruits!
Saturday evening I met Gary, W and Eric for dinner. It was so fantastic that I’m going to wait and give it its own entry… stay tuned.
christao408 
love that french toast! there’s a place called “subeez” close to where i live – their french toast looks similar to the one in your picture, except it had extra maple syrup on the side =)
The food looks very good and I like how comfortable the place looks too. Aww… those cats look so cuddly.
what neat memories you are making. My dad worked in Culver City for Hughes Aircraft for years and then we moved here to Texas. My sister lives near the dog park in Lakewood.
Interesting twist on the French toast, looks very good! Your cousin is hardly showing she’s six months pregnant! Congrats to Alex+Bill!!
The cafe looks cute and the food awesome…
yay!!!
I have those white plates at home…How much longer will you be in LA?
@Wangium – Have already left and am in KC now.@Dezinerdreams – It was very cute.@curry69curry – I’ll pass your congratulations along.@Jillycarmel – So you know that area quite well.@ElusiveWords – Yes, the place was really comfortable. Are you more of a cat person or equal opportunity?@onmovement – And, really, the maple syrup was what was missing.
I’m more of a cat person. (I’m sure someone will analyze this and draw some conclusions about me).
yes and it’s really a nice place to visit
Oh gosh, that dog is uber cute!! I’m in the mood for some of that scrambled egg and potatoes just about now. 🙂
yum, that french toast looks amazing. i don’t think the cats are cold (considering this is long beach); i think they just enjoy snuggling!
Chris, so enviable of your exciting trip to share with us. You make feel I am the backseat passenger with your running commentary. I am a dessert person and the delicious berries bring me back to Toronto and London where I had eaten as much as my tummy can withstand it! I love the pictures of the dog (sure Stephanie will go for it, wow, wow) and the cats surely appeal to my daughter, Isa. May I share your picture with her?? I will tune in for sure….
@ElusiveWords – Not much to analyze. Just means you like cats. Well, it actually means a whole lot more, but let’s not get into it… LOL@brooklyn2028 – Yes, the dog was adorable.@kunhuo42 – That might be it, although they were in a shady and somewhat breezy porch in front of a Petco.@susanloo2002 – Susan, feel free to share the pictures and the entries with whomever you like. Glad you’re along for the ride!
Thanks Chris for your generosity and have a lovely evening
Great photos – of food and animals! The French Toast looks and sounds too good… Are you going to try to recreate it? I bet Tawn would like it.
A lovely day, lovely pics. You captured it. 🙂 California Dreamin’ !
@jojobaDESIGNS – Thanks