Some days just suck.

Today was one of those days.

By noon, we had already packed about three days’ worth of aggravation into a single morning. It was one of those “Are you kidding me?” kind of days where everything that could go sideways did. If you’ve lived in LA long enough, you know the feeling. It’s the same feeling you get when you’re standing in the CVS line wondering if they’re filling prescriptions…or building the pharmacy from scratch. Or when you wait 90 minutes for a bagel because apparently flour and water now require a reservation.

If you read Labornandbread.com, you already know I write about food, culture, and all those wonderfully ridiculous things that seem to happen only in Los Angeles. And yes…I complain. Probably more than I should.

After surviving the morning, we wandered through HomeGoods looking for…well…home goods. Did we need another throw blanket? Probably not. Did we buy something anyway? Of course we did.

By then we were starving, so we headed over to North Italia at The Point in El Segundo and grabbed a table on the patio.

That’s where we met Katie Russell.

And honestly, Katie deserves her own blog post.

From the second she walked over to our table, she greeted us with the biggest smile. Not the “my manager is watching me” smile. A real smile. The kind that makes you feel like she’s genuinely happy you’re there.

She knew the menu inside and out. We asked what she recommended, and without missing a beat she suggested the chopped chicken salad and the truffle garlic bread.

“You’ll love both,” she said.

She wasn’t kidding.

But here’s the thing…

The food was great. Really great.

Katie was even better.

Some people have that gift. They make you feel like you’re the most important person in the room, even when they’re juggling ten other tables. She anticipated everything before we had to ask. She checked on us without hovering. She laughed with us. She made us feel welcome.

In other words…she practiced hospitality.

Sadly, that’s becoming a lost art.

Can I say something without getting hate mail?

Only in Los Angeles can a server sometimes have more attitude than your teenager.

Not Katie.

Her attitude was simple: “How can I make your day better?”

And somehow…she did.

By the end of lunch, we weren’t talking about the lousy morning anymore. We were laughing. Smiling. Enjoying ourselves. Think about that for a minute. One person. One genuinely kind person completely changed the trajectory of our day.

Managers spend most of their time hearing complaints. Today, Katie’s manager got an earful from me—but not the kind they’re used to hearing. I wanted them to know just how exceptional she is.

We walked into North Italia because we were hungry.

We walked out reminded that kindness still matters.

So here’s my little shout-out to Katie Russell.

Thank you for reminding two tired, cranky Angelenos that great service isn’t just about bringing food to the table. It’s about making people feel seen. It’s about making people smile. It’s about changing someone’s day without even realizing you’re doing it.

North Italia has always been one of our favorite restaurants.

Now it has one more reason to be.

Katie.

And if you’re lucky enough to get her as your server, don’t just order the truffle garlic bread.

Order whatever Katie tells you to.

Trust me.

She hasn’t been wrong yet.