Caught in the rain

After some sightseeing, I decided that I wanted a box of  champagne and tea macarons. And so we went off for a quick stroll over to Dalloyau.

About two blocks from the destination (which sat right across from Luxembourg gardens, I might add), it started to drizzle. About one more block, and it was pouring!

A brief respite from the rain - see all the empty seats up front? Usually packed

Quickly as we could, we ran into Cafe Luxembourg which sat next to our destination but more importantly, it was dry. We opted to sit behind the tables which was closest to the edge of the canopy as it was nice to face the streets, looking at the people in the rain...

Cider Yum

After taking an enormous amount of time asking questions and deciding, Barb opted for the cheese "sandwich" and I opted for the pate. :) And a cider. The cider was refreshing! It was nice to sit and chat and just look at the scene.

Cheese in a baguette

Did I mention I neglected to let Barb know that a croque monsieur was a grilled cheese and you just need to opt out of the ham? No? Well I did...and she got a cheese sandwich...cheese in a baguette, sliced and untoasted.... The look on her face was hysterical. Sorry, Barb. But the cheese should have been good...it is Paris, after all!

Pate!!

I love French pate. Maybe it's because I grew up in a house where my mom told me how good french goods were - from her days as a child when grandpa was alive and imported many french goods - one of which was pate. Of course, this is not the fois gras but regular fois made from pork. At any rate, this was really good!

Be more personal with my pate...

I also love french baguette and I mean real Parisian stuff - not the crap we call baguettes at home. The flour I think makes a difference. Theirs come out crispy outside with a spongy soft and slightly sweet center. Delicious. Afterwards, I got my delicious macs and we went back to the hotel for a bit before setting out again.

Some of the flavors of Amorino

Then we walked around some more - alot more - I can't lie. I made Barb walk like she was on pilgrimage. And we rounded and rounded until we hit Amorino!!!! I had given up on getting this.  The special thing about Amorino is that their gelato is served in layers on in a cone. Beautiful!

Rose of Pistachio and Rum Raisin

But this means you can try many flavors! I didn't and opted for the rum raisin and pistachio. I can tell you, it was a few petals of manna from heaven. Truly creamy, flavorful and delicious. The pistachio was very rich and very good. The rum raisin was delicately flavored with rum and vanilla with plump juicy raisins. Fantastic shop.

Cafe Luxembourg

58 Boulevard Saint-Michel, 75006 Paris, France

Tel. 01 43 54 20 03

Amorino

4 rue de Buci 75006 Paris
Tel : 01 43 26 57 46

Brunch at Luna

Okay this post is out of sync because I had technical difficulties uploading the pics via iPhone app. Apparently, if you don't hit publish, they will no longer save the pics?! Methinks some writing will be done to the app devs.

Our last morning in DC, we opted for late check out and went to look for brunch. As there was nothing close by, we went off to Dupont Circle and scored at Luna, a kitschy looking place next to the Mad Hatter (I would have chosen this place because I like the name but they were pricier than Luna).

As it turns out, Barb remembered that she ate there before - a while back. And she only remembered once we stepped through the doors...

So upfront - there are no meat substitutions. If you don't like pork or are allergic to pork, then you can't have meat here. 

So that said, they have a small brunch menu full of hearty pork filled meat breakfasts or french toast or omelets.

Waffle with egg and cheese

Barb ordered their waffles with egg and cheese. They did not have meat subs so the pork filled menu was not a good choice for her. However, the waffle looked nice and fluffy and delicious.

A nice hearty platter

Since I am more likely to eat a pork product, I choose their platter - toast with eggs (I like mine over easy) which they served perfectly done and their maple syrup sausage. It was very delicious. My eggs were actually over easy!! Some places overcook them. And the sausage was very tasty - seasoned but with a lovely taste of maple!

Overall, I find this place to be friendly yet fast - a good place to grab a quick bite - just don't come here if you can't eat pork but want meat for breakfast.

Luna Bar & Diner
1301 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20009
tel. 202.835.2280
Hours:
Sunday -Thursday

8:00 am – 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday

8:00am – 12 midnight

 Brunch on Sat & Sun Only