Eat Out. Bouchon Bakery Beverly Hills.

I've never had better brioche than from Bouchon Bakery (these rolls from Bon Appétit are a close second).

Beverly Hills is lucky to be the newest location (joining Yountville, Calif., Las Vegas, and New York City) of Thomas Keller's flawless bakery chain.

Bouchon Bakery also makes a great latte to go with your baked goods. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, I highly recommend going for the tuna Niçoise sandwich, on ciabatta, with Bibb lettuce.

Opens tomorrow. 235 North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills. Info: bouchonbakery.com, (310) 271-9910

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Stefanie Keenan / Los Angeles Times

the monthly BEAT: Venice. 3 Square Cafe.

Hans Röckenwagner is kind of a rockstar when it comes to cafes and bakeries. His 3 Square cafe in Venice comes as no exception to his reputation.

The light-filled, airy space offers a great setting for his expansive case of mouthwatering baked goods, like doughnuts and rolls and breads. And then you've got the actual food, which is light but full of fresh flavor. His burgers are said to be delectable, but the sandwiches I've had there surely satisfy as well, topped off by fresh-baked bread you'll definitely need to get a whole loaf of to take home. Seating is sparse, but worth the battle to take the time and enjoy every little bite. And with portions just the right size, you'll definitely (thankfully) have room for dessert.

3 Square is located at 1121 Abbot Kinney in Venice.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Rockenwagner

Eat Out. Doughboys.

Finally, the great return. On a cold, rainy and busy night, we ventured on back to 3rd Street with our empty stomachs in tow, ready to embark on the new and hopefully improved Doughboys.

The story is well-known, yet still somewhat mysterious: the popular eateries under the Doughboys Bakery name, housed near the Beverly Center and on Highland Ave., were nearly simultaneously shut down a few years ago, without much notice or explanation. But now, somehow, the 3rd St. location has risen again, quite unexpectedly yet still highly anticipated.

So is it the same?

Eat Out. Milk.

Sometimes, it's the items not bolded or pictured on the menu that really end up taking the show. Milk does quite a bit to live up to its cute and appropriate name, but it's got a few surprises up its sleeve too.

Sitting on the corner of Beverly and Poinsettia, Milk is a bakery/ice cream parlor which always seems to be buzzing with activity. Step inside the mostly white interior and you can't help but be enticed by the shop's pastel-colored and adorably crafted goodies. I first got roped in by the alluring-sounding milkshakes, and while the giant, creamy concoctions do in fact deliver, a milkshake is a milkshake. And a milkshake shouldn't cost $6-$7.

You can spend those precious dollars instead on just getting a scoop of ice cream or on the other treats of the bakery. The goods are freshly baked everyday, so are sure to vary, but the cupcakes and cookies are generally pretty delicious. Leslie's mentioned that the moon pies could be better, though.

But our pick for your Milk bill? The food. Strange to suggest for a place which you might not even realize serves hot entrees in the first place, but check out the ever-changing chalkboard of daily specials on the left wall and you might find a few delightful surprises. The orechiette pasta with pesto and chicken, for one, is totally spot on. The portions are huge and rich with fresh flavors of roasted tomatoes and pine nuts.

Plus, actually eating a meal will make you feel better about all the dessert you'll probably can't help but consume afterward.

Milk is located at 7290 Beverly Blvd.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theBEAT

Eat Out. Babycakes.

This week, for our Sunday 'Beat' meeting, we went to the new Los Angeles location of Babycakes NYC Vegan Bakery. It was much-anticipated, opened January 3, and has been getting a lot of press, so we thought we'd give it a try. It's teeny-tiny (just to the left of Cole's) and smells of pure deliciousness from the moment you enter the vegan paradise. The three of us (sans Lauren, who's started her Chilean adventure) all chose different items, and we were all relatively pleased.

I intended to get a red velvet cupcake, but ended up with vanilla with pink frosting (the one in the Chinese take-out container, pictured) ... Chau had a baked donut and a slice of the banana chocolate chip loaf (in the pink donut box), and Heather had a chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate chip with vanilla frosting cupcake (on the dainty plate). My cupcake was made with spelt, which I now know is an ancient "healthy grain" often used to feed livestock. It was introduced in the United States in the 1890s and is becoming a popular wheat alternative. I found it to be quite coarse for cupcake use--it was almost like a cornbread muffin. That may sound bad, but it wasn't ... just, different. One of those things you may later have a random craving for.

Heather really liked the chocolate chip cookie, but was unimpressed with her cupcake, and Chau liked her pretty baked donut but I didn't hear much about the loaf. The overall consensus was: we wouldn't not go back.

We found it funny--as you might too from the photo evidence above--that they gave us all different forms of containers for our respective desserts. The girls working at Babycakes were sweet (pun intended, ha) and had cute uniforms, which were all uniquely well-accessorized.

T-Shirts and diner-style mugs with their appealing cursive logo are sold in the shop. It's all very retro, girly, and fun. Whether it's the new-to-L.A. hype, or cravings for more (return customers?), the small spot was consistently busy for the hour or so we were holding court at the one outside table.

Babycakes is located at 130 East 6th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Closed Mondays.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Eat Out. Doughboys.

Could it finally be true? Doughboys Bakery--the eatery famous for its huge portions and Oprah-approved red velvet cake, and maybe even more notorious for its sudden closing two years ago due to permit problems--is back?

Believe it. Doughboys is returning to its roots on 3rd St., having a soft open starting today until Friday, and get this: serving FREE meals from 11am-2pm and 5pm-8pm. Free. Doughboys.

We couldn't ask for more (except for maybe a restroom inside, better service and the return of the After School Special, please). Happy eating!

Doughboys is located at 8136 West 3rd Street.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: theexactly.net