LAReview
Food Lab
This spot is Permanently Closed.
I know every argument against this place. It’s overpriced. It’s got more types of kombucha than other kinds of drinks combined. It’s basically a spin class where someone forgot to bring the bikes that day. And absolutely all of that is true. But guess what? They have gummy bears. Why does that matter?
It matters in the same way that Tom Cruise’s role in Tropic Thunder mattered. In the middle of him being vilified in the press, cast as the archetypal serious, crazy, Hollywood actor, he took a role that was both a direct mockery of that world, and seriously funny. The greatest thing a serious actor can do is to remind us that Hollywood is not all that serious (especially when the public is turning on them).
And that’s what those gummy bears accomplish. This place has good food that you pay a lot for. The sandwich menu is great, with portions that are on the small side because of course they are. And while it manages to get its fair share of eye rolls from people when suggested as a lunch spot, by the counter you will find the following types of gummies – worms, bears, sours, letters, melons, and peaches. And to us, that makes the place entirely bear-able. That’s a gummy bear pun.