Let them eat croissants!

MILFORD — Parlez-vous Pâtisserie? Pastry Chef/General Manager Mark Edmonds, of the newly opened Pâtisserie Fauchère, is fluent in creating the most amazing croissants, brioches, and baguettes, as well as his signature Red Velvet Cake, Tropical Mousse, Chocolate Framboise, Black and White cookies and an impressive variety of other gastronomic delights. Edmonds has partnered with the Hotel Fauchère in developing this sophisticated, yet inviting, space at the Emerson House. Edmonds’ pastry and breads are also served at the Delmonico room and Bar Louis. The Pâtisserie has a warm and welcoming casual elegance, deserving of the Fauchère name. There are tables on the porch and as we go into fall and winter, people will be seated in the foyer and the back room. The retail shop is in the large brightly lit front room surrounded by enticing bakery cases filled with delectable goodies. Marc Edmonds has an impressive background in culinary creation, including catering, and management. He is a colleague of the Hotel Fauchere’s Chef Michael Glatz. Edmonds and Glatz worked together in the restaurant and catering businesses in Vieques, Puerto Rico, as well as in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. Edmonds also worked on New York City’s east side at ICE (Institute of Culinary Education-previously known as Peter Kump’s Cook School.) This hands-on pastry chef now manages a seasoned pastry team. Christian Garcia, Edmonds’ partner, is the mainstay of the team and manages the retail store at the Pâtisserie. There are currently two pastry assistants in the kitchen, with one more expected in October. Mark Edmonds is very particular about his ingredients. He goes to extensive lengths to buy organic foods at local farms and gets farm fresh eggs every day. He waxes eloquently about his organic Chanterelle mushrooms on the flatbread pizza that they serve. This is a unique take on pizza, since it really doesn’t have a lot of cheese or sauce. Edmonds is constantly adding new and innovative items to the menu. Milford has long been awaiting a place like the Pâtisserie Fauchère with its charming ambiance, where people can sit, visit, and watch the world go by as they enjoy a latté, or cappuccino or espresso (all with custom blended coffee beans from the Electric City Roasting Company in Scranton.) For the tea aficionados, gourmet teas are available and they will soon be serving High Tea. Hungrier people can also get a sandwich on artisan bread, or perhaps butter, ham and brie on a baguette. Edmonds is happy to see people catching on to the rhythm of the baking at the pâtisserie. Croissant fans are lining up in the early morning. Fans of the artisan breads and baguettes know that they appear around 10:30 a.m. If you pop over at about 2 or 3 p.m., you can get twofers (two for one) of any bread that might still be left. If you come the next morning, you can get yesterday’s bread for one dollar. Whether you are stopping by the Pâtisserie for a tête à tête over coffee with a friend or business associate, or just to have a quiet respite from the day with a cuppa, or even to get some goodies to take home, one thing is for sure- as the delicious aromas from the Pâtisserie’s ovens waft through Broad Street, you will think you are in Pastry Heaven. You probably are.