How about lunch in Georgetown*? On the way to a favorite French bistro, we’ll pass the old Georgetown theatre, the former site of many a French film, now a jewel center. Some of the theatre seats were covered with a cloth because they were broken, and your shoes stuck to the floor. Oh, but those movies were good.
Georgetown has lots of old, historic buildings that house typical American fare, like White House/Black Market or Steve Madden.
There are some pretty cool window displays too.
You may even see a C&O Canal barge in dry dock (I think that’s what’s going on here):
But here we are at Café La Ruche, which means “beehive cafe.”
It’s not much to look at from the outside, but bistros aren’t meant to be fancy.
What we came for was this:
and this:
and this:
I don’t remember ever having an apple dumpling in France, but who am I to quibble? It was divine. Thank heaven Mr. Prose was there to share it. When I was in Paris, you were supposed to have café au lait for breakfast, but the Frenchman next to us ordered one, so I followed suit.
*For those unfamiliar with Washington, D.C., Georgetown is a beautiful, old neighborhood northwest of the city. Georgetown University is there, along with a lot of very expensive mansions and great shops and restaurants. Parking can be a nightmare, but we lucked out and found a spot right in front of the cafe.
{ms. pearl}
Pearls & Prose 
I love the old buildings with their brightly painted faces. So quaint. And that food looks delicious!
It was!
There’s something about a French bistro, isn’t there? The food looks so dainty and lovingly prepared. It just feels so civilized.
They do take a lot of care to make the food look nice. Their fruit tarts are amazing too.
This definitely reminds me of Paris… Such simple but tasty meals.
It really felt like Paris this time, because we had a French family next to us speaking French. You’ll hear it a lot in Georgetown–the French embassy is there.
I love Georgetown and all it’s unique architecture and food. I always feel as though I am leaving too soon without seeing enough. Thanks for sharing!
I don’t go there as often as I used to, but I discover something new each time.
You’re welcome!
The sight of the quiche and pastry…either could be on the cover of Donna Hay magazine. Delish!
Thanks, Maura! I just found out about Donna Hay from an Australian food blog, Delicieux (http://www.ledelicieux.com/). I guess she’s the Martha Stewart of Australia?
That dessert is to die for!
So, so true. 🙂
The quiche and the pastry look yummy but that sandwich looks positively out-of-this-world. Details, please, Ms. Pearl? What was on it? What was that sinful looking cheese or sauce dripping so decadently down its sides?
That would be a decadent Croque Monsieur, which is a toasted ham and gruyère sandwich topped with Béchamel sauce and more gruyère cheese. A Croque Madame has a fried egg on top! Both are indeed decadent and a rare indulgence. 🙂