Claudine Artisan Kitchen & Bakeshop at 16350 Ventura Boulevard e, Encino, California.

I’ve been to Claudine Artisan Kitchen & Bakeshop a few times since they opened and it’s a bright new spot on the brunch scene in the San Fernando Valley.

I’m typically a hearty egg based meal type of guy for brunch so when I decided to get the Carrot Cake Porridge this time, it really was a leap of faith. And one I’m glad I took…this dish was phenomenal! Just the right amount of sweet with all kinds of ingredients that redefined what breakfast comfort food could be for me. This is a crave worthy dish that will fill you up and that your brain and tongue will be thinking about for years to come.

On a previous trip I had Lea’s Lightened Quiche. As a self-confessed francophile, if you’re going to have a vegetarian quiche on the menu, that’s pretty much automatically what I’m going to get. It was a generous size and generally tasty, but perhaps a little bit too salty for my tastes.

The french-fries here are are also done right.

They’ve got various creative coffee drinks (including unique flavors) but the house coffee, for you morning coffee purists, was done absolutely perfectly. Strong and flavorful. Serve it yourself in the drink area across from the order-counter. It really did the job.

They always have plenty of option for vegetarians…daily and unique specials, and one glance through the glass at the baked goods on display will probably have you locking their door behind you as you enter so you can have them all for yourself.