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October 8, 2006
Cuisine: French, Coffeehouses

2000 18th St NW, Washington 20009
At Vemon St NW

Phone: 202-319-1800
Website: www.lenfantcafe.com

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Appetizer I: Cheese Board - Assorted imported cheese (Bleu, Brie, Swiss), seasonal fruit, baguette

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What do you call a substantial snack that takes place between lunch and dinner? Afternoon Tea? Or “low tea” as the Brits sometimes call it. My beautiful friend James and I enjoyed low tea (without tea) at L’Enfant. The weather was gorgeous so we sat on the patio with quite a few other patrons. The ambiance was relaxing, the food was terrific, and the conversation was flowing.

James and I shared the cheese board and enjoyed water out of a tall bottle. The amount of cheese served was enough for a party of four or five, but that wasn’t really a problem because we have never encountered a cheese that we didn’t like. Bring it on.

The board consisted of two huge wedges of Brie and Bleu, a tall stack of Swiss, lots of red grapes and a few strawberries. The baguette was sliced into little rounds and was the perfect vehicle for the cheeses. James and I agreed that the creamy Brie was the best. However, I prefer my Brie without the rind, while James likes it with. The Bleu was tasty as well, but a bit overwhelming towards the end. We took the the Bleu “to go” for later. The Swiss was right on target–the perfect contrast between the mild Brie and the strong Bleu. We had to ask for seconds on bread because there was SO much cheese! The grapes were fabulous, as were the strawberries.

I’d definitely like to return to L’Enfant to try their sweet and savory crepes!

August 12, 2006
Cuisine: French, Desserts & Bakeries, Other

624 S 6th Street, Philadelphia 19147
At Bainbridge St

Phone: 215-592-0656
Website: www.creperie-beaumonde.com

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Appetizer: Escargot with garlic butter, crostini and bread

Entree I: Saumon Fume Buckwheat Crêpe - Smoked Salmon served with roasted leeks & creme fraiche

Entree II: “Rich Man’s Egg McMuffin” Buckwheat Crêpe - eggs over easy with ham and goat cheese

Dessert I: Sweet Crêpe Special - Filled with peaches, blackberries, a ginger creme anglaise, and topped off with vanilla ice cream

Dessert II: Wheat Crêpe with Bananas and Dulce de Leche

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Earlier this week I was reading the Astronomer’s travel journal from his trip to Europe and started craving crêpes, especially since the Astronomer thought that the crêpes he enjoyed in France were on par with the ones served at Crêperie Beau Monde in terms of taste and authenticity. I think that food tastes best when I’ve been craving it for a couple of days.

We started off our feast with some escargot with garlic butter, crostini and bread. I was hoping the escargot would be served inside their shells, but sadly those preparations are only executed outside the US. The crostini and bread were excellent vehicles for dipping and consuming the escargot.

For our savory crêpes the Astronomer ordered the Saumon Fume, while I ordered my all-time favorite combination of eggs over easy with ham and goat cheese. Both crêpes were spectacular. The crêpes were a good size and expertly filled with the perfect amount of each ingredient. The crêpes themselves were made of buckwheat flour, as is traditional in the region of Brittany. It always surprises me how crêpes manage to fill me up even though it seems like very little food.

For desert the Astronomer ordered the sweet crêpe special of the evening which contained peaches, blackberries, a ginger creme anglaise, topped off with some vanilla ice cream. I ordered my favorite dessert combination of dulce de leche with bananas. While the special was tasty, I adored my sweet crêpe more. There’s just something about ripened bananas accompanied by a caramelized sauce within a crisp crêpe that gets me every single time.

Crêperie Beau Monde has been a constant in my restaurant rotation since Swarthmore and remains a favorite today. The Astronomer and I have dined at Beau Monde at least four times together, maybe five. We love this place.