A breath of fresh bakery air: LeoNora

LeoNora Bakery dazzles with the founder's earnest and successful dedication to the fine art of French bread and pastry making.  The baguette is the closest to a traditional Parisian that B and I have found in DC--with LeoNora's opening, Patisserie Poupon is now a runner-up on this count.  The gluttonous, buttery pastries, at about $2.50 a piece, are also finger-licking good--the chocolate croissant is flaky with a rich, decadent filling.  The "croissant muffin" is similar to a very tender brioche, but has the mouth-feel of a buttery cloud.

Perhaps my favorite part about this new bakery is the lack of pretense.  The no-frills storefront occupies one of the few remaining drab storefronts in Clarendon.  But the attention is 100% on the craft of bread and pastry making.  Unlike so many new neighborhood offerings, LeoNora is not a scene, but rather a breath of pastry-scented fresh air!

I Adour Bubbles

The St. Regis in DC is located mere blocks from the White House, but until recently, when I was looking for an elegant, yet classical Washingtonian cocktail experience, I would think Hay Adams or (the recently redone) Jefferson.  But on the first day of 2012 I discovered the ornate, laid-back Adour bar and its master mixtress of cocktails, Jane. 

Since today marks the end of a characteristically frantic week back at work after a holiday, I wanted to share a bubbly unique escape that will help you unwind into the weekend.  Adour's signature cocktail (pictured above) centers on hand-crafted Cointreau pearls.  These delicate orbs float majestically through crisp, bubbly prosecco. The real magic here comes when the pearl bursts on your tongue providing a sweet edge to the subtle prosecco.  This bubbles on bubbles beverage is a sure cure for the January blues. At $16 it is an affordable indulgence, especially when you compare it to the cost of cocktails at the St. Regis in NYC where pricetags swell into the mid 20's

And while these bubbles may go to your head, make sure you look directly upward from that mesmerizing potion.  Those square carvings on the ornate ceiling are actually angels with wings.  .  So take flight on a cocktail journey that won't let you down.