Just around the corner from The Chalkboard HQ, farm-fresh breakfast-seekers and from-scratch pastry-lovers spill out onto the sidewalk every morning from Huckleberry’s double french doors. L.A. is a city filled with sidewalk cafes, but few are more charming than Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan’s Huckleberry Bakery and Cafe.

Josh and Zoe have transformed this L.A. neighborhood with knock-out concept restaurants like Milo & Olive, Rustic Canyon, and Sweet Rose Creamery (read more in our very first Neighborhood Guide), but to us, a morning spent inside this homey cafe, complete with a map of local farms used to build their epic veggie salads and quinoa bowls, is the perfect Santa Monica experience.

With Zoe’s very first cookbook hitting shelves next week, we seized the opportunity to cozy up at home with one of our favorite local chef and bakers. In Huckleberry: Stories, Secrets, and Recipes From Our Kitchen, Zoe is dishing out over 100 sweet and savory recipes using whole grains, natural sugars and from-scratch methods. There are even a few gluten-free options tucked in there.

Peek in on our morning with Zoe, pop over to get her chai tea latter recipe, then pop back to bookmark this pancake recipe for later this weekend!