DogVacay’s in house social guru Rachael King, calls Los Angeles’ WeHo (that’s West Hollywood for non-Angelenos) home. When we were deciding on the best place to brunch in her ‘hood Gracias Madre was an obvious choice.
Image from graciasmadreweho.com
When you approach Gracias Madre you encounter a sleek white building with a simple, yet elegant typographic sign. Walk through the doors and you’re transported into a beautiful oasis. The building’s white walls are sharply contrasted by bright colors of fresh fruit on the bar and blooms adorning the tabletops as abundantly as the cocktails.
Image from mrsiebert.com
The food, like the decor, draws inspiration from the kitchens of Mexico. Expect to find vegan cuisine served up with cocktails concocted from fresh pressed juices. Brunch options are a mix of tofu scrambles, smoothies, and sweet and savory toasts. There’s no need to sweat your decision, trust that no matter what you order it will be delicious.
To see what Rachael and I decided to brunch on, you’ll have to click here and watch our interview!
An Interview with Pace Webb, chef & lifestyle expert behind Taste of Pace
Coming up next on Toast Meets Jam… Pace Webb, the chef and lifestyle expert behind Taste of Pace.
I remember as clear as day the first time I met Pace. She was decked out in a fantastic yellow print dress and wearing the most “catch-me-if-you-can” color of pink lipstick. I knew I liked her before even getting introduced.
If you’ve ever encountered Pace you know just how irresistible she can be. Her kick-ass outfit drew me in but as soon as we got to talking I could see that her personality was just as colorful. You can’t help but want to hang with this vivacious lady.
Though she earns high marks for her sense of fashion, Pace’s real talents come to life in the kitchen. She is the founder of the catering company Taste of Pace, the host of an invite-only supper club, and a regular TV personality for various food and lifestyle media including Oprah’s OWN Network.
This time around we mixed things up a bit and held our interview at my house in Venice. I wanted to introduce Pace to one of my favorite new brunch spots, Gjusta, but their set-up was less than ideal for filming. Instead, we grabbed a box of pastries to go and brunched take-away style.
Over our baklava croissoints Pace and I talk about the founding of her company, her evolution from chef to TV personality, and why dessert just doesn’t get any better than chocolate cake. Make sure to check back next week to catch the full interview!
When asked where she’d like to do our interview, Marlene offered up The Springs, a spot in downtown LA where Marlene spends much of her time. The Springs describes itself as a “multi-faceted urban oasis cultivating health, wellness, sustainability, and community”.
If you’re anything like me, this description is confusing at best until you arrive at said destination. Walk inside of the large warehouse space and you’ll be greeted by a juice bar/ raw vegan restaurant nestled amongst a yoga studio, wellness center, and plenty of open seating for the freelancers amongst us to settle in and work.
Oh yeah and there’s this awesome outdoor space which get even prettier when the sunsets and the hanging lights turn on.
Marlene and I each ordered one of The Springs 100% organic cold-pressed juices, the Fireside and North Star respectively. An order of house made chips and guac proved to be the perfect pairing.
While I bathed Marlene in questions she showered me with gifts. These are the four spice blends in the Savour this Kitchen collection. I gave the spices a test drive by whipping up a batch of Marlene’s Gypsy carrot cupcakeswith Merchant cream cheese icing. Click on this link to get yourself a free sample!
To hear all about the making of these spices and the rest of the story behind Savour this Kitchen, make sure to check out my interview with Marlene!
A few weeks ago I was introduced to the marvelous Marlene Bernstein. She is the chef and owner behind Savour this Kitchen, an umbrella brand for the catering company / line of original sauces and spice blends she runs with her brother Michael. As someone who keeps her fridge fully stocked with sauces, spices, and condiments of all varieties at all times, I was immediately all over Ms. Bernstein’s blends. Needless to say, I was stoked when she agreed to sit down for an interview with Toast Meets Jam.
When asked where she’d like us to do the interview, she easily came up with The Springs LA, a newish downtown hotspot that boasts itself as an “urban oasis of wellness”. To put it simply this place is absolute amaze-balls. Part organic juice bar, part yoga center, part local for morning rave parties, The Springs has everything this girl could possibly want in life all rolled into one.
Over our interview, Marlene guided me through the journey that brought about Savour this Kitchen and it’s evolution over the past few years. She also shed light on the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, her advice for aspiring foodies, and what she does to keep the STK train driving forward. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Toast Meets Jam interview if we didn’t have some fun along the way so you’ll also get to find out what makes Marlene, Marlene, from her favorite Halloween costume to her hidden talent.
More About Marlene
Marlene is the chef behind Savour this Kithcen. She is trained in classical French cuisine but her cooking is inspired greatly by er Mediterranean roots. When she’s not making her rounds at the LA farmers’ markets or hosting a fantastic fete, you can find her catching a dance class, exploring downtown, or writing recipes for popular blogs like LaurenConrad.com.
What is Savour this Kitchen?
Launched in the summer of 2011, Savour This Kitchen began as Savour This Moment, a California fresh catering company dedicated to using wholesome flavors and natural ingredients. After receiving rave reviews for the unique sauces in their dishes, brother and sister entrepreneurial super team, Michael + Marlene, decided to sell these sauces as stand alone products.
Savour This Sauce came to fruition at the beginning of 2013 and featured their three signature sauces: Red Pepper Romesco, Thai Chile Cilantro, and Pistachio Mint Pesto. With humble beginnings at the La Canada Farmer’s Market in Los Angeles, people flocked to the new vegan, gluten free brand.
Thanks to love and support from the community, coupled with early success at the Farmer’s Market, Savour This Sauce found a smooth transition into retail outlets. Nearly a year and a half into the sauce line, the budding company decided to expand beyond sauces and develop a line of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired spice blends: Gypsy, Merchant, Nomad and Seafarer. In order to establish a marketplace for these unique seasonings (and more that are being developed) that make cooking more approachable, fun and delicious, Michael & Marlene created the umbrella brand Savour This Kitchen for their various product lines. (cite: Savour this Kitchen)
For our interview, Kelsey and I met at a the quintessential cafe, Aroma Coffee and Tea. The cafe is located in Tujunga Village, a hidden gem of Studio City.
Seats look plentiful here but be warned. If you’re heading there for weekend brunch get there early or prepare to wait. When we arrived the line was already beginning to stretch down the block.
The cafe has a nice mix of indoor/outdoor seating. You order at the counter, take a number, and then go on the hunt for an open table. It can be a bit tricky to nab a free menu before reaching the counter so I suggest pursuing the online menu before arriving.
Our brunch stretched into the afternoon so I decided to try out Aroma’s Tofu and broccoli rice bowl. They provide every type of hot sauce imaginable including good ‘ole Sriracha so I was pretty much in heaven.
Now, if you haven’t yet had the chance to check it out, make sure to catch my interview with Kelsey to hear this gal’s story behind The Brand Gals.
Marlene is the chef behind Savour this Kithcen. She is trained in classical French cuisine but her cooking is inspired greatly by er Mediterranean roots. When she’s not making her rounds at the LA farmers’ markets or hosting a fantastic fete, you can find her catching a dance class, exploring downtown, or writing recipes for popular blogs like 
