Omnivore - Breakfast at Le Petit Marche
Not for weight loss
Yesterday, someone I know mentioned Le Petit Marché (1963 Hosea Williams Dr., 404-371-9888) in Kirkwood. I realized I’d never visited “the little market” that serves breakfast and lunch 8 a.m-4 p.m. daily, so I headed there this morning.
The shop is delightful — sunny, with lots of specialty foods arranged around a dining room full of natural wood tables and decorations evocative of Paris. The clutter is so extensive, in fact, that I couldn’t find the water dispenser no matter how many times a staffer pointed at it.
I’ve written numerous times before that breakfast is not a meal I typically enjoy, at least in the morning, when it’s meant to be eaten. About the best I can do most days is oatmeal and a protein bar.
Le Petit Marché’s breakfast menu is not the usual. It features egg sandwiches on a choice of three different breads, with bacon or chicken sausage. You can add more ingredients, like spinach, mushrooms and feta cheese. There’s also a French Toast sandwich, oatmeal and — my choice — a scalding-hot bowl of grits topped with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and diced shrimp and bacon.
Obviously, this ain’t health food. My bowl of grits was so rich I couldn’t eat more than two thirds of it. It appealed to the kid in me. Next time, I’m having the oatmeal with fresh fruit, pralines, cinnamon and maple syrup. Sounds healthy! Oatmeal lowers cholesterol. So what if it shoots your blood sugar sky-high?
The cafe also serves a menu of lunchtime paninis, sandwiches and three salads (all of which include a meat or fish). You ain’t going hungry here.
OTHERS IN THE AREA: On my drive to Le Petit Marché, I caught a glimpse of Wyatt’s Country Barbecue on Memorial Drive at its intersection with Maynard. I also noticed a trailer selling chicken wings near Howard Ave. Across the street from Le Petit Marché is a soul food joint called Spades Kountry Kooking (404-378-5242). And, of course, Arden’s Garden, Sun in My Belly and Urban Pizza are also nearby.
Note: Edited to correct the name of Wyatt’s Country Barbecue.