Category Archives: French Cafes in New York City

Aux Merveilleux de Fred Midtown 1001 Sixth Avenue New York, NY 10018

-Aux Merveilleux de Fred

1001 Sixth Avenue

New York, NY 10018

(646) 590-0263

Open: Sunday-Saturday 7:00am-9:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d23759815-r1042403197-Aux_Merveilleux_De_Fred-New_York_City_New_York.html?m=19905

The inside of the bakery

I came across the branch of Aux Merveilleux de Fred (I discovered there are three other branches in New York City) when I was exploring the Garment District for my blog MywalkinManhattan.com. I spied the delicious pastries in the window and this the last part of my trip that day. I saw items being made in front of me and a new batch of brioche just coming into the window.

The wonderful selection of sandwiches and brioche

The delicious pastries and meringues

I fell in love with the sugary brioche and the delicious meringues. The pastries here are such high quality and the selection of delicious treats is so different from other pastry shops in the City.

The store was beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays. A little bit of Paris transported to New York City.

The delicious Sugar Brioche and the Cherry Merveilleux

The Cherry Merveilleux is a light meringue with a sugary Cherry topping. These delightful treats are sweet and whimsical to look at and more fun to eat. The sugary brioche have a chewy and crunchy consistency to them and are the perfect afternoon treat.

The Sugar Brioche

Inside the layers of brioche dough are the sugar crystals that give the pastry its extra sweetness.

The brioche pulls apart so nicely

The are so buttery and rich. These were warm just out of the oven.

The Cherry Mini Merveilleux are wonderful

This simple Meringue is delicious

The baked goods here are high quality and delicious. The service was excellent as well, very friendly and personal. It like visiting Paris in Manhattan. You can not pass by this bakery without stopping in to try something.

The history of Aux Merveilleux de Fred:

(from the Aux Merveilleux de Fred website)

About Chef Frederic Vaucamps:

Frédéric Vaucamps is a pastry chef from the North of France. During the 1980s, his career in pastry took him back to a cake dear to his heart: The Merveilleux. He adapted the recipe to make it extremely lightweight. In 1997, he decided to name his Lille store after his flagship cake, and so “Aux Merveilleux de Fred” was born.  His version of The Merveilleux has quickly become a must-have, just like the cramiques and his Belgian waffles.  Frédéric combines know-how and tradition to offer high-quality products in stores that are the epitome of French elegance.

Artisan pastry chef Frédéric Vaucamps utilizes his unique know-how to create his recipes whilst remaining true to his signature style: lightness and deliciousness. Each cake and pastry requires artisan know-how, a mastery of the craft that imbues them with a flavor that is instantly recognizable amongst thousands of others.  

About the Company:

We love to share and showcase our artisan know-how. Our specialties are created in front of our customers, in each of our store’s ateliers. Every day we pledge our commitment to offering high-quality products, created before your eyes and baked all day long. We make our specialties using ingredients that have been selected for their quality.

These tiny and delicate meringue treats evoke a specific period in French history: high society life during the Directory regime. The aristocratic Incroyables and Merveilleuses, as they were known at the time, would gather in salons to discuss politics and economics. But their main objective there was to see and be seen, to drink tea and eat cakes. The “Aux Merveilleux de Fred” stores with their refined, baroque decor, are generously adorned with mirrors and gilding and take inspiration from this historical period.

Frédéric Vaucamps transmits his passion for the French art of living through his cakes and pastries: the art of taking your time and appreciating good and beautiful things.

La Sandwicherie Chelsea 239 West 15th Street New York, NY 10011

La Sandwicherie Chelsea

239 West 15th Street

New York, NY 10011

(917) 472-7172

https://www.lasandwicherienyc.com/

Open: Sunday-Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/13749161?m=19905

The front of La Sandwicherie Chelsea at 239 West 15th Street

When I was walking the Lower Chelsea neighborhood streets, I passed the signs for La Sandwicherie Chelsea, a tiny little French Cafe concept in the more residential part of West 15th Street. Although I had already eaten at another restaurant for lunch, I wanted a little snack to tide me over as I finished walking and exploring the neighborhood. I saw the sign for the Crepes at $6.00 and I stopped to look at the menu.

While I was inside, the manager showed me the fresh crepe batter he used to make the crepes and how each is made to order. That made it even more tempting. I really liked the list of sandwiches that they had on the menu. The problem is that in New York the price of said sandwich is double of what it would be in Paris under the ‘formula system’. The ‘formula system’ in Paris is that a Boulanger (a type of sandwich shop) consists of a sandwich, drink and a dessert for a reasonable price as $10 euros about $11.00 in US dollars which is much more reasonable.

The inside of this cute little French cafe in the middle of Lower Chelsea

The ambiance matches the wonderful food the you will dine on here. When I was finishing my tour of walking around Lower Chelsea and found that I needed something to snack on before I finished for the evening, I headed back to the restaurant and all I could think about were the wonderful meals I had in Paris two summer ago.

The crepe menu

The sandwich menu

When I had seen the sign for the crepe, I had my heart set on one. So about an hour before they closed, I stopped in and had a crepe to finish the day. I swear, I have not enjoyed more than that crepe in the late afternoon to finish the day. I ended up getting one with sugar and filled with strawberry jelly. I also ordered a San Pellegrino with Orange and Pomegranate to drink with it.

The crepes are made right in front of you and on a cool day

The crepe was delicious

The food and service is excellent and the service so personable and the manager speaks fluent French so it adds to the ambiance. It is so interesting when the French tourists find this place and are so happy the staff speaks fluent French.

I was so impressed by the crepe and wanting to try the Ham and Butter sandwich on the baguette, I went back for lunch when I was finishing walking the Meatpacking District. I swear I am transported back to Paris when I enter the restaurant with all the French grocery items and the French music.

The panel right by the front door

I ordered my sandwich at the counter and enjoyed my Italian Orange soda while I was waiting for the sandwich to come to the table.

My Ham and French Buerre sandwich with a San Pellegino Orange soda

The sandwich was served on a chewy baguette with thick slices of French jambon (ham) and sweet beurre (butter). I loved the little French flag on the sandwich. I thought it was a nice touch.

The sandwich was so flavorful and brought me back to the lunches I had all over Paris at the Boulanger with their sandwiches and pastries piled high in the cases and the formula lunches.

The sandwich was picture perfect

And loaded with ingredients

Yum!

The manager could tell I was enjoying my lunch and we talked for a bit in English and French. He was telling about the cost of importing foods into the US from France and the prices he had to charge. I thought for the quality and the taste, it was worth the $11.99.

Before I left, the manager offered me a complimentary Ice Tea that they made homemade at the store. What made the tea so good was that it was infused with fresh lemons and mint. You could really taste the fresh mint.

The fresh Ice Tea at La Sandwicherie

I said my goodbyes in English and French and walked down West 15th Street back from trip to Paris via New York City.

I happily drank the Icd Tea on a hot day walking around New York City

La Sandwicherie Chelsea is part of a small chain of three locations in New York City, the others being on the Upper East Side and the other being in Brooklyn. Yet on this tree lined residential street in Lower Chelsea, you are brought back to the tiny neighborhood places in Paris, where quality and service still mean something.

The French grocery products

I plan on many trips back to the restaurant to try the other sandwiches and soups.

Viva La France!

The tree lined streets of Lower Chelsea