All Our Favorite Places To Eat When CicLAvia Takes Over Melrose on Sunday

CicLAvia is coming to Melrose this weekend.

That means it’s time to get outside after the recent rain, soak up some vitamin D, and stretch those legs. For the uninitiated, CicLAvia is a free open streets event where stretches of Los Angeles are closed off to car traffic, allowing people to ride bikes, skateboards and other “people-powered vehicles” and explore. On Sunday, Feb. 25, Melrose Avenue will be closed to vehicles between Fairfax and Vermont avenues from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We adore how the city just feels different at CicLAvia events. Too often, we're rushing by L.A. in a car. CicLAvia allows us to appreciate the sights and scents of the city fully.

With all that movement, however, you’ll likely work up an appetite, so we’ve picked a few of our favorite spots on your four-mile journey to help restore those blood sugar levels.

We’ve even designed a trusty map to help you identify all the spots listed so they're easy to find.

So grab your bike, skateboard, or just your own two feet, along with a few of your closest friends, and LET’S GO!!!!

Milk Bar

Power your sugar high at Milk Bar.

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Courtesy of Milk Bar

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If you can only stop at one place during your Tour de Melrose, we'd have to recommend it be Milk Bar, an L.A. destination for all things sugar. If you're lucky, you can score some of the famed funfetti-style birthday cake that Taylor Swift served at her birthday party ($12.10). There’s also a variety of cookies to try, including their corn cookie ($3.58) and compost cookie ($3.58), or if you've worked up a sweat you can cool off with some of their famed cereal milk soft serve ($7.70).

Oui Melrose

Influencers and locals alike regularly flock to Oui Melrose for the delightful creations served up at this cafe space. Take your pick from standouts such as their Nashville hot cod sandwich ($13.49) as well as their Swiss and soujouk baguette ($14) to any number of their laffa wraps, an Iraqi-style pita that can be stuffed with garlic shrimp ($15.99) or filet mignon ($15.99), just to name a few of the available choices. Then, it's loaded up with hummus, tahini, fries, pickled cabbage, red onion, and tomatoes.

Maison Matho

Grab some French baguette sandwiches to go from Maison Matho along the CicLAvia Melrose route.

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Andre Karimloo

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Courtesy of Maison Matho

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The fact of the matter is that L.A. is a sandwich town. A perfect example is the walk-up cafe counter window, Maison Matho. Chef and owner Daniel Matho brings his French influence to a delightful selection of sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, all perfect for anyone on the go.

Get your jolt of java with a pink praline latte ($7), made with pink praline syrup containing vanilla and orange blossom, served hot or iced. Another option includes Zinedine Zidane ($5), named after the French headbutting soccer player, which is half raspberry iced tea and sparking lemonade.

Once you’ve successfully quenched your thirst, try any of the sandwiches, such as the jambon beurre ($18), made with Parisian-style ham, butter, and cornichons on a house-made baguette. Another choice not to be missed is the omelette sandwich ($18) made with comté cheese, a French cheese similar to gruyere that contains both fruity and savory notes, perfectly folded over onto a baguette and served over a simple bed of lettuce and topped with herbs. One bite later, you’ll feel ready to win the Tour De France.

Kuya Lord

Go for the lechon kwali, served over pancit chami.

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Jakob N. Layman

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Courtesy of Kuya Lord

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Kuya Lord is a fast-casual concept located in the microneighborhood of the moment, Melrose Hill. The menu channels chef and owner Lord Maynard Llera’s take on southern Filipino-style cooking. A great dish to try is their lechon kwali, a twice-cooked pork belly that manages to walk the line between a crispy, crackly outside and succulent inside.

Order it over some pancit chami ($16), a thicker noodle similar to chow mein (the name chami derives from the Chinese word for fried noodle) mixed with cabbage, carrots, and fish cakes. It makes for an excellent sweet and savory bite that will propel you through the next leg of the route. For planning purposes, note that Kuya Lord closes its doors between lunch and dinner services.

Mozza2Go

Top off your Melrose adventure with a little bit of pizza. For those in the know, Osteria Mozza, the temple of Cal-Italian cooking that Nancy Silverton built, has an excellent to-go storefront, Mozza 2 Go. Our favorites include the burrata pizza ($27) made with a pomodoro sauce containing notes of bright sweetness or the ‘nduja (a spicy spreadable sausage from Southern Italy) with leeks, scallions, and bacon ($25).

For the antipasti, consider their roasted cauliflower ($13), containing fresh mint, red onions, lemon and yogurt vinaigrette, or fire-grilled wings alla diavola ($16) served with a green onion creme fraiche. Save room for butterscotch budino ($10) if you want a sugar high to power you through the rest of the course. Also, Mozza2Go has plenty of fabulous wine options to enjoy with your meal or take home to celebrate the completion of your ride.