"We wanted the place where you walk in and your shoulders go down for a minute, and you go, 'Okay, I could do this, I feel comfortable,' and that's what we've achieved," owner Chris Drapkin said.
Owners Chris and Rick Drapkin were cooking hot lunch for a nearby school 14 years ago when one of the parents had a suggestion.
"'I don't know what you're feeding my kid, 'cause my kid loves the food you're serving. Can you make me dinner to take home?'" Rick recalled.
"So we started this thing called Harvest Moon to Go. You pick up your kid from school, you pick up your dinner for the evening, you take it home. And so one family became five families, became 20 families, and we're like, 'This is silly, we should open a restaurant.' Two weeks later, this location became available."
Today, Harvest Moon Kitchen is famous for its award-winning BLT, and guys, the sweet and spicy bacon is incredible.
Their burger packs a 7-ounce patty with a homemade jam.
Chef Sydney Drapkin cooks up French toast and tasty omelets; croissant sandwiches; big, flavorful salads; and coffee and cocktails.
This month, you can also feast on some fun specials, like Harvest Moon's apple pumpkin pancakes, a huge hit among regulars.
"They love our specials," manager Alexis Twine said. "Anything that is a special, they'll gravitate to because it's only here for a certain amount of time."
But it's the food, atmosphere, and service that customers like Candise Kovacevich said brings people back again and again.
Big portions, friendly faces, and fair prices. Rick said the idea behind Harvest Moon was simple.
"We basically created the restaurant we wanted to go to," Rick said.
The restaurant is open six days a week, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed on Mondays.
Harvest Moon Kitchen and Marketplace is located at 12456 Magnolia Blvd., in Valley Village.
Thank you, Paige Zito, for the submission.
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