Situated in a prime spot at the Brentwood Town Center—just steps from the Country Mart—Parakeet Café greets locals each morning with the scent of house-baked pastries, turmeric-ginger lattes and the gentle buzz of regulars catching up over breakfast. It feels effortlessly warm and welcoming—an all-day café where the food is bright, clean and unmistakably healthy. But for founder Carol Goldwasser, this beloved neighborhood retreat wasn’t born from a business plan; it was the winding culmination of a deeply personal journey for herself and her family.
Carol grew up in Mexico City in what she describes as “a super small community environment” where everyone knew each other and family and tradition shaped everyday life. She became a lawyer and married her childhood friend, Jonathan Goldwasser, who joined his family’s optical business. Together, they followed a clear path, believing their future was neatly mapped out. Then, nineteen years ago, their second daughter, Michelle, was born. Though she entered the world looking perfectly healthy, she soon began struggling to breathe. Doctors closely monitored her for 21 days, searching unsuccessfully for answers. “I had this new baby that I couldn’t connect with because she was so sick,” Carol recalls. “I couldn’t find a way to comfort her.” An eventual diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis—a rare disease that causes an overproduction of white blood cells and tumors—sent the young family to Houston in search of specialized care. Michelle began chemotherapy at just six months old, while Carol navigated the fear and disorientation of caring for a newborn who always seemed to be in pain.
Meanwhile, something quietly transformative was taking shape. Each week, as Michelle’s bloodwork came back, Carol saw how dramatically her daughter’s numbers shifted depending on what she was fed. When doctors flagged dangerously low iron levels, she went home and cooked purées of spinach and black beans. A week later, the results had improved so much that her doctor was in disbelief. “I became super apprehensive about food and started learning everything that I could,” she says. “I was experiencing firsthand, as cliché as it sounds, its inherent healing power.”
Carol’s commitment deepened, and she learned to see meals not just as nourishment but as care, connection and medicine. Eventually, the family moved back to Mexico City, but the altitude and pollution constantly flared Michelle’s respiratory issues, and Carol and her husband realized they were ready for a permanent change. “We decided to move to the States because we wanted a cleaner, healthier, more organic way of life,” she explains. The family chose San Diego, where Carol found herself surprised by how limited the healthy food options were. Together, she and Jonathan decided to build what they wished existed. They opened a small juice bar rooted in Carol’s newfound culinary education, slowly gaining the trust of customers craving something fresher, cleaner and more intentional.
As regulars began asking for items beyond juice, the concept evolved naturally into the idea for a full restaurant, and in 2017, Parakeet Café took flight. “I wanted it to be an extension of my kitchen,” Carol says of the initial tiny 700-square-foot shop in La Jolla. “with the same quality of ingredients that I buy for myself.” That philosophy has become the foundation of every location. Ingredients remain nonnegotiable: seed-oil-free (“I would never cook with something other than olive oil,” she says), organic whole foods, ethically sourced, nothing processed, everything as clean as possible. The menu, once almost entirely vegan, broadened thoughtfully—first vegetarian, then incorporating meats such as pasture-raised poultry and 100 percent grass-fed beef. “Food is not a one-size-fits-all,” she says. “If somebody loves a burger and French fries, I can do roasted potatoes and a grass-fed burger, and that’s better.”
Parakeet’s now-signature dishes reflect this ethos: the breakfast burrito that “sells like crazy,” perfected in its simplicity; the aforementioned burger tucked inside a house-baked brioche bun with seed-oil-free aioli; pastries baked with only ingredients “I would use for my kids”; and Carol’s personal favorite, the All I Avo Wanted—a blue-corn waffle topped with avocado, eggs, feta and a house-made salsa macha. The menu continuously evolves. This season’s highlights include a clean, deeply flavorful chicken teriyaki bowl; a crispy grains and salmon bowl with layers of texture; the vegan SoCal Burrito of roasted mushrooms, beans and brown rice; and a wild-caught ahi poke.
As Parakeet expanded into a collection of cafés across Southern California—Del Mar, Coronado, Newport Beach, Beverly Hills—Carol remained committed to choosing neighborhoods defined by community. Brentwood, which opened in January 2024, was a natural fit. “I want to build spaces that are beautiful and that people go to all the time and make their own,” she says, adding that she was drawn to the village-like charm of the area, its walkability and the way people truly take pride in where they live. “I wanted joy and fun and music and color,” she says—an intentional contrast to the fear that marked the early years of her journey.
Inside the Brentwood café, that intention is everywhere. The wallpaper is hand-painted by an artist in Tijuana. The cups, bags and packaging are designed with Carol’s signature playfulness. Bright, tropical tones energize the space without overwhelming it. “I appreciate attention to detail,” she says. “I think the customer deserves that.” But it’s also the warmth of the staff and the genuine connection that has made Parakeet a neighborhood staple. “Just a smile, a kind word or knowing a customer’s drink can really shift their day,” she says.
Now, with Brentwood thriving and Manhattan Beach on the horizon, Carol and her husband are preparing for the next chapter—growing thoughtfully while staying loyal to the values that began this journey. What started as a mother’s attempt to heal her daughter has become a beloved local gathering place—a café built on joy, nourishment and an unwavering belief that food made with intention can change everything.
Parakeet Café
13050 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 112
310-746-5828
parakeetcafe.com
“I wanted it to be an extension of my kitchen, with the same quality of ingredients that I buy for myself."