Best Thing We Ate This Week: Pastries at Le Petit Prince

There are a lot of places to eat in Birmingham, but one of my personal favorites doesn't even have tables.

is a cute but comfortinly authentic, set apart from the downtown scene but still a popular draw no matter what the day — that is if the Didierjean family who's owned Le Petit Prince since 1979 is in the country at the time.

If the interior of Le Petit Prince lacks the pizazz of downtown bistros or coffeeshops, it more than makes up for it with its food. With dozens of pastry choices baked fresh every day, as well as tarts and other sweet desserts, there's plenty to choose from.

My favorite, and the best thing I ate this week, is one of Le Petit Prince's specialties: le pain chocolat (and yes, six years of French means I will pronounce that like it would be en Paris). The pastry is light and flaky and there's just the right amount of chocolate.

The only pastry that threatens that top spot is Le Petit Prince's cheese sticks, which are light, flaky, cheesey and delicious (plus, it's always a good thing when the butter flavor sticks to the top of your mouth).