Finding the Best Breakfast Los Angeles has to offer: Sweet Butter

I learned a fun, new word today while out trying to find the best breakfast Los Angeles has to offer. “Epicurean” is one of those words that I’ve read plenty of times before but never heard out loud.

I’m mostly certain how to pronounce it. From context clues I’ve always assumed it described a middle-aged man with a twirly mustache and a leather apron who specializes in putting together charcuterie boards.

I can’t be the only one who has a perfectly vivid picture of that in their mind right now! I bet you’re even picturing the same round-lensed glasses as I am!

Turns out, the true meaning is a bit broader than that. Epicureanism is an ancient Greek philosophical system that originated with Epicuris (I swear, I’m not making this up). You can google it yourself if you have time for that particular rabbit-hole today. Essentially it advocates for the “tempered pursuit of simple pleasures”. I feel like that is an absolutely delightful way to describe Sweet Butter in Sherman Oaks.

The Setup

It takes a lot to be able to say you have the best breakfast in Los Angeles or the Valley; the options are nearly beyond counting and always changing! Today’s contender, Sweet Butter, is a quick-service restaurant right on Ventura Boulevard, with primarily outdoor seating.

Coming in, you immediately feel like you’re in some imagined European countryside. There’s lots of dark, weathered wood and old scroll-work sporting vines and potted plants. All of which is offset by much more vibrant colors and plenty of natural light. 

I have the millennial’s traditional aversion to clutter. But while the market space in the interior is quite full, it is inviting. As hungry as we were coming in, we still found ourselves drawn to browse through all the little treasures for five minutes before putting in our order. 

We didn’t get a chance to look in the back at at point. The place feels like everything is made by a pack of kindly old grannies, though.

If you’re out on the patio that runs along Ventura Boulevard or Matilija Avenue then there’s no real fooling yourself that you’re anywhere other than in LA. But if you’re at one of the tables tucked into the interior of the property there’s this immediate sense of calm, quiet, and home.

Sweet Butter is typically quite busy, but they do a great job of isolating the quick-service setup from those who are already seated and enjoying their food.

It’s always nice to not have the folks in line scoping out your table and being annoyed at you for not “tempering your pursuit of simple pleasures” a bit faster.

The Food

The Good

• The Smoked Salmon. Sidney fully endorses this smoked salmon. My darling grew up on an island where it’s one of their major exports – even the airport is full of fancy cedar boxes of the stuff to sell to tourists. I’ve not yet been to one of her family gatherings that had fewer than three different varieties of salmon on offer. Trust Sidney.

• Portion Sizes. While the decor might have you expecting something tiny, delicate, and French – the portion sizes at Sweet Butter are certainly not tiny. We have ordered too much every single time we’ve come here. The side-plate of breakfast potatoes is a meal all in itself. I tried to keep it light one morning and got the parfait – I couldn’t even finish half of it. That thing was loaded!

• The Parfait. As mentioned above, this thing is big. Come hungry or don’t come at all. I appreciate that the mint is well-spread throughout and not just a decorative sprig thrown on top. They also didn’t skimp on the berries or try to flesh it out with cheaper options like bananas, apples, or melon.

• The Matcha Lemonade. Sidney, our resident Mistress of Matcha, really enjoyed this. I had too many landscaping jobs in my early years to ever enjoy anything that has grass in its flavor profile. It’s a visually striking layered drink, but I couldn’t help but look at it and think that it was a great way to mess up a perfectly good lemonade. Sidney found it to be fun and very well-balanced. Again, Trust Sidney.
• The Coffee. I feel that it goes without saying, but I’ll repeat it here anyway: a great breakfast menu doesn’t excuse bad coffee. There are so many options in LA for breakfast and brunch; coffee is our easy pass/fail litmus test. Sweet Butter passed.
• The SB Breakfast Sandwich. No surprises in the mix here: Bacon, egg, tomato, arugula, bread. Each of its elements were great, with the bacon being phenomenal. Truly, anything with this Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Bacon on it is going to be a winner.

The Mid

• The French Toast. I just found it a bit plain, which is hard for me to say of any dish that includes real maple syrup. Call me crazy, but I also tend to prefer my French toast to be made with something a little denser than brioche.

• The Breakfast Potatoes. Again, we just found them to be a bit plain. We appreciated the sauteed peppers in there, but the potatoes themselves are straight from the deep fryer and under-seasoned.

The Ugly

• The Avocado Toast. Painfully under-seasoned. Avocado needs salt. It is pretty much just plant-based lard, and humans need salt with their lard. They used so much lemon juice on this to try and brighten up the avocado (and keep it from browning) but without salt it just lacks depth. Worse, acids like lemon and lime actually reduce the effects of salt on a dish. Ever put too much salt in a soup? Lemon juice will bring the salt level down quickly and easily without having to dilute your soup with water or stock.

Summary

Sweet Butter has our breakfast essentials covered. The salmon, bacon, coffee, bread, and portion sizes are all beyond reproach. The proteins especially, really stood out here.

We couldn’t find fault in the presentation of any of the dishes; the checkout-slash-market space is kitschy and inviting; the decor was thoughtful and relaxing; and the people-watching was genuinely top-notch. On our second visit there was some sort of manufactured paparazzi event where two celebrities we didn’t recognize at all were trying to make it look as if they were still on speaking terms while whenever the cameras weren’t on them they occupied complete opposite ends of the restaurant. It was a fun LA moment for us, as recently arrived as we are.

Sweet Butter will remain a solid option on our list for the best breakfast Los Angeles and the Valley have to offer, and we still have to test out their brunch basics – mimosas and hollandaise! Stay tuned!

Much love,

Thomas and Sidney