croissants and baguettes | where to eat in Paris

Tell people you went to Paris and the first thing they ask you about it the food. We didn't do too much fine dining, but we enjoyed plenty of bakery type meals. Give me a chocolate croissant for breakfast and a sliced baguette with brie and veggies for lunch and I'm a happy girl.

Here are some of our favorite bakeries...
Paul, 77 rue de Seine - expect a line out the door, but for good reason. Delicious brioche sucre, croissants, palmiers, and macarons.
bread & roses, 7 rue Fleurus - organic breads made with whole grains, nuts, and seeds
Banette, 2 rue de ces Commines - a chain, but I had the most perfect little chocolate and raspberry tart here
Arnaud Delmontel, 39 rue des Martyrs - beautiful styling, and our breakfast treats were still warm!
Le Grenier de Félix, 64 avenue Félix Faure - our neighborhood bakery, perfect for a quick snack any time of day

For lunch or a light dinner...
Pink Flamingo, 105 rue du Vieille du Temple -  a funky pizza parlor serving up unique topping combinations like fresh fig, honey, and goat cheese called the Brangelina (and it was fantastic!)
Le Pain Quotidien, 2 rue des Petits Carreaux - I had such a delicious artichoke heart and white bean salad here
L'Ebouillanté, 6 rue de Barres - cute patio seating outside an old church on a cobblestone path; we had crêpes, quiche, and fresh juice.
La Ferme, 55-57 rue Saint Roch - order your meal at the counter, choose a drink from the cooler, and sit where you like. We liked the laid back atmosphere, and everything is made in house!

For sweets...
Ladurée, 75 avenue des Champs Elysées - macarons, of course. 
La Maison du Chocolat, 8 boulevard de la Madeleine - we bought a teeny box of chocolates, but they'll offer you a sample! Seriously, it's worth checking out for the sample alone.
And get a palmier at every boulangerie you walk by. I did.

tea with Rose // Brewed Awakenings

My friend Hillary and I have recently decided to guide ourselves on a tea tour of Rhode Island, sampling steaming mugs of the stuff all over our little state. We started a couple weeks ago at a place in Johnston called Brewed Awakenings, somewhere I used to go all to all the time in high school and college. It's a great place to meet friends, catch up on some reading, hear live music, and of course, have a cup of tea. They also serve lots of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and even cheesecake from none other than The Cheesecake Factory. I'll admit it - I was tempted to have a slice for breakfast.

We ventured out early on a Thursday morning and Brewed was pretty busy with lots of people crowded at the tables, lounging on couches, and standing at the bar. Ezra and I arrived a little earlier than Hillary so I placed my order - a small spiced chai - and it was ready by the time I had Ezra buckled into a high chair and situated at a table. My chai was really good, but I must confess that it turned out to be made from one of those mixes. Boo. Hillary got there soon after (she chose ginger peach tea) and we talked about lots of blog type things - ideas for posts, gaining readers, what our husbands think about our online ventures - stuff that most people aren't interested in, so it was nice to have someone to relate to. I'm looking forward to the next stop on our tea tour already.

Be sure to check out Hillary's post today over at tello & rose...

a morning in the city // breakfast at tazza

Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to make for yourself at home, but there's just something about eating out in the morning that makes paying $8 for fried eggs feel worth it. Plus then you absolutely must get dressed and brush your teeth before nine. In the spirit of approaching the day with a "go get 'em" attitude, that's just what Ezra and I did one day last week. We got dressed, brushed our teeth, and met Laura and Hillary in Providence for breakfast at tazza last Thursday.

The breakfast menu is pretty limited with only a few egg type dishes, oatmeal, and maybe one or two other items, but that was more than enough for me to choose from. I ordered a sandwich with two fried eggs, cheddar cheese, and pesto on a bolo. Now I know you're wondering what a bolo is and I confess I was, too, until Hillary asked the waitress. A bolo is a Portuguese sweet bread roll. I don't know about you but I call that a Portuguese sweet bread roll. I've never heard it called a bolo before and we have our fair share of Portuguese bakeries around these parts. Wait just one second - okay, a quick google search tells me that bolo is the Portuguese word for cake. Can anyone confirm this?

