Ever since I first read about Maurice, I had been wanting to go. A pastry luncheonette – doesn’t that sound like the sweetest place in the world?

The nice thing about Jonah working downtown is that sometimes we’ll meet for lunch, and I get to try places that I wouldn’t normally visit (southwest Portland is not a place I really frequent). So when we decided to do lunch last week, I asked if we could go to Maurice.

It’s a tiny little place, right near Powell’s and Thai Peacock. An all white interior makes for a cheery brightness, even on dreary days (which is was when we went). There is one larger table for maybe up to 6 people, a few booths for 2, and a counter along the kitchen. The place has a very European vibe, and the light and simple interior is refreshing to me.

We went on the later side, and they had run out of one of their lunch dishes. So we decided to go with the brioche tartine with melted cheese, rye seeds, served with mustard and carrots, and the lefse with salmon roe and gravlax. For dessert, I decided on a layered mousse cup (caramel and mocha flavors) with a kind of cookie crumble. While I did thoroughly enjoy the food, I must say I was slightly disappointed in the size of the dishes, particularly when you factor in the price ($8.00 for each dish, and $10.00 for the dessert, as it was a special that day). Or rather, the price of the dishes, when you factor in the size. I am not afraid to spend a bit of money on food, but I left feeling… well, hungry. The service was fantastic, the space was lovely, and the food was delicious, but my advice would be if you’re going to go (which I definitely think you should), just know that you’re either going to spend a bit to fill up, or you’re going just for a snack.