Lunch at Puran's 142

It was time for a girls lunch out.

The last time DT, TW, and I got together was... my birthday back in October. Which meant we missed the Christmas holidays with each other, along with the annual Christmas gift exchange. It had been over four months since I bought and wrapped their gifts that I completely forgot what was inside the green and red gift wrapped presents. I hope it was something good.

DT is our food guru in the group, and we inevitably turn to her taste in food to choose our next restaurant adventure. Because of DT, I have an entire excel spreadsheet of good eats around LA and have tried places like Cafe Beaujolais, Triumphant Palace, Coral Tree Cafe, Violet, and so much more. She is my kindred spirit from our high school days of yesteryear, and my fashionista guide to what's good in the city.

Gas conscious, we carpooled for a Saturday lunch at Puran's on La Brea. It's too bad (or ingenious) that their storefront neon sign was white - the same color of the wall behind it. Because this small restaurant on the east side of the busy city street of La Brea, it's easy to miss it. In fact, we did and had to drive around the block another time. A secret little bistro tucked away at number 142.

Parking around this La Brea-Grove-3rd Street area can be tricky and traffic is often a headache. Lucky for us, we found metered parking right out front.



As we walked in, we were greeted with a chalkboard of daily lunch specials and a friendly server. The kitchen was open and visible in this narrow space. With a mirrored wall on one side, it gave the illusion of a bigger space. But really, there were a few white linened tables arranged in two dining areas, and we were seated at a round table for four by the storefront window.

Before we ordered, our attentive server brought us warm slices of fresh bread out of the oven that was crispy on the outside and deliciously soft in the center. Along with the bread, we were given little trays of dipping sauce. And not your ordinary dipping sauce of olive oil and balsalmic vinegar, but some heirloom tomato olive oil sauce with bits of fresh basil. I had a second helping, it was so good.

With a variety of organic menu items to choose from, it was difficult to make a decision and we made sure we ate plenty of bread while we perused the list of dishes. We started with the Filet Mignon Green Salad. Anything with Filet Mignon's gotta be good, and we weren't disappointed. Split amongst three, the portions were just right. Too bad that when all three of our entrees arrived, we were already full. My plate of Grilled Scallop Fettucine in Pesto Sauce (above) looked absolutely delicious. The seafood was cooked to light and buttery perfection, the noodles were al dente firm, and the pesto sauce was creamy and warm. A great combination. After two bites, I packed this baby to be eaten for dinner later. Too bad, the microwave reheat later that night made the pasta pasty and pretty bitter. Instead, I picked out the scallops and ate them with some Japanese white rice and shoyu.

Puran's
street: 142 la brea ave | los angeles ca | 90035
t: 1.323.933.5742