Levant Bistro + Bake Shop

Say Hello to a Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Allergen-Friendly Lebanese Bistro and Bakery in Echo Park | Eater LA

"I learned that after a health-driven elimination diet, owner Anita Khalek turned the recipes she blogged about into a permanent bistro and bakery at 2112 W Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park. The spot is explicitly dedicated gluten-free and soy-free — designed to serve people with food sensitivities while welcoming the wider community — and aims to avoid cross-contamination. The bistro (open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch) offers Levantine dishes ranging from man’oush (flatbreads topped with options like goat cheese and fig jam or merguez sausage) to seared seabass, sandwiches served on gluten-free pita, vegan labneh and tabouli, with entrées accompanied by sides such as turmeric vegetable soup and Lebanese rice; Sunday brunch features brioche and almond pancakes. All menu items are labeled for vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free or egg-free needs. The bakery launched with a long list of to-go sweets — cinnamon rolls, muffins, sesame rolls, scones, cakes and cookies — and Khalek is particularly excited about forthcoming clementine cakes and almond tea cakes; the team makes gluten-free dough in-house mostly from rice flour and potato starch with occasional millet flour. As the business grows, she’s looking toward catering and private events, coffee and tea are already available mornings, and a beer-and-wine license (with natural, organic wine options) is expected soon." - Paolo Bicchieri