Doughnuts, dumplings, gourmet fish sticks, where to find the perfect croissant plus a sacrilegious bagel and pre-hippie granola bars. I’m Laurie Ochoa, general manager of food coverage at the L.A.

There are few better ways to understand a culture than by observing the very first moments of the day: how people wake up, interact with their surroundings, and choose certain routines over others ...