Olive & Thyme

There is a quaint cafe that sits on the border of Toluca Lake and Burbank.  It serves fantastic coffee and brunch.  It sells cheeses, cured meats, truffle salts, oils, and various other delicacies that every foodie fancies.  Its name?  Olive & Thyme.

Gluten free macarons?!

Salts, spices, what have you.

The indoor space is not very big, so you may have a wait.  If you don't mind sitting in the sun and people-watching, I suggest sitting outdoors and taking advantage of LA's gorgeous weather.

Short Rib Hash -- braised short rib, red onion, smoked applewood bacon, roasted potatoes, topped with a sunnyside egg and sriracha -- $12

My short rib hash was good, but it was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on.  Maybe I was just craving some bread or tortilla on the side.

Chinese Chicken Salad -- romaine lettuce, shredded chicken, almonds, carrots, scallions and cilantro -- $12

For a healthier option, there are plenty of salads to choose from.  The Chinese Chicken salad combines fresh ingredients for a simple, familiar taste.

Braised Short Rib Sandwich -- with horseradish creme fraiche, caramelized onions on country sourdough -- $13

The real highlight of the meal was this short rib sandwich.  Unlike the hash, the short rib here was presently simply with just a hint of horseradish creme fraiche spread on a side of the bread and a subtle sweet from the caramelized onions.  Let me tell ya, they do not skimp on the short rib, and for that I am very grateful.

Short rib sandwich > short rib hash.  Both are good, but if you had to choose, I'd go with the sandwich.

Overall, the service was good, food was solid, and experience was pleasant.  Olive & Thyme, I shall return again soon!



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cuisine: American
location: Toluca Lake
hours: M-Th, 9 AM - 8PM; F, 8 AM - 9 PM, Sat, 9 AM - 3 PM
websites: { O&T | yelp | twitter | facebook }
attire: Casual
parking: Street meters
notes: Another great cafe nearby is Sweetsalt.

Granville Cafe

When Granville Cafe first opened in Burbank, I was very excited.  Then when Granville opened in Glendale, I was less excited... but still excited enough to go.  It took me two visits to finally get this review up, though.  (Is it just me or has summer made me ridiculously lazy? Hm...).

Granville is your typical "We Serve Pretty Much Everything Under the Sun" kind of place.  For some folks, that is awesome because the choices seem endless.  For others (like me), this complicates matters and my indecisiveness surfaces very quickly.  Nonetheless, I narrowed my choices down to the Pan-Seared Ahi Sandwich or the Village Burger.  Every hope for healthy eating was chucked out the window when I ordered the Village Burger (100% Angus Beef cooked to medium rare) with arugula, red onion, sauteed mushrooms and lots of garlic aioli on a buttery brioche bun.  Oh yeah, and a side of sweet potato fries.

The Village Burger - $11.50

The burger wasn't too shabby, but what I should have ordered is the Thick-Cut Pork Chop.  Thankfully, A was kind enough to share.

Pork Chop (Bone-in pork chop rubbed in Cajun spices and topped with Cranberry-Mango compote and sauteed spinach and mashed potatoes on the side) - $20.95

 Another notable item on the menu is the Mac n Cheese.  Aged cheddar and Gruyere with chicken pieces, crisp asparagus and sweet peas, and topped with buttered herb crumbs.

Uptown Mac & Cheese - $12.95

Granville is a great place for a business lunch, a casual dinner, or a group party.  Also if you're ever hungry, but don't have a craving for any particular cuisine, Granville may be your go-to.  Of course, it helps to be around Burbank/ Glendale area.



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cuisine: American
locations: Burbank, Glendale
hours: M-Th: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM; Fri-Sat: 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM; Sun: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
websites: { G | yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: street or free public parking lots (in Burbank)
notes: Pork chop.

Poquito Mas

World Famous Tostada (w/ steak) - $7.25

1984 was an exciting year.  Not only did I come into the world, but so did Poquito Mas.  What gives?  Three golden words (when it comes to food): fresh, easy, delicious.  (I'm talking about Poquito Mas, by the way). 

While Chipotle may win the "Best Fast Food Burrito" ribbon, Poquito Mas really does do a good job of  leave me wanting un poquito mas.

Maybe it's the humongo serving of meat, lettuce, beans, cheese, guac, sour cream, tomato, so inviting in a fresh and crispy tostada bowl.
Maybe it's the kind service.
Maybe it's the awesome salsa bar that I went crazy with as evidenced in the picture above.
Maybe it's the history it has with little ol' Burbank.
Maybe it's all of the above.

If street tacos from East LA or Highland Park are not readily accessible, I suggest giving Poquito Mas a try.  It may not truly be authentic, but it's pretty damn tasty.


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cuisine: Mexican
location: Burbank

website: { PM | yelp }

attire: Casual 

parking: really small lot.  Better luck with street parking.

notes: The horchata is pretty refreshing too.
get: the Tostada with steak or carnitas

Corner Cottage

Corner Cottage was a staple for every Burbankian high school student. Whether you were a cool BHSer or a JBHSer, if you arrived on campus with a Corner Cottage burrito, you were the shiz.

Unfortunately, I hear the quality of the burritos have declined over the years. Still, whenever I'm in town, I like to stop by for old time, memory's sake, and to greet the sweet Korean owners.

I spy a bap tong!

steak, eggs, cheese, potatoes, snuggly wrapped in a tortilla and topped with house hot sauce.

Regular bfast burrito

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cuisine: American
location: Burbank
website: { yelp }
attire: Casual
parking: small lot
note: Best to get there super early (6am) to avoid the lines for the famous breakfast burrito. Also, always ask for less potato, more cheese, more meat, and house sauce inside the burrito. Can't usually go wrong.

Porto's

potato balls stuffed with seasoned beef - $0.90 each

cheese rolls - puff pastry w/ cream cheese - also under $1

Porto's Bakery is one of my favorite bakeries in LA. Luckily, there's a location right in beautiful downtown Burbank. Upon entering the bakery, you will be greeted by organized chaos. But don't fret; long lines move pretty quickly and everyone is so friendly that your grouchy mood fades fairly quickly. Plus, everything is affordable! Porto's, you brighten up my day. Let it brighten up yours.

Some musts: potato balls; meat pies; cubano; fruit tart; cheese rolls; guava & cheese rolls; quesadilla (sweet corn bread); chicken empanadas.

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cuisine: Cuban

location: Glendale and Burbank (opening soon - Downey)
hours: M-Sat: 6:30am - 7pm; Sun: 7am - 5:30pm

website: { Porto's | yelp }
good for: B, L
attire: Casual
parking: street or lot