WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND BRUNCH AT CLEO

Michael Hepworth

Los Angeles(Perfect Meal Today) 1/11/20Cleo restaurant at the ORLANDO HOTEL in Los Angeles almost has a West Hollywood feel on a recent Saturday brunch visit. It felt a bit loud and noisy when first entering, but we were able to snag a quieter spot to sit down and a conversation then easily ensued. The food can loosely be described as Mediterranean/California style, which meant an appetizer choice of Crispy Buttermilk Calamari ($14) and Oysters ($20 half), or $40 for a full plate.

Both dishes were perfect for sharing and the Calamari in particular was extremely light and tender. It was accompanied by a spiced tomato relish, garlic aioli, oregano and capers. This version of calamari ranked pretty high for a dish that can vary greatly restaurant to restaurant. Another appetizer checked out was the very healthy tasting Green Kale and Quinoa Bowl ($12) with a Green Goddess dressing.

Other house items on the weekend brunch menu are the Veggie and Denver Omelette ($14), Ricotta Pancakes or Waffle ($16), Avocado Toast ($14) and the Eggs & More ($16). This very popular item consists of two eggs any style with twice cooked potatoes & tzatziki, roasted tomatoes and either bacon or chicken apple sausage.

Looking back now I regret not going for the Moroccan style Chicken Sandwich on a Ciabatta Roll ($14) with apricot mustard, house pickles, Napa cabbage and a herb salad. Sticking with the Mediterranean theme Of Cleo, the burger is a 7oz Marrow patty on a brioche bun adorned with A fried sunny side up egg, crumbled feta, harissa, frisee and pickled Shallots.

Casamigos Tequila, green cold pressed juice and lime

Passion Violette, featuring Tito’s Vodka, egg whites, passion fruit and lemon

For a main course we selected another sharing dish, the Artisanal Pizza ($15) A Funghi with mushrooms, smoked bacon, fior di latte, arugula and truffle oil. The drinks menu here is pretty creative and I went for the Green Spiked Clover, a potent mix of Casamigos Tequila, green cold pressed juice and lime. The other drink special on that particular day was the Passion Violette, featuring Tito’s Vodka, egg whites, passion fruit and lemon. These special cocktails are reasonably priced at $12 as is the house Bloody Mary. The Spritz comes in at $13 and the bottomless Mimosa is priced at $18 with a two hour maximum drinking time. Executive chef in charge of the whole show is Jan Claudio