La Provence Boulangerie & Patisserie — Restaurant in Beaverton

It was my best friend's birthday, and I had one mission: Take her out to lunch at this French-ish boulangerie & patisserie in SW Portland.

(I didn't tell her it would be my third visit in as many weeks. You might call that indulgence. I call it local economic support and cultural exploration.)

Before I continue, I must tell you that I've been really consistent with my low carb diet, so - according to the nutritional doctrine I've invented - this means I am not just allowed to order the French toast special, I am encouraged by the Universe to do so. 😇

I told my server, "Yes, I will have the emotionally transformative dessert brunch and for dessert I would like a flight of butter-based joy, please and thank you." 🧈🍓

Let’s talk about that French toast. Or rather, let me try to talk about it. Because this dish?

Oh. Mon. Dieu. 🥐

I have no words for this dish.

NO WORDS.

(And I'm the kind of person who usually has so many words.)

The full name is "Strawberry Pistachio Praline French Toast."

It started with La Provence Brioche stuffed with strawberry crème. But then it just kept going:

Dipped in egg batter. Yes.

Grilled to golden perfection. Of course.

Topped with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and pistachio praline? Heck yes!

...and FINISHED with orange crème and a dusting of cardamom sugar?? OMG have I died? Is this heaven? (Heaven apparently has bright windows overlooking Beaverton Hillsdale Highway.)

A few bites in, I transcended. I could hear colors. I wept openly. This isn’t French toast. This is a religious experience. A fever dream composed by a pastry whisperer who once made eye contact with a strawberry in Versailles. 🍓✨

As I savored every bite and scraped the last bit of orange crème from my plate, I imagined the head chef instructing his sous chef, to create this very special brunch special:

Sous Chef Jacques (Not his real name. Probably. But maybe.) made French toast topped with strawberries and presented it to the head chef, who cried out,

"Sacre bleu, Jacques! Zees eez La Provence! We 'ave a reputazion! We must make ze toast even better zan before!"

Jacques added whipped cream to the dish and presented it to the chef for approval.

"Non, non, non, Jacques, eet eez NOT YET PERFECT. You call zis a toast?! We are not animals. BRING ZE ORANGE CRÈME."

THWACK (towel to the head)

"Where eez ze pistachio praline?! 'Ave you NO HONOR, Jacques?!"

WHAP (another towel, now slightly sugared)

"Now... bring ze cardamom. We dust. We DUST LIKE ARTISTS."

At this point, Jacques is crying. The toast is glowing. Angels are weeping in the kitchen. 😭✨

What I was served was not brunch. It was a Michelin-starred edible opera composed by a pastry poet whose only love is excess in the name of excellence.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Would return. Would fight a moderately sized militia for the last plate.

Highly recommend ordering it while making intense eye contact with the person taking your order, as if to say: You know what this is. I know what this is. Let’s not pretend this is anything other than a spiritual...

08/07/2024(Wed) Since it’s only been open for about three weeks, the entrance is still a bit plain, but the restaurant is located on the second floor. The overall atmosphere is stylish and calming, with bright, white, and monochrome tones that create a comfortable setting. We enjoyed an IPA ($7)🍺 and a N/A Mango Margarita ($9)🍸 along with the BLT Sandwich ($16.95) and the Mushroom & Chevre Omelette ($17.25). The croissant was freshly baked, soft, and wonderfully fragrant—it was absolutely delicious. We’re eager to try more dishes from their menu. I’m also excited that they’re opening another location on Cedar Hills Blvd soon, as it’s great to have more of our favorite La Provence spots close to home.🥰 10/04/2024 (Fri) After coming back for the first time in two months, I was delighted to see the patio fully completed, creating such a charming atmosphere. The place was packed with a lively crowd. We enjoyed the Chipotle Mushroom Burger ($20), the Chorizo Hash Scramble ($17.75), and two cups of coffee ($4.50 each). 10/07/2024 (Mon) I had lunch with friends and tried the Caramelized Banana French Toast ($16.95) and the Strawberry Basil Mule Mocktail ($9). I also took photos of the Raspberry Mojito French Toast ($16.95), the Wild Northwest Salmon Hash ($19.75), and the Mango Margarita ($9). The lively atmosphere and great conversation made it a truly enjoyable experience.🥰 03/31/2025 (Mon) This restaurant now closes at 4 PM on Sundays and Mondays (while staying open until 8 PM on other days), so it feels much less crowded than when it first opened. We enjoyed the Cudighi Baguette ($17.25), Monte Cristo ($17.25), and Napoleon ($7) with coffee. I’ve never seen Napoleon at the Cedar Hill location, so I was happy to have it here. The delicate cream and crispy pastry layers were perfectly balanced and absolutely delicious!🤤 Both the Cudighi Baguette and Monte Cristo were...

The five of us had a Sunday brunch yesterday. While the restaurant was unpleasantly too loud to carry on a conversation at our table, that was not the worst of our experience. The food was overpriced and disappointing. The eggs Benedict choice was poorly prepared and not even warm. The hollindaise was not up to standard, in that it was room temperature, flavorless and the consistency and color of a cheese-based sauce. The meat was nearly too tough to cut with the provided steak knife. One serving of that dish was accompanied with the worst hash brown potatoes (not warm, flavorless and barely cooked. Another Benedict had fruit served that was meager in quantity and quality and left to the client to prepare it (cut off rinds), In summary, the fruit was unappealing in appearance and taste as well as texture. We have had a much better experience all around at the Alberta St. and the Lake Oswego locations, as well as competing restaurants. The lack of effort in preparation was off -putting. Our server was excellent, but not enough to bring us back. Very disappointing. Sorry that the review form does not include a no...