Our French (Breakfast) Connection: Versailles Bistro

Restaurant Number 14

Eating Up And Down 101

After taking time off for the holidays and vacation, we are back at it. Restaurant number 14 Cafe Varsailles. This relatively new women owned cafe has two locations in Encinitas. Friends have raved about their El Camino Real location, just minutes for our house. However we have to stay authentic to our 101 mission. And the cool factor is just better at The Lumberyard.

Cafe Versailles is a French style bakery that serves breakfast and lunch as well as offering catering.

Breakfast is a big deal here in Encinitas. And we seem to like French pastry shops just as much as we like tacos and ice cream. When I lived in Portland I soon realized that breakfast was not easily found. The only requirement in the PNW is coffee, lots of coffee! Rushing around half asleep at freezing o’dark 30 with a steaming hot Venti latte, was my only morning nourishment.

Maybe it’s the sunrise at 6am, the great weather, or hungry surfers coming from the morning waves. Breakfast is everywhere. I am not a morning person, but now that I am back in my natural habitat, there is nothing more luxurious than lingering over a breakfast date. Cappuccinos and lattes in real mugs instead of to go cups. Oh and actually getting dressed! Sorry PNW no jammies in public in the ENC.

It’s February and yes, it’s sunny! The Lumberyard has the best outdoor seating. Walk up place your order and they will bring it out to you.

Everything on the menu looks good. Eggs Bennies, galettes, croque monsieurs, pastries teasing you in the front case, and more. It turns out we need to make two visits to really get to know the menu.

Our first visit Andy and I visit on a Friday. Andy has the Normand Eggs Benedict. Toasted English muffin topped with smoked salmon, tomato, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. He gets a choice of potatoes, salad, or fruit. He picks the fruit cup. His eggs are wonderful. But the fruit, watermelon, grapes, and cantallops, was over ripe and not too tasty.

My pick the Brioche French toast along with the addition of berries and whipped cream, for an added $2. You can also add on Nutella. This is a generous serving of thick Brioche battered just right. Crisp on the out side and fluffy( not soggy) in the inside. Topped with powdered sugar and a side of maple syrup. The blue berries, and strawberries are fresh and sweet. The whipped cream is nice and thick. Yum! I ate the whole plate. Well I let Andy have a bite too.

We both had cappuccinos in real mugs! We ate every thing and did not feel overstuffed.

Double Dipping

For round two we head back with LuLu to celebrate her new house. Another sunny February day on the patio. Our servers are very friendly and attentive today. A detail we like is the large menu board. That makes it easy for all us aging folks who eye sight may be getting a bit dim to read, but are too cool to be seen in glasses yet.

More rounds of cappuccinos! LuLu gets the French toast with extra maple syrup. I sneak a bite and yet again just right.

I am having the Normand Gallette. Smoked salmon and lemon cream wrapped in a warm whole wheat crepe with a side of potatoes. The lemon cream is nice and warm too. The potatoes are done just right. Cottage style. And the salmon and cream are very flavorful. This dish will fill you up.

Andy is enjoying the California Bennie today. This one comes with avocado and tomato. He’s doing the potatoes too. I sneak a bite of his and I appove.

We all enjoy enjoy our relaxing breakfast people watching in the sun. Oh am I getting a bit of a sunburn?

We will deffinatly be making another visit. I saw someone’s burger being served. Wow! I also want to pick up some pastries some time. Maybe at the one next to our house.