Why are you taking pictures of my cakes?” a cheery gentleman inquires boisterously as I aim my camera at his cake case. “Because…I love them” I gush. He nods. Good answer, I note, and thankfully – apparently, I had just met Paul, the General Manager of Sweet Lady Jane on Montana (the original location is in West Hollywood).
I’ve been a SLJ customer for years. Taking a hiatus here and there due to my varying schedule and the less-than desirable commute from West LA to WeHo during the collision of evening traffic and prime dessert time, despite everything SLJ has maintained its spot in my heart as THE cakery for four reasons:
1. Slices of high-end cake, deli-style: along with availability of the typical bakery fare (think: whole cakes, cookies, breads, tarts, muffins) at all hours, SLJ notoriously sells slices of boutique-quality cake, pie, trifle, etc. Sure, you say, aren’t there other places (like Susie Cakes) that does the same thing..?
2. Oh, but all those bakeries aren’t open until 10 p.m. during the week and 11 p.m. on weekends. Yes, so just when you are finishing a late dinner or getting home from that post-work run, SLJ isn’t just closing on you. In fact, they are staying open late just for you.
3. The staff. During my just-post-collegiate days when I could put down a slice and a half or so of cake in one sitting, the servers at SLJ WeHo would give us the “end piece” just so they could witness the sugared gluttony, and sometimes even plunk themselves down and join us with a cup of tea and sugar-centered banter. The smiling faces at SLJ on Montana are no different.
4. And now: so close to home. With the opening of SLJ on Montana in Santa Monica, I can now fuel my stamina for everything sweet for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert – all within 10 minutes of my abode. I’m so happy it fits in to my schedule again, which will be about the only thing that fits within a month’s time, guaranteed.
Tip: If you want anything (i.e. your slice of pie) a la mode, you will have to BYO – Jane offers pretty much everything except for ice cream, and that’s not going to change.
Sweet Lady Jane
Type: Cafe, late night
Category: Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, dessert
Company: Date, friends, family, visitors
Cost: $7.50+/slice
Quick-Rec: Cake for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Yes, please. SLJ is open Sunday-Wednesday, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., which means you can eat dessert first at pretty much any hour of the day.
Address: 1631 Montana Avenue
Phone: 310.254.9499
Website: www.sweetladyjane.com.
