Two lifelong friends from France saw a childhood dream come to fruition with the opening of Le Petit Paris, a bakery and café serving treats like hand-rolled croissants and freshly made pastries, including their signature “Flankie,” made with a chocolate chip cookie crust and topped with vanilla flan.
The bakery, located at 81-45 Lefferts Blvd. in Kew Gardens, opened at the end of last month in the same building where the German and Polish deli, Homestead Gourmet Shop, stood for nearly 80 years. The shop has since been reimagined as an expansive space with French music playing in the background and cozy tables, perfect for grabbing a rose latte or a sandwich on a warm baguette.
“It’s a beautiful story of how this came together,” said Anthony Le Mezec, who owns the bakery with Julien Khalaf. “It was our dream to open this shop, and when we found the space, and we started everything, we were really happy that this was our dream, completely.”
Khalaf and Le Mezec have known each other for over 20 years, after first meeting at school in France. As teens, they had always envisioned opening a bakery together, even choosing the name “Le Petit Paris” as early as the age of 15. The duo went to culinary school together and left home at the same time to live in the U.S.
Khalaf first opened a wholesale division based in Long Island City, serving sweets such as pastries and muffins to clients throughout New York City, including coffee shops, hotels and restaurants. Meanwhile, Le Mezec established an extensive background in pastries and chocolate, having worked as a chocolatier before becoming a general manager in Soho. Through their shared experiences in the kitchen and running a business, they decided it was the right time to come together to finally bring their vision to life. While items like their bread and baguettes are made fresh daily from the LIC site and delivered to the Kew Gardens space, everything else is prepared at the bakery each morning.
“We have a baker here every morning, and she makes the sandwiches every day as well as the salad, the fruit tarts, all the cream, the pistachio and chocolate beignets, and all of our madeleines are baked here,” said Khalaf. “Our bread and the baguettes are made in our commercial site, so it’s a good balance, because we want some of the products to be baked here; it’s very important.”
In the few weeks since the bakery has opened, customers have really gravitated towards some of their classic items, like their croissants, made with fresh butter from France and handrolled each morning; however, their Flankie, a fusion of a chocolate chip cookie and flan, has quickly become a fan favorite for its delicious and unique concept, blending American and French sweets.
“Our signature pastry is our Flankie,” said Le Mezec. “It has a chocolate chip cookie dough crust and a vanilla pastry on the inside. We also have a pistachio flavor for a weekend special, but I would say it’s the product that really represents us-you can find this one only here.”
Other pastries to explore when visiting the shop include the Kouign Amann, made with croissant-style dough and baked with butter and sugar for a caramelized finish, and the mixed berry tart, prepared on a croissant shell and filled with vanilla pastry cream and fresh fruits, such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
For those looking for something savory, they have items like the ham and swiss croissant, quiche mushroom spinach, and sandwiches perfect for any time of day, like their bacon egg and cheese on a croissant, made with gruyere cheese, bacon and eggs, and sandwiches on baguettes like the Jambon Beurre, made with Jambon de Paris, butter, and gruyere cheese. Their beverages include classic drinks such as espresso and cappuccinos, as well as special lattes like rose, pistachio or matcha. For those looking to explore French grocery items, a section at the front features special products, including French potato chips, biscuits, and breakfast items, among others. The atmosphere of the space definitely gives guests an escape to France from its authentic preparation and ingredients, to the music and decor.
“So far we’ve been getting very good feedback from people in the area,” said Khalaf. “We’ve felt very welcome, and people always tell us it’s what was missing in the area, so it’s been very nice. People are happy with it, and that’s what’s most important.”
Le Petit Paris is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, follow them at @lepetitparis_nyc.
