ALICE
BOMB BRUNCH AT NEW MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT

I find two of my favorite pastimes to be so relaxing. I’m talking about hotel dining and weekend brunch. Put the two together and you have the perfect recipe for a long, perfect afternoon. Such was the case when I went to brunch at Alice at the posh 1 Hotel West Hollywood on trendy Sunset Boulevard.

If you’re looking for chic, swank and fun, then get to know Alice as well as Harriet at 1 Hotel West Hollywood. Alice is the new market place restaurant concept by The h.wood Group, and Harriet’s is the rooftop bar that everyone is clamoring to get into.

The cuisine at Alice is fresh, seasonal and locally sourced. Step inside Alice and you’ll notice the market and cozy café where you can shop for artisanal wines, oysters from the raw bar, and charcuterie boards. If you’re on-the-go, then the ready-made sandwiches and chopped salads are a quick and convenient option.

Go past the marketplace and you’ll find the dining room and outdoor patio. We opted for brunch on the patio as it offers a great, woodsy feel. The tall structures offered shade and the chopped wood and plant life made you feel lost in the city. It was the best possible escape.

And brunch isn’t brunch, in my opinion, unless you start with a Bloody Mary and Alice’s Farmers Market Bloody Mary with Elyx Vodka, tomato, chipotle pepper, celery, shiro dashi, and lemon is the perfect way to start. This has to be one of the best Bloody Mary’s in town (it’s up there with Terra at Eataly).

Made in the shade with a good drink in hand and appreciating our woodsy surroundings, we started brunch with the Breakfast Burrito with cheddar cheese, salsa roja, scrambled eggs, avocado, bacon, and tater tots. Tater tots! Need I say more? Fries would have made it a California Burrito and the tots made it just so damn good. It’s a filling, bad-boy burrito for $12.

To me, another defining aspect of a bafo brunch is that it has to be boozy. So after our Bloody Mary we ordered the Brentwood with Drake’s Virginia Black Whiskey, Amaro di Angostura, charred white corn, lemon, and egg white. It’s a simple drink that went down easy and was optimal for day drinking.

However, if you really want to take you day drinking to another level, then order the Hollywood with Cruzan light rum, velvet falernum, cape gooseberry, lime, saline solution, and angostura bitters and/or the Boyle Heights with Don Julio silver tequila, Vida mezcal, Domaine de Canton, red beet, ginger, and lime. Now your day will really pick up.

The Hollywood is good tiki fun and the Boyle Heights just gets it right. The cocktails are crafted by Justin Campbell who did a really nice job with this menu.

Another great brunch option is the Croque Madame served on a brioche bun with mornay sauce (a béchamel sauce with shredded or grated Gruyère cheese) and fried egg. It’s a classic brunch dish for good reason.

If you find yourself more in lunch mode and want heartier fare, then you can’t go wrong with the “Slab” Brisket Sandwich with rye, Russian dressing, and coleslaw. Honestly, I thought this sandwich was better than the one I had a Slab. It was fantastic. It was so tender and tasty. You might think it’s pricey at $21 but if you want to treat yourself to a filling and fab sandwich, this is the one.

If you really want to go big, then opt for the Steak Frites with grilled skirt steak, Bordelaise sauce, and fries. You won’t regret it. And if you save room for dessert, options include cookies, and gelato. That combination just seemed sweet and perfect and not too gluttonous.

After our Saturday brunch, we rode the elevator to Harriet’s Rooftop, which opens at 3pm and took in the great city views, hungout and enjoyed a last round of drinks for the afternoon. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Time spent with Alice and Harriet was as good as it gets.

And be aware of Alice After Work as happy hour runs weekdays from 5pm to 6pm and everything is half off the menu.

Alice is located at 8490 W. Sunset. Blvd. in West Hollywood. Open daily from 10am to close. Call 424-281-1870.

Story By: Jose Martinez

Photography Courtesy Of: Alice