My Favorites: Toast Bakery Cafe

Toast is a cool restaurant that was on my "to visit" list for quite some time. We went on a Sunday morning and since we arrived a little earlier than brunch time, we didn't have to wait for a table and got one outside (which was great because as you can see, the day was beautiful!)

Continuing my favorite food saga, I ordered french toast and hubby ordered benedicts eggs (as the dishes here are always huge, we always order one sweet and one savory and share). They were so good! Well done and with fresh ingredients.

The result? One delicious morning and one more french toast added to my list!

My favorites: French Toast from Grub Restaurant

Continuing my endless search for the best French Toast, I found a wonderful one at a restaurant called Grub, in Hollywood, that certainly enters into the hall of My Favorites!
Forget the calories and cholesterol and ask for Our Friggin 'Amazin' French Toast. It is a piece of heaven on Earth, made ​​with sliced croissant - yes, croissant! - dipped in a sweet mixture (I don't know the ingredients but maybe milk, cinnamon, sugar, eggs etc), the bread is golden brown and it is served with maple syrup and raspberry butter (delicious and super easy to make - I will teach you that here later on).

My hubby ordered a croissant (also french toast style) with eggs, cheese and bacon. The bacon ... hum ... While not part of most of my meals, I felt like asking an extra portion of it! It is super crisp but with some kind of sugar or maple syrup coat. So it is sweet, savory, crisp all at the same time. What a delight!

The place is very informal, small and it seems lost in a super quiet street in the middle of the old post-production studios in Hollywood, but you are in the right place. And during rush hour (brunch time) you'll wait a bit.

I could certainly go back there...every morning ...

My Favorites!

I'm starting today a new category here on the blog called "My Favorites" for my favorite delicacies. And for you to be as excited as I am, I'll start with two favorites in one post since the two of them are from Bottega Louie which I've just said here. Ready? So here we go:

MY FAVORITES: FRENCH TOAST
Bottega Louie's version of french toast is made with brioche bread and comes with berries, butter and maple syrup.
It is so moist that it looks like a pudding and it melts in your mouth. Yummy... And, like all French pastries, it is not too sweet. The portion is generous and serves 2.

MY FAVORITES: MACARON
In addition to brunch, Bottega Louie is also famous for its macarons.
Among several flavors, I chose: chocolate with almonds, expresso with chocolate, sicilian lemon, and salt-caramel, and they are all amazing! (the least interesting was the salt-caramel)
They are very fluffy and melt in your mouth. The filling is just right (neither soft nor hard).
If you ask for the box, as I did, the price gets a bit higher, but to carry it without incident (macarons are very delicate), this is the best way.

My favorites for sure!

Photos: MW

Bottega Louie Restaurant, Downtown LA

Last weekend I went to visit the restaurant/bakery Bottega Louie (Downtonw, LA). I had heard many good things about the place and I was not disappointed! On one side you have the bakery with a few tables to have a coffee and some pastry and, on the other, a huge area for longer meals.
I thought I would have to wait, but I arrived early for brunch (10 am) so it was very calm. However, around 11am/11:30am the restaurant was very busy and all tables were taken.
The waiters are very polite and as an starter, they serve you a fresh baguette with butter and jelly.
The food is delicious: we had coffee, fritatta with tomatoes and cheese, and french toast. On the way out, of course, I had to check out the bakery and buy the famous macaroons (I'll talk more about them in the next post!)

Another good reason to drive to Downtown!
Photos: MW