BETHESDA ROW

RESTAURANT WEEK

Inside the Menus:

LE PAIN QUOTIDIEN

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive!!!

One of the greatest things about Bethesda Row is the ability to escape to Paris any time of the day. The decor and setting of Mon Ami Gabi - even when dining on the patio - evoke an evening out in the City of Light.

Le Pain Quotidien is the sweet spot on our pedestrian street at Bethesda Row, Bethesda Lane, where the cuisine perfectly matches the architecture.

It is almost like a movie set, with the dramatic arch above and stone street. LPQ provides the sidewalk cafe and French food to complete the scene. It is, hands down, the best spot in Bethesda for a leisurely breakfast. Is there a better way to start the day than a Toasted Paris Ham & Gruyere Croissant (they put Paris in the name; clearly I am in the target audience for their marketing!) and a real Cafe au Lait, served European-style? Add in a French newspaper or magazine, and you'll feel the urge to hand the staff your passport. And did I mention the Belgian waffle? And the fact that you can find the best fresh lemonade in town here on a hot day in Bethesda?

It's too bad breakfast isn't part of Bethesda Row Restaurant Week, but fortunately, LPQ has lunch and dinner flights to France available for only $15 or $30 through April 22!

LUNCH ($15)

Course 1:

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Soup du jour

Course 2:

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Organic Quinoa Taboule with arugula, chickpeas, avocado and vinaigrette (quinoa is a superfood - super healthy - by the way! Taboule is a variation on a traditional Middle Eastern salad)

OR

Chicken Curry Tartine with cranberry harissa chutney

Course 3:

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Organic Iced Tea

OR

Organic Mint Lemonade sweetened with raw, organic agave nectar

(I'm picking the lemonade here!)

DINNER ($30)

Course 1:

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Baked Goat Cheese Toasts with organic acacia honey and thyme

Course 2:

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Warm Morroccan Chicken Salad with chickpeas, olives, harissa, cucumber and arugula (hard to argue with this one)

OR

Seared Quinoa Cake with corn, zucchini, carrots, tomato, hummus and avocado

Course 3:

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Mini Tart Quartette (Matcha Tea Mousse, Lemon, Chocolate Ganache, Blueberry)

Course 4:

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Beverages!

Glass of House Wine RN13 - White, Rose or Red

(I think the white pairs best with this menu)

OR

Organic Iced Tea

OR

Mint Lemonade

Much like Vapiano, LPQ is throwing in a beverage. So you're essentially getting a nice glass of wine free!

For me, the day at Bethesda Row isn't officially over until the little Le Pain Quotidien truck pulls up to the end of Bethesda Lane, at the Elm Street side.

And so too does today's edition of Inside the Menus end!

Au revoir!