There’s nothing that LA eatery Cube doesn’t offer. Seriously. It’s a restaurant, artisan cheese bar, gourmet market, and a pasta factory. Think about it: a factory that makes pasta. There is so much eye candy that once you walk in you’ll wonder why you bothered going to any old dull cafe.

Because a place where you can buy lobster mushrooms, puzzone di moena cheese from Trentino, salty pastured-pork fennel sausages from the Bay Area’s Fatted Calf, a tin of imported elder flowers, and Italian black truffle sauce, is a place you’ll want to just keep exploring. Located off of La Brea, seating at the wooden tables and outdoor patio can be as much of a challenge as the parking situation, but trust us when we say there’s nothing quite like it.

At Cube, traditional Italian cooking mixes with touches of California in all of their inspired offerings. A menu is posted each Thursday for their restaurant side, and reads more like food porn than anything else. That’s partly because the ingredients are all-organic and come from local farmers, which translates into a fresh taste that’s hard to beat (for lunch think inventive sandwiches, pizzas, and salads, while dinner can range from a Truffle Burger to Spaghetti Carbonara).

There’s a $15 corkage fee (wine is a must if you plan to visit the Cheese Bar).  It’s a great way to start the evening, and never fails to impress with their selection of 85 different gourmet options from around the globe that change seasonally. And if you really want the full treatment, reserve their 12-seat private dining room where a six-course tasting menu is $60 per person.

615 N. La Brea Ave. (Melrose Ave). (323) 939-1148