Lutecia - Brunch in Fitler Square
Sitting at the corner of Lombard and 23rd, is a small family run cafe called Lutecia. Lutecia is the historic name for Paris, apt given the French cuisine and atmosphere at this small cafe.
We ended up here one Sunday morning because we wanted to stay in the Fitler Square area for brunch. Fitler Square, with it's tree lined quiet streets, is a great place to live, but unfortunately is still rather limited in food options. However, the food at Lutecia does not suffer at all even given the lack of competition.
I ordered the sandwich off the specials menu, which was foie gras pate with stewed grapes, while A got the mushroom omelette and an iced latte.
My sandwich came with a perfectly done sunny side egg in the tiniest, cutest cast iron pan I've ever seen, and the runny yolk was great to dip the sandwich into. The sandwich was a generous portion, and all the flavors went very well together. I really enjoy salty and sweet flavors together, so the stewed grapes with the salty pate really hit the spot. The toasted bread added a bit of much needed crunch to all the soft textures. However towards the end, the rich flavors got to be a bit much, though I didn't let that stop me from finishing the entire thing.
A's iced latte was great and massive, though it's hard to tell how big it was from the perspective of the photo. And despite my generous portion, his mushroom omelette was a petite size, though it did come with bread and a small side salad. Given that A was on a somewhat keto diet and didn't eat the hunk of french bread that came with his omelette (which I happily ate for him), he was still a bit hungry after brunch.
Our check came out to about $30 pre-tip, so this isn't a cheap brunch, but completely fair given the neighborhood and quality of the food. Service was very friendly but definitely on the slow side. I think there was one waiter, and he seemed a bit overworked, so not the best place for a meal if you're crunched for time.
TL;DR - a cute family run spot with some good food. Service is on the slower side; come for a lazy brunch.