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.