When I lived in the Beverly Hills flats, the predominantly residential stretch between Robertson and Beverly Drive had a dearth of cute eateries, or rather, any eateries. Oh how I would have loved if The Larder at Maple Drive had been open then! Brought to you by Chef Suzanne Goin and partner Caroline Styne of Tavern, AOC and Lucques (you already know how we feel about Lucques,) this hidden gem provides ample outdoor seating, free wi-fi, and delicious eats.

You can special order sandwiches deli style or pick up one of the pre-made signature sandwiches’ like “The Angeleno” with burrata, cavolo nero and marinated artichokes which comes with pickles and chips. I sampled a tasty ficelle with goat cheese, dried figs, radicchio and saba. The ficelles are served with out sides which fortunately leaves room for the pastries delivered fresh from Tavern daily. In addition to the expected coffee and espresso drinks, The Larder has an impressive selection of juices and sparkling sodas.

While I don’t find myself in Beverly Hills often, this cafe is a delightful respite from the Hollywood scene where every other diner is discussing his pilot season. I was very excited to overhear the patrons at the next table discussing their upcoming insider trading trial. Whoa! So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills, just think, you can go to The Larder afterwards, but not on weekends, it’s a Monday through Friday kind of joint.