I wouldn't necessarily categorize myself as a Francophile, but boy was I disappointed when my March trip to Paris was cancelled. That said, I do recognize that the whole world was cancelled in March. My trip was simply a small bit of collateral damage.
Nonetheless, I've been mooning over photos of the City of Light and riffing on French recipes, watching Instagram Live sessions directly from Paris, and occasionally visiting a French restaurant here in Brooklyn with a garden out back -- all in an effort to try to reclaim a trip that never was.
A new go-to in this pursuit? A sliver of a shop in Carroll Gardens -- Le French Tart Deli.
The word "deli" throws it all a bit askew to me, but once inside this French gem, you are surrounded by foodstuffs and sundries that transport you to the Left Bank.
Think mustards. Many, many mustards...
Think boxes of popular French cookies and supermarche grab-and-go cakery...
And, then there is a refrigerator stocked with saucisson sec, jambon de Paris, duck rillette, and pâté. Did I mention the cheeses? Soft-ripened double cream cheese with a side of homemade fig jam? Yes, please!
Oh, and there is a freezer brimming with ready-made meals like Blanquette de Veau and Cassoulet Toulousain.
But then, there is this...
Le French Tart Deli makes a supremely good baguette.
And, if you like their baguette, you'll love...
...their selection of croissant, pastries, and macaron cookies -- all baked on premises.
France may seem very far away, but I am grateful that this new shop is close enough for the occasional shopping spree until I can once again break out my passport and put it to good use.
Mercí Le French Tart Deli!
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