le pichet.

The way to my heart? Liver. Smooth creamy, patê on a chewy baguette... yum. You think I'm kidding, but I'm 100 percent serious when I say that I cannot resist a delicious baguette - no less, a homemade duck foie gras.

Recently, I indulged in one of my favorite snacks errrr... meal? (I'm known to eat a whole baguette by myself in one sitting.) The café of choice was Le Pichet right on 1st Ave next to Pike's Place, and it was my destination for an afternoon bite. It's an absolute gem and reminds me so much of Paris - maybe a little bit bigger, but everything from the seating, the bar and blue and white floor tiles -- it just brings me back. 

First thing I ordered immediately upon seating -- a chilled glass of sauvignon blanc. Afterwards, I couldn't take my eyes off of the charcuterie menu... pork patê, duck foie gras and chicken liver terrine were must-haves, and to accompany, Le Pichet served my order with unlimited freshly made baguettes. I probably went through two loaves; it was absolutely delectable.

Over-stuffed, I didn't have room for dessert so I ended up picking up macarones at Le Panier for an at-home end-of-day dessert. Lemon, orange and hazelnut were the flavors I picked out, and I ate them wholeheartedly with a cup of orange blossom tea. 

That afternoon was truly a little Parisian delight and made me a bit nolstagic for last summer's adventures in the City of Lights. 'Til my next adventure to France -- I'll just temporarily gratify my cravings with local, nearby French restaurants, cafes and bakeries. Dearest Marché, Café Camagne and Toulous Petit... I'll be your best and frequent diner soon.

Here are snippets of my gastronomic adventures at Le Pichet:

See how beautiful and fresh that baguette looks!

[clockwise: pork patê, duck foie gras with fresh peppercorns and chicken liver terrine]

smooth and creamy terrine on top of a flaky, chewy piece of baguette

that's not from Le Pichet... but I had to squeeze in a photo of my beautiful orange macaron.. YUM!