Birth of a Coffee Shop (2 Freds Better Than 1)

“Eat now, dine later” is the motto at Los Feliz’s new coffee shop, Fred 62. It is named for partners Fred Eric, the cooking whiz behind Vida in the same newly anointed trendy neighborhood, and Fred Sutherland, who designed the place with Eric. The 62 stands for the two Freds’ birth year. Indeed, “Two Freds Are Better Than One” is duly inscribed in gothic lettering on the outside of the parrot-green corner space, along with “A Good Egg Since 1962” and “Twenty-four Seven, Pinch Me.”

A souped-up version of a ‘60s coffee shop with forest-green vinyl booths trimmed in pearly white and orange vinyl, Fred 62 is open 24 hours a day--great for night owls, but a schedule that nearly did the crew in the first week open. (They had to close for a couple of days to recuperate and have now decided to close on Mondays for awhile.)

From one of the booths, it looks more like a practice run than the finished product. My breakfast buddy orders two eggs sunny-side up, with a side of scrapple, the Pennsylvania specialty of cornmeal and sausage. He gets his choice of breads to pop in the Toastmaster at the end of each booth, just like at the old Ships coffee shops. But better, because Fred 62 has brioche you can toast and a luscious house-made apricot jam. Eggs in the hole --”Adam & Eve on a raft, turn ‘em real slow”--turn out to be less captivating than they sound. I wish I’d ordered Bearded Mr. French, instead: “French toast with a crunchy cornflake crust, served with real maple syrup.”

Oh well, there’s time enough; breakfast is served all day and all night. But also, burgers and veggie burgers with loopy names, sandwiches like the ’62 Club and noodles--with tempura in dashi broth or in Vietnamese oxtail soup with powerfully aromatic herbs.

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BE THERE

Fred 62, 1850 N. Vermont, Los Angeles; (213) 667-0062. Open Tuesdays through Sundays, 24 hours a day for breakfast, lunch, snacks and late supper. Major credit cards accepted. Parking on street. Mix-and-match menu items $2.50 to $6.62.