On weekends or even weekdays after a long day, I like to escape campus (if only for a little bit) and treat myself to some of LA’s finest foods, coffee joints, bakeries etc. Found in a sort of a small, artisan community of restaurants downtown, my favorite place in Los Angeles that I’ve recently discovered is Pie Hole.

Right across the street from Wurstkuche (another favorite of mine), a German inspired restaurant with anything ranging from pork to rattlesnake and rabbit sausage, Pie Hole is a quaint pastry and coffee shop.  The great thing about Pie Hole (besides the pies and coffee, of course) is its proximity to numerous great restaurants – making the trip off campus a one-stop shop for a fantastic dinner and desert. If you are not in the mood for Wurstkuche for dinner then your other options include all-you-can-eat sushi at Zip Fusion or delicious burgers at Umami. Saving the best for last, you cap the night off with a slice of pie – pumpkin, Mexican chocolate, pecan, maple custard, chocolate crostata or my favorite double crust apple pie.

Pies galore!

Pies galore!

Pie Hole doesn’t just have to be your post-dinner pastry stop. They also have some of the best coffee in the area, in my opinion. I think their cold-drip caramel latte is absolutely perfect and beats anything I could get at Startbucks, Coffee Bean or even Urth Caffe. Pie Hole also has a few “savory pies,” like the pocket pie or the mac ‘n’ cheese hand pie – need I say more? Although the atmosphere is a little busy and the interior is relatively small, the music is great and the tables are just the perfect size for a laptop, notebook and a coffee. Pie Hole is also very close to campus and has free street parking, which makes it very easy to get a ride at any time of the day or night from campus to Pie Hole. I’m looking forward to trying out their breakfast sometime soon, which I’ve heard is fantastic and makes having the coffee then even better. With such a funny name, friendly staff, and fantastic food, Pie Hole easily tops my chart for favorite place in LA.

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photo– Maisie