Yes, a bakery is worth a blog entry...

Let's just call this my "Eureka" moment. After a month in DC, I finally can end my quest for delicious homemade bread and baked goods.

On a little stroll through Dupont Circle yesterday (and after a visit to the National Portrait Gallery as a detour while it rained...the weather and the museums here are entries in their own right), I happened to walk by the corner of 20th and P Streets. A glowing sign caught my eye: Le Pain Quotidien. Inside, people were sipping out of mugs, snacking on croissants and soaking in the warm atmosphere of this bakery. Had I not just eaten, I'd have gone in then and there. But it's not going anywhere, so I figured I'd save it for another day.

This morning after a ritual CVS run, I couldn't resist going back. Just two blocks away from my apartment, under my nose all along, Le Pain Quotidien is the most luxurious, elegant, warm and welcoming bread and bakery place I've ever seen. It looks like it came straight out of Paris, yet even in Paris I didn't find a boulangerie quite like this (sorry, Brandon!). When you walk in, you can go straight to the takeout counter and experience the temptations behind the lovely glass bakery case, or you can seat yourself in the dining area. What a treat...there are tables everywhere (beautifully crafted from some type of blonde wood, mind you), large windows flooding the place with light, and one long, dining hall-style table straight down the middle in case you feel like making some new friends. Add to that the soft lighting and you have what appears to be a lovely morning waiting to happen.

I played it safe this morning simply because I have work to do and class to attend, so I just purchased coffee and a French roll for take out. Even this simple sustenaince is divine. Oh, and did I mention the rows and rows of baguettes, bottles of olive oil for sale, and delectable morning munchies (pan au chocolat, hazelnut biscotti, muffins and more...) galore? I didn't have time to sit and savor this morning, but I will surely be back to my newfound favorite.

This is what D.C. (more specifically my neighborhood, Dupont Circle) has been like for me so far. Sure, it's the nation's capital and we have some of the world's most incredible monuments. And yes, the White House is pretty cool. But for me, being in this city has been all about the hidden gems. Little treasures are everywhere, just waiting to be discovered, and Le Pain Quotidien is only one of them.