Drop What You're Doing! Go Have Coffee And Pastries At Le Comptoir, The New Walk Up

"Cinnamon bun," chocolate croissants, croissants

Petit Louis hasn't even opened, but the small walk-up counter next door has already kicked off a brand new experience for Howard County food.

Le Comptoir is a casual counter service area next to the space that will open next week as the latest Foreman-Wolf restaurant.  You can get casual lunch items, but it's worth dropping whatever you're doing right now to just get coffee and pastries.

The best croissant Mrs. HowChow has ever had.  Lemon poppy cakes.  A chocolate-pistachio pastry.  Two flavors of macarons.    Something described as a cinnamon bun, which I carried out and is waiting to be eaten as a little snack.

Everything that we ate was perfect.  A small, crispy croissant that was simultaneously light and flaky, but left a luscious impression of butter on my tongue.  A cake moist with a strong lemon flavor and a slight crunchy crust for contrast.  You know that I love the local bakeries, but you can't beat these pastries overlooking the lake.  We split a French press of coffee, and we had the best time.

Even before the coffee rush, I was pretty hyped up for this group's first restaurant in Howard County.  I can't say that I dream of French dining, but the Foreman-Wolf restaurants have this amazing feeling where people are obviously serious about the food, but not about themselves.  They're so nice.  The flavors and the people make me want to go back immediately.

At Le Comptoir, you can take out or sit at one of the cafe tables overlooking the Columbia lakefront.  Gorgeous now -- and great to get out of our house after these frigid weeks.  I can imagine that it will be even better in five to seven months when you could eat outside, walk around the lake, and let little feet run on the grass.

Petit Louis appears to be opening next week.  They're doing "friends and family" meals to work out the kinks and hosting a few charity lunches and dinners this week.

Check with Le Comptoir about their hours this week.  Eventually, they're planning on breakfast and lunch.  Maybe into the night.  But the restaurant is still opening, so I don't know their hours this week.  Hat tip to Clayton who stopped for an espresso and croissant on the first day Saturday.

Le Comptoir (inside Le Petit Louis)
10215 Wincopin Circle
Columbia, MD 21044
410-964-9999

NEAR:  This is on the Columbia lakefront next to Sushi Sono and just down from the Tomato Palace and Clyde's.  You park in the parking garage fronting Little Patuxent Parkway, then walk down to the lakefront.