Sunday Brunch; Chez Nous and Priscilla’s

Something about Toluca Lake is charming, witty and quaint. For those of you who have yet to be lucky enough to visit this small community, it lies on the borders of North Hollywood and Burbank and befitting of the city is a place called Chez Nous. This eatery has been around for a very long time and with the decor and the building style, you’re sure to feel back in the younger days of the valley. A vine-covered building on Tujunga and Riverside, it is a prime spot for a delicious brunch with friends.  As we scour our neighboring towns for new delicious places for gossip and good food, this local eatery was on our list. Chez Nous is a French-style eatery with other American dishes thrown in the mix. We indulged in coffee, $4 champagne for Sunday brunch and Mimosas during our little 11:00 a.m. get together, chatting about the tough times and the good times amongst wonderful, beautiful women. I’m very glad to have these times to share with my amazing friends Bryn, Stephanie and Dina.

To be quite honest, I’m not much of a breakfast girl, but these ladies are, so as we perused the menu, mixed and matched our desirable tastes, then finally ordered, an array of breakfast items and lunch items hit the table. I ordered a charcuterie plate that had pate, Black Forest ham, salami, brie, muenster and goat cheese, with olives and cornichons. The food was served with a baguette and was something that I could have easily forgotten. The goat cheese and salami were the highlight of the plate. The Black Forest ham was not as fresh as I would have liked and the pate was a bit grainy. Overall, the service was very good and the atmosphere was interesting. I’d probably give the place a second chance for a pastry and a couple glasses of champagne. The desserts looked lovely and everyone else seemed to rather enjoy their food.  Sometimes the dishes we’d like to order aren’t always the dishes others enjoy much and with large menus such as this one, I can see how this choice may have deserved a second thought.. This was one of those times when I looked over at Bryn’s food thinking, “Maybe that’s what I should have ordered.” But, as for great company and enjoying a beautiful day, this place was definitely an interesting stop.

We also popped over for coffee and sunshine at Priscilla’s coffee house in Burbank. Coffee shops, especially little mom and pop cafes such as these, have a very special place in my heart. I ordered butterscotch iced coffee, which was delicious. I drink my coffee black to really enjoy the flavor of great roasted coffee beans and these were fantastic. Here we ended a beautiful and empowering afternoon in the beautiful California sunshine. The weather here has been nothing short of amazing these last couple of weeks. I’m so grateful for these opportunities to be close to my friends and enjoy their company in this brilliant city.