sarahclegg's Profile
LA MILL
I DID, as a matter of fact...after the sticker shock wore off a bit, I thought, well, maybe I can get my sandwich jambon fix here. I actually got really excited about it. With the Frenchified description on the menu...jambon de Paris...beurre salé... I thought it would be very traditional. I've been a big fan of that sandwich since I lived in Lyon in college. Well, I am sorry to report it was a grave disappointment. There was a massive pile of ham on the sandwich, about 3 times what you want. I actually removed most of it and ate it for breakfast the next day. Hardly any butter to speak of, instead of a nice thick smear. And the bread was pretty good, but in a sandwich this simple you need really great bread. So even if that sandwich was a reasonable $7 or $8 bucks I wouldn't order it again.
Still I might give something else there a try. The longer I'm in LA the more I realize there are a lot of stunningly overpriced items on menus, even of little neighborhood places like (say) Cafe Stella, where we went to dinner the other night. I know life is expensive in the big city and all, but it's a downer when you're used to getting better for cheaper in SF.
LA MILL
I'm actually a recent transplant from that excellent SF food scene, which is in part why I'm disappointed by the prices. It IS much harder to get a higher quality of food here, and charging $12 for a sandwich jambon is gouging--it don't cost that much at Bay Breads or Tartine in SF, which LA Mill can't hold a candle to. I'm happy to pay more for the good stuff, but I feel like LA Mill has an entrepreneurial edge to it. Like, let's see how much we can possibly charge for this, and still get people to pony up!
Gusto, thanks for your excellent explanation of the shots. It'd be nice if they explained it so clearly.
LA MILL
Can someone explain to me about the extra espresso shots both LA Mill and Intelligentsia are putting in their lattes & perhaps other drinks... I tried to order a single latte at Intelligentsia and was told "our smallest latte has 2 shots, but if you really want we can make you a single..." Then, I go to LA Mill and try to order a double latte, the server says, "what?" like they don't know what I mean, so I asked for a large, and they tell me their large (which is a reasonably sized not too huge cup) has 3 shots, but if I really want they can make me a double. What's up with this?? I find it weird because both places offer nice, reasonably size cups, not all huge and overblown like some other places, but then they want to go crazy on the amount of caffeine. I just want a nice morning latte, plus the option to have another coffee later if the mood strikes... without getting the jitters. Is this too much to ask?
PS The prices are laughably high at LA Mill. $12 for a ham & butter baguette? If it wasn't within walking distance of my house I would boycott it. It's an outrage!
