During my recent trip to Paris, I sought out simple, yet delicious food. From a meal that doubled as a work of art at Le Pain Quotidien, to the life-changing discovery of the Cheese Muffin from the Rose Bakery, here are two memorable meals that I would like to enjoy again soon.
A Work of Art at Le Pain Quotidien
Those that know me well know that I am a Le Pain Quotidien super fan. Every time that I’m in a city with a Le Pain Quotidien (New York City, LA, DC, London, Paris), I have to go. I even went to their Le Pain Quotidien World Tour picnic in Central Park last year. So, before you chide me for visiting a Le Pain Quotidien in Paris, know that my obsession trumps eating local (it’s a Belgian chain).
Le Pain Quotidien loveliness
The location we visited was at 5 Rue Des Petits Champs near the Grand Palais. This Le Pain Quotidien had menus in both French and English featuring their trademark simple boulangerie faire. I ordered the above tartine and was not expecting such a work of art to arrive. Not only was it beautiful, it was delicious with a mix of duck, brie, green apple, and dried prunes. At around 12 Euros for both the tartine and filter coffee, it wasn’t too bad on the wallet either.
Long Live The Cheese Muffin And The Rose Bakery
The Rose Bakery is another obsession of mine. It’s a proper English bakery known for amazing scones, cakes, salads, and more, that has a thriving business in Paris. I fell in love with the Rose Bakery before we formerly met in person through the Rose Bakery cookbook (a MUST own).
Cheese Muffin from The Rose Bakery
My friend Carolyn was kind enough to join me on my quirky Rose Bakery pilgrimage. And, she was even more gracious when we arrived at the Rose Bakery in the 3rd arrondissement on 30 Rue Debelleyme and it was terribly crowded. We queued up alongside an incredibly chic crowd of Parisians and had to wait for quite a bit. On the plus side, we got to scope out what everyone else was eating, which is how we discovered the Cheese Muffin.
The Cheese Muffin is basically a savory cheesy muffin sliced in half to accommodate a generous portion of rich, creamy scrambled eggs. To counter balance the decadence, lettuce and stewed tomatoes are served. After walking around all day, the Cheese Muffin was precisely the hearty, filling meal we craved. It was a tad expensive at thirteen Euros, but the overall Rose Bakery experience made it worthwhile. I loved the meal so much that I would like to re-create my own cheese muffin and scrambled egg meal at home!