Melrose. Beverly Hills. Santa Monica. DTLA. Pasadena. And now, Laguna Beach. Southern California brunch spot Urth Caffé is a favorite for those who love any and all baked goods, tasty and healthy salads, and the staple of every college student's morning routine, coffee. While we all know that Urth's scones and paninis are top-notch, I'm here to assist in the search for the foodie items that you CAN'T miss next time you venture over to the Entourage boys' favorite all-day brunch locale.
Lattes
Now this might seem like an obvious one, but Urth's particular blend of exclusively organic, heirloom coffee that they've been brewing since 1989 should not be pushed to the wayside. The coffee is strong, visually appealing (be it doves, leaves, or paws sitting atop your frothy beverage), and is half off on Monday mornings (along with tea and espresso too). Go for the Honey Vanilla Latte for a hint of something sweet without pushing your sugar craving too far over the edge that you get a headache.
French Toast
It's mid-morning, you're driving down the 101, Phantom Planet theme-song to The. O.C.-style, and you've finally made into the seaside town of Laguna Beach. What could make your trip better? A thick slab of brioche so warm and gooey inside but with a crust crispy enough on the outside that your friends can't help but steal a bite of your new Urth go-to. Sorry to crush your hearts, folks, but this morning treat indeed is only offered at the "Cottage" location in Laguna, Beach. Hey, at least you'll get to see a gorgeous view of the Pacific and a mosaic "Urth."
Urth Bread Pudding Breakfast
Sugar, spice, and...pudding? This last breakfast dish, a bowl of cinnamon enriched, dough-y bread pudding with caramelized bananas on top is a meal I only discovered on my last trip to Urth with my roommate. You can feel like a kid again and pour some milk over the pastry to your heart's content of drenched-ness or just order a slab of the pudding on its own sans banana at the counter. Either way, you're in for a fun surprise that you might not have noticed the first time glancing at the menu (I definitely didn't).
Sunrise Pizza
Now, onto the more lunch-tailored items. People say there's a cutoff to when it's acceptable to eat breakfast food, be it waffles, eggs, bacon, what have you. However, I am of the sort that can eat pancakes for dinner and be satisfied. Urth's Sunrise Pizza combines the best of both worlds: you can have your savory pizza with all the fixings of bread, mozzarella, and red sauce. But with Urth's take on the breakfast pizza, you can slice into your poached egg and munch on an assortment of sausage, pancetta, and roasted potatoes after you splash a bit of parmesan to add some extra sharpness too. If you're legitimately in a "brunch" kind of mood, this dish sums up that mentality perfectly.
Urth Salad with Side Hummus and Pita
You're at a café, but if you want to order something a little on the healthy side, the Urth salad with added chicken is the way to go. You can order a half or full portion (depending on how hungry you are), but nonetheless, you will enjoy an ample serving of garbanzo beans, pine nuts, mixed greens, Kalamata olives (be mindful, they're pitted), Roma tomatoes and feta cheese. To get in the real Mediterranean mindset, add a side of hummus and pita to your order. The hummus is thick with an added kick of spice, and with the pita, you can make yourself little salad sandwiches too. A healthy starter before the grand finale of...
Pumpkin Pie
...the Holy Grail of Urth Caffé desserts. All the locations serve this baby year-round, and if you ask my friend Carter and I, or any person who has tasted a morsel of this delicacy, you will realize it is not just an ordinary pumpkin pie. The crust is thick with a graham cracker-meets-cinnamon texture. The pie filling is of a moist pudding consistency that feels like the fall season is giving you a warm hug, but you've gobbled up your slice so quickly you barely even noticed. And you CANNOT forget to add the house-made whipped cream on top. Sorry, Reddi Whip, but there really is no competition here.
While this list is a compilation of the must-haves, you really can't go wrong when you go to Urth Caffé. Whether you order a kids' PB&J (and get free bananas and strawberries on the side) or a custom-made pie or Berries & Cream cake for a special occasion (they do Thanksgiving and birthdays, just look below!), you'll leave knowing you just paid a visit to one of the happiest places on Urth—and will be back again soon.