“You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you.”

–George R.R. Martin

Yesterday amid cool weather outside, my sister and I wanted to get brunch at Paul’s Bakery and it was my first time eating there. Last year, she and our family went there for her birthday, but I did not go because I was studying abroad in Taiwan at that time. I am a fan of warm, rustic, laidback, vintage, and cozy cafes. I love to visit cafes whenever I go to other countries. When we went inside, the bakery cafe was already filled with people sitting with their friends or family. Luckily for us, I found a table right by the window so my sister and I could enjoy our lunch and watch people walking outside. We went to the front counter and the countertop has many delicacies on display including chocolate filled croissants, donut holes, apple and almond pie pieces, and so on!

There were so many to choose and I had to see which one looks good to eat. I ordered a quiche which tasted delicious and I didn’t know that it comes with a side salad. The salad tasted great too! I also got a small vanilla latte in a cup and it was great too. I am not a fan of syrupy coffee. For example, cafes add vanilla flavored syrup in the coffee. I just prefer if the vanilla spice is added to make it taste more “authentic.” The strawberry tart, although the shell was hard to cut with my knife, it still tasted delicious nevertheless. My sister ordered a salmon quiche which also comes with a side salad. We both took photos and we had a great time in Paul’s bakery. On a poster, it has a historical background stating that Paul’s bakery was founded in 1889 which would be 131 years old. I like to read the history behind local businesses or how the company was started and grew.

It was noisy inside and my sister told me she heard other people sitting nearby speaking French behind her. I thought one lady was speaking Spanish, but she told me no the lady and presumably her family were speaking French. Looks like there are some French visitors spending time here in our home state! I think they are expatriates living here or just visiting relatives here. We will never know. It just shows what a big bowl of diversity that the United States is comprised of. Sitting in Paul’s, it makes me feel excited for when the day finally comes that I get to go to France for vacation. It makes me feel as if I am transported to a cafe in Paris. If only that is true! I told my sister that I want to visit many cafes and we could go sit outside a cafe in Paris and watch people with their everyday routines. After lunch, we went outside and looked around inside stores including Amazon Bookstore, Georgetown Cupcakes, Francesca, etc. We didn’t buy anything except the pastries from Paul’s to bring home for our parents and our other sister. We had a good time together even when it got more chilly in the evening. Note that if you want to eat at Paul’s bakery, I recommend that you go during the weekend so that you will not have to pay for a parking fee (it’s free during the weekends). But if you do go during the weekday, the parking garage is about 2.5 minutes walk from Paul’s bakery and the hourly fee is $1.25. If you want to walk around all day in Bethesda, you will need to park in the upper levels of the garage because the first two floors are only allowed parking for two hours maximum limit. I recommend Paul’s bakery because it makes you feel as if you are in a Parisian cafe (there are even French posters on the wall) and if you want to have a fun quality time with your brother or sister just to chat or eat heartily, you should go there. Keep in mind, it is crowded during the weekends so you will likely have to wait five minutes or so for an available table.

Address: 4760 Bethesda Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814

Website: http://www.paul-usa.com/en/content/41-paul-take-away-menu

Price rating: The total was about $45 for my sister and I so it is expensive. But we wanted to treat ourselves to eat here. I recommend that you go here every once in a while or for a family member’s birthday brunch or a lunch if you are meeting a friend that you haven’t seen in a while.