LA city guide: A walking tour of Eagle Rock (2024)

9am

Grab a table at Pat and Lorraine’s, the diner that served gangsters played by Harvey Keitel and Steve Buscemi in the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs. Career waitresses pour bottomless mugs of coffee that steam alongside thick, fluffy omelets. Servings are anything but skimpy at Pat’s, so prepare to get stuffed on a monstrous portion of bacon or one of their signature Mexican breakfasts.

After all that eating, you’ll definitely need a walk, so leg it up the street to Old 55, a vintage furniture store that puts a modern spin on old-school desks, tables, mirrors and electronics. After browsing the best home furnishings from years past, head to Toros Pottery, a boutique gallery featuring pottery handmade by owner and proprietor, Toros Tngrian. Browsing the works on display here may inspire you to sign up for a class: Toros offers a variety of group pottery-making workshops that are open to the public ($110 for 3 hours).

Next, head to the Zweet Station, a specialty candy and soda store housed inside a former auto-body shop. Find virtually any Jones Soda flavor, Sprecher Root Beers, Mexican Pepsis and co*kes made with pure cane sugar, plus an obscure assortment of taffies, gums and chocolates available for the scooping. Feel free to hang out and enjoy a cup of coffee or surf the web with Zweet’s free wi-fi network.

Noon

Ready for lunch? Head to Señor Fish for your choice of light and healthy or thick and hearty Ensenada-style seafood that’s always fresh. You’ll be presented with a myriad of options, but your best bet is a combination plate featuring fish of your choice, fresh salad and fries ($9-$14). If fish isn’t your thing, try the giant shrimp and scallop burrito ($7.45, fried or grilled) and enjoy it on the spacious, sunlit patio with a margarita or beer. If it’s American-style fast food you’re after, journey over to Oinkster for some extra-decadent takes on American classics by local chef Andre Guerrero. Order a slow-roasted pulled BBQ pork sandwich ($7), crispy Belgian-style fries ($2.25-$3.25)and, of course, a local draft beer. The Coffee Table has lots of decidedly healthy options like wraps, sandwiches and salads. Try the BLTA wrap ($9.50) or chopped chicken breast salad ($10.50). And be sure to note that the Coffee Table has a lounge with a full bar that opens nightly at 5pm. Auntie Em’s Kitchen also offers a varied lunch meu, including vegetarian tortas ($10.50), Indian-spiced chickpea sandwiches ($9.95) and country meatloaf ($12.50). If you can afford a bit of a splurge, check out Cacao Mexicatessen, a little eatery offering dishes such as duck confit tacos ($4.15 each) and shredded venison sopes ($7.25 each). If you’re not too full from fresh chips and tasty homemade salsas, top off your meal with a champurrado (Mexican drinking chocolate).

After you’re all grubbed up and ready to go, cross the street to Permanent Records, which stocks a wide selection of pop, post-punk, rock & roll and hip-hop LPs from scores of artists old and new. This West coast outlet of the Chicago-based record store (and label) is also engaged in the community, putting on shows with touring and local bands most Saturdays at 8pm. More into the visual arts? Trot back down Colorado to Jose Vera Gallery, a sprawling two-room art space that features paintings usually pertaining to California and Chicano themes. You’ll be mesmerized by the sheer volume of art in the gallery, as retail items range from furniture and metalwork to ceramics and scores of other mediums.

3pm

6pm

9pm