Bar Betsy adds an all-day café to Altadena
Restaurateur Tyler Wells opens Bar Betsy, an all-day cafe two doors down from its older brother, Betsy Restaurant.
The Altadena neighborhood still seems a shadow of its former self, but its dynamism is palpable and growing. New housing construction is progressing everywhere, as longtime residents return after renovating or rebuilding their homes, while the fate of thousands of empty lots remains undecided.
Tyler Wells was a key figure in Los Angeles' third-wave coffee movement before opening Betsy's two locations in Altadena. Both restaurants share a simple cuisine, featuring local ingredients that pair well with natural wines, but they differ in hours and approach: Betsy's is only open for dinner and cooks exclusively in a wood-fired oven.
From morning, Bar Betsy serves eggs on toast, sticky buns, and roasted carrot sandwiches. From 3 p.m. onwards, they add freshly sliced deli meats and Wagyu burgers served on Parker House buns.
The coffee, made with Ex-Animo beans from Vancouver, ranges from filter coffee to cortado and cappuccino, with a carefully balanced and intense flavor. Pastry chef Dahlia Gomez's cakes are worth getting up early for: the orange and poppy seed scone, delicately crumbly, and the pecan scone, fluffy and supple.
The South Carolina coastal corn porridge, prepared by chef Avanthi Dev, features slightly sweet, thick-cut bacon, tomatillo salsa, scallions, and fresh cilantro; it can be topped with a poached egg. The dinner's only pasta, cavatelli with smoked pancetta, zucchini, walnut pesto, and preserved lemon, is a heartfelt ode to summer.
At the counter, staff can warm up sticky buns if politely requested. Nearby, toward Lake Avenue, Sidecca sells unique women's clothing and a selection of Altadena products, and at the other end of Mariposa Street, Carciofi Design specializes in wedding invitations and also sells stationery, home goods, and jewelry.
