TOLUCA LAKE'S OLIVE & THYME

I'd like to personally thank Melina Davies for bringing Olive & Thyme to Toluca Lake. She and Alex Eusebio of Sweetsalt are certainly responsible for establishing the neighborhood's food scene.

Walking into Olive & Thyme, you're enveloped in eye candy, with lots of little details: from the flowers (peonies on every table) to the vintage farm animals sweetly placed in each nook.

The gourmet restaurant and marketplace serves breakfast, lunch and dinner but my favorite is lunch. Their Cobb salad with spicy Russian dressing is a go-to. 

The case is always filled with vibrant salads and sides, as well as incredible cheeses and charcuterie.

The space is quite large and lends itself well to pursuing the marketplace filled with sweets, cookbooks and home decor treats. Our fave, Hedley & Bennett, is represented with mini aprons. 

Olive & Thyme is located at 3821 Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake. Closed on Sundays.

BRUNCH WITH MOM AT TERRINE

I had been dying to try chef Kris Morningstar's California brasserie, Terrine, on Beverly Blvd.. Mainly a dinner-serving restaurant, they also serve brunch Friday-Sunday, in the late morning. I thought it would be the perfect place for Sis and I to take Mom for a Mother's Day girls' brunch. And of course, "girls' brunch" means Miss Mila is in our crew too! She'll probably write her own piece for her toddler blog. 

I love all of this - brick walls, bentwood chairs, booths and mirrors. It reminds me of a restaurant in Paris where I had my 30th birthday dinner.

Gorgeous French-style bar.

Cozy lounge spot, perfect for cocktails, out on the pretty patio.

Really nice vibe out here.

Time to get down to business and order from this great brasserie menu.

First up: Charcuteries plate and really good bread!

Four delicious craft cocktails: Paloma, French 75, Terrine Mauresque and Gordon's Cup. I might need to call an Uber after this party. Who knew Mom was so wild!

Avocado toast. Enough said. 

Super delicious spread! Clockwise from top left: Fish and Chips, Brisket Hash, Butter Lettuce Salad, Avocado Toast, Fried Chicken and Grits.

The fried chicken and grits was everyone's favorite dish of the day. Two thumbs up!!

Happy Mother's Day! Love you, Mom!! xx

EATING IN CALGARY + CANMORE

The Great White North, as my Canadian husband calls it, is a land of nice people, clean bathrooms, fresh air and a lot of heavy drinking.  I'm more of the heavy eating type.  They have a saying in Calgary, "if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute, it'll change."  But most of our recent trip included below fa-reezing temps, so we ventured into the city for some hot chocolate, and ran our frozen California selves right into Analog Coffee.  

Mila is very serious about hot chocolate. 

For lunch, we happened upon what I would call the Bottega Louie of Calgary, Corbeaux Bakehouse.  Chef Keith Luce oversees the culinary experience. He's cooked for President Clinton and won the James Beard Rising Star award.  Enough said, right?

Mila overseeing bakery production.

Our next adventure was a daycation to Canmore.  Although I believe it's better suited to an overnighter -- you really need that fireplace to kick off your snow boots in front of and play some board games.  But this time we took the day and ventured out to behold the natural beauty that is Canmore.  Known for the Three Sisters mountains (a trio of peaks), it's a beautiful little mountain town situated right next to the world-famous Banff.  They're gorgeous but pictures don't do them justice so I haven't included any here (laugh).

We noshed on some serious yumminess at the Mountain Mercato.  Who doesn't love some good charcuterie and cheese on a frosty day?

And then, of course, we had to take some goodies home!