I happened upon L’epi de Bleu (1757 Main St.) by chance.  Although I had intended to visit ever since I sampled their macaroons this summer at my grandbaby’s welcome party, I had actually intended to pick up lunch at another bakery in the area-Baraka Pita Bakery.  When I tugged on the locked door to the latter and then read the notice indicating that they were closed for a religious holiday, my brain immediately changed gears from a pita to a croissant!

I was glad that the few tables by the window were occupied and that there was a line up of patrons waiting to make their selections,  This gave me the opportunity to gaze upon each of the artistic offerings in the front display case.  I also spied a baker’s cart in the corner that seemed to be filled with savoury rather than sweet confections, so I knew that I would not go away empty handed.

Nathalie Gautier, the proprietress, helped me make my selections.  The pastry of the ham and bacon quiche was lighter than air, as were all of the pastries I sampled.  The hearty meat flavours were offset with a delicately whipped egg mixture producing the likeness of a souffle in a pastry shell.  The bakery serves meat pies of traditional ground beef but I decided to try the mixture of ground chicken and pork.  The shape of the pie is atypical, as opposed to round, it was more tubed shaped.  The taste was unusual too, retaining a deep and pungent flavour.

The fourgrasse which Nathalie described as having pizza-like dough was filled with feta and pesto and was also delicious, but I was more inclined to the French specialties like the croquet monsieur.

Just as I was having my “to go” items wrung in, Nathalie mentioned that she has designed savoury macaroons that she has made available in roasted red pepper, chevre and the one I sampled-foie gras!  The meringues had just a touch of sweetness and contained a surprising smear of duck liver in between the wafers,  Ooh lala.

French is enthusiastically spoken in the shop that once housed the Hartford Bakery.  Nathalie indicates that they have occupied the space for the past two years.

Kath’s quote: “Light, refined, learned and noble, harmonious and orderly, clear and logical, the cooking of France is, in some strange manner, intimately linked to the genius of her greatest men.” Rouff [Marcel] (1887-1936)

Love-that is all.

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