Pick element from xml

I have this code to pick up foods and foodplaces from XML Att first i have stored the name of each restuarnt in a string list and i want to pick the food that this restaurants in the lists reservs

 foreach(var restaurant in restaurants)
        {
            List<foodplace> foodPlaces = (from _foodplaces in xmlDocument.Element("foodplaces").Elements("foodplace")
                                          where _foodplaces.Value == restaurant 
                                          select new foodplace
                                          {
                                              day = (from day in _foodplaces.Elements(thisDay)
                                                     let list = day.Elements("food").Take(3).ToList()
                                                     select new DayOfWeek
                                                     {
                                                         food1 = (list.Count > 0 ? list[0].Value : string.Empty),
                                                         food2 = (list.Count > 1 ? list[1].Value : string.Empty),
                                                         food3 = (list.Count > 2 ? list[2].Value : string.Empty)
                                                     }).FirstOrDefault()
                                          }).ToList();

The problem is that _foodplaces returns value from xmldoxument that lookslike this

   \n\n\n\t the litle inddian \t\n\n\n 

and the restuarant value is a string looks like this "the litle indian"

and so the linq statement returns null becuse _foodplace is not restuarant how to come arround this