Eiffel Tower Cafe

One Wednesday every month, I have the privelege of getting a wonderfully relaxing massage in downtown Leesburg.  Its the one day I don't have to work, I run errands only if I have to, and I can explore some shops and eateries that I don't normally get to go to very often.  So I had one these days recently and it just so happens my massage ends around noon...just in time for lunch.  Where to go? There are so many unique little cafes and such in oldtown Leesburg.

I leave the massage parlor and begin walking down the street contemplating this very matter when I happen upon a little building that looks like an old house with a small hanging sign that says Eiffel Tower Cafe.  It seems kind of quiet. Is it open? I'm not sure.  What kind of atmosphere? Can't really tell.  Ah, but there is a menu out front.  Hmm, a few things catch my eye.  My only alternative is to go in and find out what kind of establishment it is.

The main door is on the side of the building where there is an adorable little patio area where I imagine on a nice summer evening it being full of couples enjoying a glass of wine by the ivy and twinkle lights.  The bell on the door jingles as I open it.  It does not appear there are any other customers inside but a middle-aged gentleman with a friendly smile, greets me with a menu and asks if I am alone. Yes, just me, I reply.

He leads me to a table against the wall which is decorated with many paintings and various ornaments of the Eiffel Tower and Paris scenery.  The tables are all covered in white linen and adorned with single red roses and small table lamps. In his genuinely French accent, the waiter tells me about the specials, takes my drink order of San Benedetto sparkling water, then apologizes that its not more busy in the restaurant.  Its always busy on the weekend evenings, he assures me.

He returns with my fancy water and I order the tarragon chicken salad sandwich. A few minutes later, out comes this beautiful plate with a greatly portioned chicken salad sandwich on a croissant which is so buttery and flaky and the tarragon just sings right through so joyously. It is topped with fresh dark greens and a slice of ripe tomato.

Next to this delicious sandwich is a lovely dark green salad lightly dressed with some sort of citrusy vinagrette. It is a delightful compliment to the tarragon chicken. In addition to the salad, there is also a side of pasta.  Penne with some olives and feta cheese.  An interesting Greek flair in a French cafe.  But it works so nicely together.  A lot of food but still light on the tummy as well as the wallet. That whole wonderful feast was only eight bucks!

Thankfully before I was finished with my meal, a group of ladies had come in for a lunch date so I didn't feel so bad that I was the only one in there anymore.  I would love to go back on a Saturday night sometime when the weather's a bit warmer and have a date night with my Superking on the patio.  Their desserts looked pretty amazing too! While I finished up my lunch that day, I felt as though I had been transported to a little cafe in the heart of Paris herself.  What a delightful addition to my day!

Locolat

A few weeks ago was Superking's birthday (the big 3-5).  We decided to venture into DC and wander around. We had plans to go have lunch at one restaurant we've been wanting to go to when instead we stumbled upon another place.  Locolat, a Belgian cafe, located in Adams Morgan.

Very small but quaint.  Their specialty is waffles of all kinds, sweet and savory with a myriad of optional toppings.  I, of course, had to go for the waffles.  I went with a savory kind...green herb.  My topping? Escargot!  It. Was. Awesome.  And it was served with a beautiful little green salad with a house-made dressing.

cool modern art on the wall

The waffles were soft and herby and covered these wonderful tasty little snails smothered in garlic butter that dripped down into the waffle crevices and down the sides.  The salad was light and crisp, the dressing creamy and slightly tart perfectly drizzled on top, not too much, not too little.

a wreath on the wall made from mussel shells

Superking Bday Boy got one of favorite dishes...mussels.  Yummy little morsels swimming in buttery mussel juice and broth and served with warm crusty bread. Lovely!

After we finished our delectable meal, we perused the chocolate and pastry counter.  So many beautiful hand-made chocolates and cakes and pastries! And some very unique flavors.  We bought a small bag of chocolates...hazelnut, cayenne, mojito, white chocolate, strawberry pomegranate, truffles...sooo very very yummy and rich!

Definitely a precious gem in Adams Morgan that must not be missed!

Drunken Fruit Salad

Here's a great fruit salad you can take to your next summer picnic with a unique twist that everyone will love! I recently made this for a Fourth of July picnic and it was gone within minutes!

Fresh fruit is a must. Nothing frozen and thawed. Organic and local is preferable. But fresh definitely. Whatever fruits you want. There are no rules to what fruit should or should not go in a fruit salad. I say, go as crazy as you want! I chose strawberries (because they're my favorite and they're red, happy 4th!), watermelon (its the perfect summer fruit), blueberries (because there's lots of them and it provides the patriotic blue), and peaches (because they smelled so good when I walked by and it would be something a little different).

But I didn't want to do just fruit. It needed a special twist. So I decided to make a dressing. I went online and searched through all my favorite blogs and recipe pages to find the perfect dressing. I took an idea from this one, a piece of that one, and created my own Drunken Salad Dressing.

So what exactly is in this Drunken Fruit Salad Dressing, you say??  Here you go...

4 Tbsp orange juice (I prefer pulp free)
3 Tbsp honey
3 tsp Chambord (this is the drunken part)
1 Tbsp + 3 tsp lime juice (i know kind of a crazy measurement but I was experimenting!)
5 fresh mint leaves, finely minced
(Stir it all together in a small bowl until the honey is somewhat dissolved. This makes about a cup of dressing which was plenty for the large bowl of fruit I prepared.  You don't want the fruit swimming in it. You want just enough to give a little extra zing.)

Once all the fruit is cut, sliced, diced, whatever, pour the dressing in with it and gently toss the fruit and dressing together. Then let it sit in your refrigerator for at least an hour or 2 before serving. This gives the dressing a chance to soak into the fruit a little bit and for all the flavors to meld together nicely. Then you'll have a beautiful fruit salad thats both sweet and a little tart and completely refreshing on a hot summer day!