Savory Breads
Warmed, toasted or as they come, these flavorful loaves are good any time of day.
* Europane: Specialties include a whole-wheat bread with potato chunks and white bread made with enough chopped spinach to turn it green. (Potato wheat, $3.50; spinach loaf, $3.75.) Europane, 950 Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 577-1828.
* Rockenwagner: Rudolph Steiner bread is a whole wheat-rye loaf with hazelnuts and healthful seeds; the olive ciabatta is chock-full of kalamatas. Breads available at the restaurant weekends. (Rudolph Steiner bread, $5.75; olive ciabatta, $4.25.) Rockenwagner, Edgemar Complex, 2435 Main St., Santa Monica, (310) 399-6504.
* Buona Forchetta: Filoncini come in rosemary, kalamata, integrale (whole wheat) and hazelnut/sage varieties; the fougasse is chewy and buttery; and the rustico is wonderful for French toast. (Filoncini: rosemary or integrale, $2.89; hazelnut/sage, $3.79; kalamata olive, $3.89. Fougasse, $3.99. Rustico, $3.29.) Available at Gelson’s, Wild Oats, Bristol Farms, Pavilions (West Hollywood and Beverly Hills).
* Brentwood Bread Co.: Try seedy wheaty, filled with sunflower seeds and millet, or Dorothy’s delight, with poppy seeds and rolled oats. (Seedy wheaty, $3.75; Dorothy’s delight, $3.75.) Brentwood Bread Co., 11640 San Vicente Blvd., Brentwood, (310) 826-9400.
* La Brea Bakery: There’s a flat round loaf with caramelized onions and Parmesan cheese and a free-form rustic bread stuffed with herbs and lemon segments. Ciabattini are topped with vegetables such as braised leeks, radicchio, sweet 100 tomatoes or artichokes. Or try a brioche stuffed with tomatoes, goat cheese and spinach. (Onion and Parmesan, $8; lemon herb rustic, $4.50; ciabbatini, $2.50; stuffed brioche, $4.50.) La Brea Bakery, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 939-6813.
* Figaro: All breads here, including onion/poppy seed loaf, country loaf and rosemary bread, are made with a French levain yeast. The olive loaf uses both Moroccan green and kalamata olives. (Pain ba^tard olive and pain paysan, $3.50; fresh onion dill poppy seed, $3.25; fresh rosemary, $2.50.) Figaro, 1802 Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 662-1587.