Terrine.

If there's two things I love in this world it's brunch and anything French! Last week I visited this new restaurant in LA called Terrine with my girl friend, which was both of these things and it was so cute and yummy.

Terrine prides itself on cooking up French classics with a California twist. And the same goes for the delicious drinks that are made here. The atmosphere is warm and romantic, it's a really cute date spot. My favorite part of the restaurant was the beautiful dining garden, where we sat and dined among the trees. I really felt for a minute that I was eating brunch in Paris.

The beautiful dining garden. 

Bloody Mary made with heirloom tomatoes and a Mimosa with prosecco. 

My absolute favorite dish, Pain Perdu. Vanilla battered french toast with sea salt caramel frosting. 

Mushroom, truffle, and sage pizza with a fried egg on top. 

The beautiful floor tiles in the restaurant. 

Camilo's California Bistro.

Yet again, I am on a constant search for the best brunch spots in LA and I came across Camilo's, which definitely ranks high on my list! Camilo's is local, found in Eagle Rock on the main street, Colorado. It's very homey and has a clean, classic atmosphere.

I am a huge fan of Eggs Benedict in general, and the "bennies" here really good. The hollandaise sauce is really lemony and adds a really complimenting flavor to the dish. 

My boob shaped Eggs Benedict :P.

My girlfriends I came here with ordered sweet breakfast dishes, which included Bananas Foster Waffles and French Toast dipped in Grand Marnier. This isn't your average IHOP french toast and waffles! 

Bananas Foster Waffles.

I loved the selection of AM drinks here too. My go to drink is a Bloody Mary and I liked that Camilo's kicked it up by adding soju instead of vodka.

Array of brunch cocktails. 

There is an entire section of the menu dedicated to Mexican style breakfasts like Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles. I really need to come back here to try these...I couldn't help but glance over to the other customer tables to look at these south of the border dishes and they were all mouthwatering. Needless to say, it may take a while for me to go through my list of hot brunch spots, but I will be coming back here!

Pumpkin French Toast.

I really, really love breakfast foods...I could eat it for lunch and dinner if I could! I love French toast especially, and because its fall I thought I could put a spin to it by making it with pumpkin puree. Guys, I don't like to brag about the foods I make, but this recipe turned out amazingly and I urge you all to try it just to have this flavor party in your mouths.

The recipe is super simple. I used a loaf of challah bread...I find that this bread is the perfect bread to use for French toast because it has a hint of sweetness to it, but you can use any bread you like. I found my challah at Trader Joe's. Be aware, using another type of bread that's not sweet will call for a tablespoon or two more of sugar.

This breakfast makes me happy, I hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of ground ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1 loaf challah or bread of choice cut into 1 inch slices

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.
2. If you're making a lot and want to keep the bread warm before serving, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and transfer both to oven.
3. Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush surface with butter or vegetable oil. 
4. Place a slice of bread in the milk mixture allowing it to soak for a minute. Flip it over and allow to soak for another 30-40 seconds more.
5. Quickly place the soaked bread onto the griddle or skillet and cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
6. Transfer the French toast slice to the oven to keep warm and continue the same process with the rest of the bread slices.
7. Serve with warm maple syrup. 

(recipe courtesy of acozykitchen.com)