FELL ALL COMFORT AT BISTRO

LA QUICHE PARISIENNE BISTRO
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BREADS AND PASTRIES FILL A CASE AT
LA QUICHE PARISIENNE BISTRO
IN DOWNTOWN ALBUQUERQUE

Falling temperatures call upon our bodies to take in foods that are heartier, more satisfying and geared toward keeping warm. When I was under the weather as a youngster, I could look forward to meals of warm milk and toast, and that is precisely the comforting feel that comes from dining at La Quiche Parisienne Bistro

Starting out the morning with a steaming café au lait, golden tan in its mug, coupled with a baguette or delicate all-butter croissant? Heavenly. The coffee perks up your senses, the bread both fills your stomach and provides a sugar boost, and the protein-rich milk rounds everything out.

Even walking in the door is enough to make a carb lover swoon, with the heady aroma of oven-kissed flour and butter. Proprietors Sabine and Bruno allow you to tempt that sugar-boosting fate even further with their dozens of pastries. from small fruit Danishes to towering stacks of mousse and sponge cake, each made daily and ----

I repeat my self here deliberately ---- with plenty of real butter. I took a sampling home with me: layered cake, a pear pastry and a small croissant. Each was gently tasted,ultimately devoured.

. Lunch also is a relaxing treat. Start out with a Classic Salad ($4.99), or the larger zesty Chicken Avocado Mango ($7.99), enough for a meal

While the flavors might not be the epitome of French cooking, the combination is still clearly a favorite with the clientele.

Quiches are the specialty here, and you'd missing out to not sample at least one, As many as eight varieties are offered daily ($6.99-$7.99), from Lorraine (ham, bacon and onion) to my new favorite, Provençale (ham, tomato and spicy mustard): Each individually sized circle of decadence is the perfect meal --- not too filling, yet satisfyingly rich. The crust has just a bit of chew and could be flakier, but these are minor quibbles. Those Provençale flavors sing, with the zing of the mustard against soft tomatoes and salty ham, all nestled in a fluffy egg-and-cream base barely firmer than custard.

For a lighter meal or for those with a taste for tart and tangy flavors, there is always the L'assiette Parisienne ($7.99), a spread assembled out of ham, prosciutto, house made pâté, brie and a small loaf of bread, naturally. Sabine makes the pâté herself out of top-quality ingredients that show through in each bite. The mustard and pickles on the plate are a necessary balance, brightening one's palate as the meats and cheeses are tasted in sequence. As if these options weren't enough, there is a whole list of sandwiches available, both hot and cold, which haven't yet been able to drag my attention away from the quiche and the pate. Classics like Pan Bagna with marinated tuna and tomatoes, and even a Cuban featuring spicy Dijon mustard along side ham and melted cheese, are sure to convince any quiche-fearing lunch date that there's something for them, too.