Auntie Em’s Kitchenette to open in DTLA: More red velvet cake for you

If you are among the many people whose idea of fun is a plate of orange French toast or a breakfast torta — probably followed by a red velvet cupcake or even a whole cake — at Auntie Em’s Kitchen, we have excellent news for you. Terri Wahl is expanding beyond Eagle Rock, opening a second restaurant next month. Auntie Em’s Kitchenette is slated to open, she told us Wednesday morning, on April 9 in downtown Los Angeles.

Wahl, who sang with the Red Aunts before she switched from punk rock to comfort food, in case you were wondering, says that she and her crew will be serving all of Auntie Em’s favorites at the new place. Thus more red velvet cupcakes, breakfast hashes and scrambles, sandwiches and salads. The Kitchenette will be, she says, “very pastry heavy.” And there will be espresso drinks to go with all those pastries, cupcakes and excellent chocolate chip cookies. You know, the ones the size of your saute pan.

“I’m freaking out, I’m so excited,” says Wahl. “I’m partnering with Brandi Lozano Miller, who owns Two Bits Market down the street; it’s a little organic market. The space is going to be super cute.” Not a bad prospect, condering how appealing the Eagle Rock restaurant is — part garage band garage, part your favorite aunt’s kitchen.

So why did it take Wahl 13 years to open an encore restaurant to Auntie Em’s? “I get asked all the time,” she says. “But this seemed perfect. Downtown and the Eastside are sort of my peeps.”

The space is a little convenience store now, but Wahl says that part of the appeal of the location is that she won’t have to do a huge build-out. “It just needs to be cutened up — my favorite thing.”

All the bread, pastries, cakes and other baked goods for the Kitchenette will be made in Eagle Rock, where they’re amping up their baking department. And as for Wahl’s famous red velvet cake, she says “that’ll be the first thing we bring in.”

Auntie Em’s Kitchenette, 116 E 5th St., Los Angeles.

Because taking pictures of cake is almost as much fun as eating it, on Instagram @ascattergood.