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Well look who just showed up. After a long gestation period (beginning, really, more than a year ago), Croft Alley on Melrose Place looks to be fully operational, with an all day range of breakfast, lunch, charcuterie and more filling dinner options.
It’s a pretty wild set up at Croft, which is literally tucked behind Alfred Coffee on Melrose Place — think of it as the alley off the alley. The vibe is best described as rustic chic, with rough hewn boards as tabletops, scuffed metal everywhere, and mismatched seating. It’s charming in the way that Echo Park’s Dinette is; you just have to be comfortable with hard-backed chairs, a little bit of rust, and eating lunch next to some potholes.
The food, for its part, comes from Phuong Tran, formerly of Willie Jane, and features everything from tuna melts to kale salad to prosciutto and burrata. Things change frequently, of course, as one ingredient falls out of season or Tran starts to feel restless. Overall, the menu offers a fresh take on a classic diner spot, upgrading every element of the dish and dropping in fresh-pressed juice instead of hot cups of bad coffee.
Croft Alley
8428 Melrose Pl.
Los Angeles, CA 90069