Pardon My French

Pardon me, but would you happen to have any Grey Poupon?

For such a small town, South Pasadena has more than its fair share of French cuisine. If you feel like going Gallic and you have un petit prince to tote around, though, we think your best bet is Nicole's Gourmet Foods.

Nicole's, which isn't far from Mission and the Gold Line station, is one of those places where you can choose from hundreds of different cheeses -- ranging from the inoffensive to the stinky and delicious -- and take it home with a baguette to enjoy with some Edith Piaf records.

Or, if the place isn't too crowded (which it can be even on a weekday), you can order a Croque Monsieur and a glass of bourdeaux, then sit out on the sun-drenched patio and people-watch like a Parisian. That's exactly what we did a couple of weeks ago with Aki, minus the bourdeaux, and we loved every last bite.



We shared the croque monsieur and a melted brie sandwich. The bread for both sandwiches was, as you'd expect, fan-freakin'-tastic, and, like all French places, the green salads that came with them were simple but good. (The dressing-to-leaf ratio at French places seems to always be just right.)

But it was the croque monsieur that made us stop and give props to Proust's peeps: served open-faced, with a mouth-wateringly good gruyère and thick slices of Madrange ham, it is pure French yumminess bathed in béchamel.

You can cap off a nice meal at Nicole's with a stroll around charming South Pas. Depending on how much you eat, you might need it!



Speaking of eating, last week we noticed Aki's first teeth coming in. It seemed kind of early to us, but then again, maybe all the good food we eat in front of him has been giving him some incentive.

As far as we're concerned, though, if it's the solid food he wants, c'est tres bien!