Cafe Verdi in Bruges

As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Bruges, we set out for waffles at our favorite place.  Sadly, they don't serve waffles anymore so we opted for tea at Cafe Verdi.  The interior decor has an old world feel, evoking an 19th century cafe.  We both enjoyed our mixed fruit and strawberry waffles generously topped with whipped cream.  The tea proved to be a nice dose of caffeine after our 10-hour flight to Paris and subsequent 2.5 hour train to Bruges.

Cafe Verdi is located at Vlamingstraat 5 in Bruges

Yuko Kitchen in Los Angeles

 

spicy salmon and avocado rice cake

My brother and his fiancee raved about Yuko Kitchen when they moved to the neighborhood and now I see why.  The food is comforting and tasty, it's extremely affordable, the setting is quaint (there's both a cozy interior and outside patio), and the service is darling. The drinks are executed well so don't leave without trying the strawberry soda or apple-mint lemonade. As for food, go for the crispy rice cakes with salmon.  They top salmon over toasted rice and slather it with creamy avocado and a jalapeno pepper.  The teriyaki chicken plate is also scrumptious and an affordable, generous-sized option for lunch or dinner.  This is what a neighborhood restaurant should be all about.

 teriyaki chicken plate

 fresh water eel roll

I became addicted to their strawberry soda.  They also make a mean apple-mint lemonade that is best enjoyed on a patio in the trees.

Yuko Kitchen is located on Dunsmuir Ave., just off of 5484 Wilshire Blvd. in LA

Puget Sound Bite: Bakery Nouveau (on Capitol Hill)

I popped in to Bakery Nouveau this past weekend to check out the new location on 15th.  (The original outpost is in West Seattle.)  It was bustling with people looking to get their hands on the famed twice-baked croissants.  We had a leisurely breakfast and I enjoyed a warm, gooey pain au chocolat along with a kouign amann and a hot chocolate.  Everything was so good that I had to go back for more this morning.  This time I opted to bring them home and enjoy my breakfast in the spring sunshine.  

Clockwise from top: pain au chocolat, plain croissant, honey bun

Bakery Nouveau is located at 137 E John Ct. in Seattle