There is something deliciously lazy about a Sunday morning. The day stretches out in front of you full of promise, yet there is no urgent need to do anything. You wake up without an alarm shrieking in your ear and even though you are awake, there is no need to get up just yet. You read the Sunday newspaper and no one frowns if you only concentrate on the comics and lifestyle section. Brunch was invented for a Sunday, when you can laze over a meal without feeling guilty and feel your whole body de-stress bit by bit. Or at least that’s how it is for me.
This last Sunday, we woke up late and decided to head to Cafe Madras, because it was nearby and after a year in Paris, I had a strong urge to rekindle my love affair with a South Indian breakfast. But it was not to be as we eyed the large crowd waiting outside the cafe and drove around in circles looking for parking. If there is anything that can destroy the leisurely feeling of a Sunday morning, it is the daunting prospect of waiting for your brunch while worrying that your car might be towed away. So we turned around and headed towards town, which we knew would be blissfully uncrowded on a Sunday.
I had wanted to check out Le Pain Quotidien for a while now and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. As soon as as I saw the bougainvillea-framed entrance and walked in to the smell of freshly baked bread, I knew we’d made the right choice. The interior reflected the warmth and decor that LPQ displays worldwide and having eaten at their cafes several times in Toronto and Paris, I felt instantly at home. The warm wood finish, the inviting communal table, daily specials written on the blackboard – everything felt instantly familiar. However, unlike other chain establishments, nothing seemed forced or gimmicky. Even the servers were cheerful and nice in a way that made you feel they meant it, instead of reciting welcome spiels by rote.
