Sqirl

Jessica Koslow’s Silver Lake laboratory redefines the Californian breakfast through a rigorous lens of preservation and fermentation. The kitchen’s identity at Sqirl is anchored by house-made jams, which lend a concentrated fruit intensity to the iconic burnt brioche toast, layered with a thick, snowy pillow of salt-kissed ricotta. Savory depth emerges in the sorrel pesto rice bowl, where Kokuho Rose brown rice provides a nutty, chewy foundation for the sharp, herbaceous brightness of sorrel and the briny funk of preserved Meyer lemon. Textural contrast is paramount, best exemplified by the crispy rice salad’s shatteringly crisp grains tossed with lacto-fermented hot sauce and cooling cucumber. Aromas of toasted hazelnuts and wood-fired bread permeate the sun-drenched space. Each plate balances aggressive acidity with creamy fats, utilizing techniques like curing and long-duration soaking to elevate humble grains and seasonal produce into a sophisticated, high-acid tasting journey that commands global attention.