A little bit of Paris just made its way to Lawrenceville. La Gourmandine, a traditional French bakery, opened its doors at 4605 Butler Street last Tuesday.
Fabien and Lisanne Moreau moved to Pittsburgh four years ago (Lisanne's mother is from the area) and thought it was missing something they love—French food. "France is known for a lot of things," Lisanne says. "But most of all, I guess, for food."
Fabien, who does all of the baking, returned to Paris to train at Lenôtre culinary school and brush up on his skills. "Baking is his passion," Lisanne explains. The bakery now serves traditional viennoiserie, pastries, quiche, and an assortment of bread and sandwiches.
And to these Parisians, quality is of the upmost importance. "Since we're French, we know our products," Lisanne says. "There was no way we were going to bring frozen things and just do them in the morning." And if something doesn't come out quite right, says the demanding Lisanne, it doesn't get served to the public.
Soon they will start catering and within six months plan to add tables to their store and espresso to the menu which already features coffee.
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Writer: Alex Audia
Source: Lisanne Moreau, La Gourmandine
Photograph copyright John Farley