Zinc Café & Bar

"This is a coffee resort with its own outdoor park in the middle of it. The coffee and food are quite good, and there’s enough space for your entire acting class to crank out a screenplay together, hand in hand, never breaking eye contact. Bonus: Bar Mateo is open on the premises, once again uniting writers and alcohol - the real LA power couple. photo credit: Andrea D'Agosto" - Brant Cox

"Unless someone points it out to you (you're welcome), Zinc Cafe's vegetarian menu is hard to spot. Instead of substituting meat with vegetarian replacements, Zinc crafts delicious meals that don't try to imitate meat. While yes, there is a veggie burger and you have the option to add lentil meatballs to your pasta, most dishes do fine without. Our favorite lunch staple is the Burrito Bowl (with a side of extra fire-roasted salsa). Come for brunch or dinner for a whole different experience, but be sure to take a look at their marketplace, full of kitchen inspiration." - verynice

"Perfect For Writing: A growing-up-in-the-90s Sundance qualifier, or a Kimmy Schmidt spec script. This is a coffee resort with its own outdoor park in the middle of it. The coffee and food are quite good, and there’s enough space for your entire acting class to crank out the next Beasts of The Southern Wild together, hand in hand, never breaking eye contact. Bonus: Bar Mateo is open on the premises, once again uniting writers and alcohol - the real LA power couple." - brant cox

"You skipped the parties last night, and instead drank some tea and went to bed early. Now you woke up feeling artsy and ready to take on the world. Or at least the part of LA you can easily get to from USC. Head right to Zinc Cafe in the Arts District and live your best bohemian life. The space itself is pretty massive, with everything from a full-scale restaurant to a laid-back courtyard to a bar to even a marketplace where you can get some food to bring back to your dorm. The food is good, but you come to Zinc to hang out, read a book, and leave your roommate drama behind." - brant cox

"Zinc got its start down in Orange County (there are similar outposts in Laguna Beach, Corona del Mar, and Solano Beach), before branching out to the Arts District downtown in the summer of 2014. The airy, bright space is marked by an open kitchen and a smattering of tables and chairs for low-key breakfast and lunch meetings, though many carry out. Baked goods, really delicious salads, and wood-fired pizzas round out the mix."