Okay, enough semantics. The bolo egg sandwich was wicked good, and Laura and Hillary enjoyed their meals, too. Hill got eggs with a bolo on the side (and bacon - yum!) and Laura got the same sandwich I did except her bread of choice was a bagel. 

Aren't they so cute? They don't even have any food in their teeth even though I insisted on taking this picture mid-chew.

This one was looking very cute, too, but he was in a huff because I wouldn't share my hot chocolate with him. I did let him play with the little spoon that came with it though. The spoon was so cute I was tempted to take it home with me. Not really, but it was a really cute spoon. Really. 

I still want to have brunch at tazza. I mean, would you look at this menu?! Shrimp and grits? Buttermilk beignets? Malted Belgian waffle with Chantilly cream and BACON ALMOND BRITTLE?! Sorry for yelling but I just think that sounds amazing. Let's go on Saturday.

Geoff's on Benefit

Geoff's Superlative Sandwiches is nestled along historic Benefit Street, a couple blocks from the Courthouse where my mom works.  A couple weeks ago Ezra and I went to visit her so she could show off her grandson to the Judge, the bailiff, and her other coworkers, and after introductions were made we went to lunch at Geoff's. 

The menu is extensive and lots of the sandwiches are named after local celebrities, like RJ Heim and Don Carcieri.  Probably the best part about the Geoff's dining experience is the giant barrel of brined pickles in the middle of the shop.  I love using the tongs to fish out the biggest one I can find.

I ordered Saarin's Choice - bean sprouts, shredded carrots, and lettuce, with melted muenster, cheddar, and swiss cheeses on wheat.  I probably don't have to tell you this, but the cheeses were my favorite, followed closely by the bean sprouts.

My mom had a classic Reuben, and although the guy who made it was chastised for not letting the cheese melt enough, she said it was still yummy.  We dined outside, and Ezra enjoyed watching passersby while grabbing for stray carrots falling from my sandwich.  Next time maybe I'll even let him eat some of them.

Luxe

 Last night we went to Luxe Burger Bar in Providence for the second time since Ezra was born.  I'm not sure but I think it's his favorite restaurant. 

I love building my own burger - you choose a burger, how it's cooked, cheese, toppings, sauce, bun, and a side.  I ordered the gorgonzola tots to go along with my burger - delicious!

 Here's Ezra as we wait for our dinner.  Last time we were here he spent the majority of the time laying in my lap and/or breastfeeding, but now he's a champion sitter.  Well, not quite, but he's getting there! 

My delicious dinner pictured above - aged cheddar and dill pickle heaven.  Next we want to try Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and I hear that Red Robin is moving into the Warwick Mall parking lot.  Any other good burger places in RI that we should check out?

tazza with Elsa

Since Ezra has been here I haven't gone out to lunch or breakfast unassisted like I used to.  That's not to say that Ezra hasn't been to any restaurants because he has.  He's actually patronized three restaurants to be exact.  There just haven't been as many opportunities to go out to eat with an infant due to their very demanding schedules.  So since I don't know when I have my next lunch date with a friend, I will reminisce about one that took place a few months ago...

My friend Elsa and I visited tazza on Westminster Street in downtown Providence for lunch a while back, just to catch up.  Elsa usually lives in Boston but moved back to RI for a couple of months while she was making some decisions about her career.  She's decided to take a transfer to California next month so I'm glad we got to spend some time together before she leaves!

Anyway, back to the food!  I thoroughly enjoyed the chicken salad wrap which included cranberries and walnuts.  I have to admit that the pickle on the side was one of my favorite parts.  I don't know why I like pickles so much.  (Geoff's has the best ones in town.)  

Now that Elsa is moving to Cali it looks like Matt and I have an excuse to fly across the country.  No doubt Elsa will find some where cool for us to eat lunch.