Seattle: Maximilien Restaurant has Spectacular View of Puget Sound

When I was still in Michigan, I made a reservation at Maximilien Restaurant in Seattle for the Saturday just after I returned. It was to celebrate being together for the second half of the summer and put us right in the heart of the Seattle waterfront and Pike Place Market.

There is a large rooftop garden adjacent to Maximilien's patio and the public is welcome to explore, take pictures and admire the view from up there.

There are vegetables growing, flowers blooming and a smattering of kooky art installations.

You must stop and see this beautiful outdoor patio before having a lovely French meal.

We both ordered French Onion soup, a summer halibut dish and an icy drink. I think this would be a wonderful place to enjoy a cheese plate, fresh bread and a bottle of wine. Bon appetit!

#pikeplacemarket #maximilienrestaurant #seattle #seattleblogger #foodandwine #cigarboxpurse #makersgonnamake

Palm Beach Gardens: Paris in Town restaurant

It was the perfect spot for a girly lunch. Who can resist a crepe? My aunt was in town for Easter and suggested that we peel away from the large group for a couple of hours and have lunch. 

With my mom and her sister in the car, I headed toward our favorite place for lunch in Palm Beach Gardens: Paris in Town, located at Downtown at the Gardens.  This lovely little bistro has outdoor seating and we chose a table with a nice breeze in the shade. 

Look at our magnificent lunch! They chose French Onion soup and a Quiche Lorraine, each with a small salad, and I had a Ham & Swiss crepe. Ooh la la, as they say. 

Paris in Town is a quiet restaurant with a menu full of your French favorites. I often suggest it when I want a cafe au lait and something wonderfully sweet in the afternoon.

My cousin came to the area for the first time in years and when she called, she said she found a cute place that I had to try. It was Paris in Town's other location called the cafe on US1 and PGA Blvd. I told her she had found a gem.

Seattle: Belle Epicurean in Madison Park

A table on the sidewalk, fresh air, blooming trees and a Pear Almond Brioche from Belle Epicurean in Madison Park. Everything about this was just what the (jet lag) doctor ordered.

I was trying to convince myself that I was raring to go, so I drove over to Madison Park to visit my friend's favorite haunts.  The only thing I hadn't counted on was the fact that it was Monday.  Small shopping streets often keep hours on the weekend and use Monday as their day of rest.  Yep.  Each shop I checked in on was locked up tight.  Except her favorite French pastry shop, Belle Epicurean!  

I admired their gorgeous honey display (I love knowing a place I get can get bottles of Savannah Bee Company honey) and contemplated which pastry I should order.

They warmed up a Pear Almond Brioche and the scent alone was worth the price.  It smelled good enough to dab behind my ears.

When I sat down at a small table on the front walk, I realized just how tired I really was.  A latte and a snack was just what I needed.  I called my friend with the proclamation, "Guess where I'm sitting!"  We talked for a half an hour about her wonderful memories of living in Seattle.  It was the perfect way to spend my first afternoon.

City Series: Hudson, New York: Cafe Le Perche

When you are on a road trip, you always hope that the "arrival of lunchtime" and "finding a spot for lunch" will intersect.  I usually find a cute place to eat lunch when it's only 10:30 in the morning.  Or I'm starving, but there are only McDonalds for miles around.  

So when I realized that a French boulangerie was right down the street from where we were we would be shopping in Hudson, New York, I knew that this was going to be my kind of road trip.  Cafe Le Perche is a lovely little bistro and bakery in the heart of Hudson.

Dan and his aunt ordered Croque Monsieur (Grilled Brioche, Ham, Gruyere, Béchamel) which you can see in the top of the first photo and they loved it. Absolutely loved it.  You can see that I had a beautiful spinach salad with grilled chicken, goat cheese, candied nuts and fresh strawberries.  I'm trying to forget how much bread I ate.

It was fresh and chewy and perfectly delicious.  I just read the Cafe Le Perche story on the website and now I know why I couldn't stop eating their bread. 

They had a special 17-ton round brick and metal wood-burning oven shipped from France and assembled in the adjacent carriage house. (Click here to read their story and see photos of the oven being assembled). That amazing oven is where they can bake 200 of the most perfect baguettes.  I could eat them all.   

If you are driving around the Hudson River Valley, on a roadtrip looking for antiques or otherwise, you are sure to need some sustenance. Set your GPS to 230 Warren Street, Hudson, NY and fell confident that you will have a delightful meal. You can thank me later.