Lingering on Larchmont

For my mom's last full day in town, we had an all-girls brunch on Larchmont Blvd. We stopped in at Cafe du Village, which is between Beverly Blvd. and 1st St.

It's a cozy little French cafe (see the orange awning above and to the right) with Provence-style decor, quick service and delicious fare. I went for the banana pancakes and cappuccino, while my mom ordered Le Croissant au Saumon. C opted for biscuits and sausage.

There was no rush, so it was a nice way to spend a Saturday morning with my mom and daughter. We'll have to make a return visit with Ian as well.

Larchmont Village itself is adorable. The street's lined with small shops and restaurants, a mix of chains like Starbucks (and Coffee Bean and Peet's -- all within a block of each other!) and Pinkberry alongside locals such as Spirituali and Landis General Store.

It made me wonder what the street looked like in years past. Thanks to the Larchmont Boulevard Association, I can show you:

This is Larchmont in 1932, looking south from Beverly Blvd. The building on the left is now home to Noah's Bagels, and Coldwell Banker now sits on the right. Streetcar tracks run down the middle.

And this is Larchmont in 1948, looking north toward the Hollywood Hills, which you can see faintly in the background. Notice the streetcar was still running.