Long weekends are made for beaching and brunching, and that’s exactly what we did during the recent Labor Day holiday. In the past, we’ve beached in Venice and Manhattan Beach and brunched at A-Frame and M.B. Post, respectively. This weekend, we decided to see if brunch at Love & Salt was as great as dinner. The Astronomer, June, and I were joined by my cousins Jackie and Jessica, who were visiting from The Bay.

The restaurant serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 3 PM. The menu includes a little bit of everything, including a few favorites from Chef Michael Fiorelli’s beloved dinner menu.

A meal at Love & Salt wouldn’t be complete without an order of the house-made English muffins ($8) served with rosemary- and sea salt-topped cultured butter. Warm and toasty, the English muffins were a definite crowd-pleaser.

Quite possibly even more popular with the table were the warm Italian donuts ($8) piped with Nutella. Served warm from the fryer, the bombolini were pillowy, decadent wonders.

Moving on to mains, we shared the “Duck Egg Pie” ($20). The plethora of toppings—pancetta, panna, potato, rosemary, mozzarella, parmesan—made for a seriously savory pizza.

Also on deck were ricotta pancakes ($4 each) topped with lemon curd and a blueberry compote. The addition of ricotta made these flapjacks more delicate and moist than your average buttermilks, which is a good thing in my book.

We also couldn’t resist ordering the trottole ($19), curly-cue noodles dressed with roasted garlic, parsley, Parmesan, and table-side bone marrow. Our lips were slicked with goodness with every bite.

To finish, a slice of “Warm Local Nectarine Cake” ($8) with whipped mascarpone and thyme…

…and a luscious cupful of “Brown Sugar Pudding” ($9) with whipped cream, cocoa nibs, and sea salt.

Who loves beaching and brunching? We do!

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Love & Salt
317 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone: 310-545-5252

One year ago: Welcome to the Suburban Years
Two years ago: The Trails Cafe at Griffith Park – Los Angeles
Three years ago: 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria – Pasadena
Four years ago: Shanghainese Home Cooking at Lánxīn Cāntīng – Shanghai
Five years ago: {swoon} Double Cheeseburger at Hawkins House of Burgers
Six years ago: Saigon Classic: Bún Bò Huế Yên Đỗ
Seven years ago: L.A. County Fair 2010 – Pomona
Eight years ago: Blue Hill at Stone Barns – Pocantico Hills
Nine years ago: Muscadine Cobbler
Ten years ago: Vegetation Profile: Ambarella
Eleven years ago: Field Greens with Craisins, Mandarin Oranges, Goat Cheese & Balsamic Vinaigrette