Eat This Now: Quiche at Le Champion
Le Champion // Photo by Sarah Sipple
I was simply trying to beat cabin fever by working from somewhere different, but my Thursday afternoon ended up more pleasant than expected at a Westport cafe. It was the quiche, specifically, that brought me back for my third visit, but what I observed ensured that it would not be my last.
While working from Le Champion, I ended up noticing green flag after green flag in the aesthetically muted, yet interesting, vintage sports-themed spot.
As a customer, some of the green flags included noticing plenty of purse hooks below the bar and generous outlets for laptops. There was a concise food menu, which reliably translates to quality dishes. The ambient temperature and seats were comfortable, even after sitting for a couple of hours of work on a ridiculously cold day. And for those who weren’t there to work, customized Le Champion conversation cards adorned each table to encourage warm connections.
Perhaps more importantly, the staff appeared to get along well with each other, and from my not-on-purpose eavesdropping, I heard conversations demonstrating mutual respect and relaxed friendliness. Over my few hours there, a wide variety of industry folks came in. Staff from some of my favorite KC eateries passed through, and with a service industry as tight as ours, it says a lot about a place when bartenders and servers and managers choose to spend their money and time there.
But I was there for the vegetarian potato and leek quiche ($8).
Le Champion // Photo by Sarah Sipple
This is a quiche for people who don’t love eggs, but still want a hearty and savory breakfast dish. Sourced from the bakery team behind Enchante and Tailleur, the quiche has a consistently-browned crust that is first lined with thinly-sliced potatoes, then topped with an egg and leek mixture that gently holds it all together when baked. On top of a foundation of potatoes, the egg mixture has the consistency of a breakfast gravy more than a firm, eggy quiche.
Besides the texture, another surprise is its slight kick. The quiche bucks bland breakfast expectations with its tiny hint of spice, similar to a heavy hand of white pepper or a pinch of red pepper flakes evenly distributed throughout the cooking process.
I paired the savory quiche with a couple of peanut butter and chocolate chip protein balls ($2.50) and black drip coffee. The coffee, a blend from nearby Broadway Roasting Company, was so smooth that I ended up buying a bag of beans to brew at home. With one coffee refill to power me through my work, it ended up being a surprisingly pleasant afternoon. The best green flags are the ones that show themselves when you’re not looking.
Le Champion is at 4149 Pennsylvania Ave, Kansas City, MO 64111.
