We've all woken up in the middle of the night to a tummy rumbling as if it's teasing you, "Give me some food or else no sleep for you!" There's just one problem: it's 2am in LA, and your food options are, to put it lightly, lacking. It may just be us, but there's a full-on conversation that goes down internally in the middle of the night when hunger strikes. Here's a common version:
"To eat or not to eat?"
On one hand, you hear it’s bad for your digestive system when you eat late, and it can make you gain weight—but then, who cares? When you’re hungry, you’re hungry! We always land on breakfast dishes as our go-to in the wee hours of the night—they’re healthier than most lunch and dinner meals, won’t leave you overstuffed and are usually perfectly satisfying.
"So, what kind of breakfast do I want?"
This is always a tough one because there are so many options. When we're looking for something quick and easy, a bagel or jazzed up scrambled eggs will do the trick. When we want something a bit more robust? French toast, a short stack of pancakes or even a yummy Mexican breakfast burrito get the job done.
"To cook or not to cook?"
There's a lot that goes into this: What ingredients are readily available? How much have we had to drink? Will anywhere deliver? Eh, let's be real, we're lazy—not to cook is always the answer.
"So wait, what is open right now?"
Depending on where our head hit the pillow to little success, we may have to hike to get to a place that will satisfy the after-hours hunger, late-night cravings or munchies—whatever it is we're dealing with. There are some IHOPs and Denny's locations across town that are open 24 hours, but when looking for something a bit more fun, Kitchen24 in Hollywood, L.A. Café in Downtown or the Kettle in Manhattan Beach are mainstays, along with the trusty 24-hour diners that never close their doors: Brite Spot and the Pantry are top picks.
"To drink or not to drink?"
It is late and you may have to wake up early for work or a yoga session, so adding some alcohol to your chowdown may not be such a great idea. However, there's nothing wrong with a drink or two during the middle of the night. If you want a boozy beverage to sip along with a yummy breakfast, make yourself a light mimosa or bloody Mary, or grab a beer once you return home with your food. That way you'll fall peacefully back asleep without feeling hungover once the sun comes up.
