It doesn’t get any more L.A. than venturing out for a plant-based brunch in Highland Park, but alas, here we are. With veganish in-laws in town and bellies to be filled, Kitchen Mouse proved to be the perfect call this Sunday afternoon. While the line looked intimidatingly long when we arrived, service was prompt and food arrived before we knew it.

Complimentary bread is always appreciated. Kitchen Mouse’s cornbread muffins with strawberry jam made for a nice lil’ nibble while we waited for our main courses.

The Astronomer’s parents were also curious to try a few of the baked goods from the pastry counter. The carrot cake muffin and the coffee cake muffin were as tasty as the cornbread.

While my mother-in-law dug into awesomely meaty jackfruit “crab” cakes and my father-in-law settled into a full English breakfast, I selected Jo’s Breakfast Sandwich ($10.50) with two fried eggs on griddled millet toast with smashed avocado, arugula, chipotle, chili lemon dressing, and black sesame seeds.

While I liked my sandwich very, very much, my fork kept returning to The Astronomer’s Snickerdoodle pancakes ($12.50). Made from a trio of flours—oat, buckwheat, and corn—these pancakes proved heftier and denser than the average short stack in the very best way. The finishing touches, a dusting of cinnamon-coconut sugar and a dollop of cinnamon-coconut sugar butter, made for the kind of rich and decadent brunch-time sweet that forks are unable to resist.

The Astronomer and I have been trying our best to eat less meat for environmental reasons this past year, so it’s really nice to have a solid option like Kitchen Mouse nearby.

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Kitchen Mouse
5904 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone: 323-259-9555

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Three years ago: Smooth sailing in the Canadian Rockies
Four years ago: Christina Tosi’s Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies
Five years ago: Slacker
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Seven years ago: Maximiliano – Los Angeles (Highland Park)
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Nine years ago: Eat My Blog Summer 2010: “It’s a really fancy bake sale!”
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