For someone like me, who has never been to Paris, it’s good to know that you don’t have to go too far to experience their type of culinary wonderment right here on the streets of Manhattan. This sort of experience happened to me a couple of days ago, where I stopped by Le Petit Parisien. They just opened their second location in Midtown East, and if you are a fan of French cuisine, in particular their types of sandwiches, then this is the place you should go.
The café and sandwicherie is located at 251 East 53rd Street (between Second and Third Avenues), perfect position for an office lunch break or a stroll to Central Park for a French spread on the grass.
To truly bring a taste of Paris to New York, Le Petit Parisien sources the highest quality French cheeses and meats, shipped directly from France. Their flaky pastries and crusty baguettes are baked in-house every few hours with French wheat providing a homemade taste that’s equivalent to sitting in a local Parisian cafe.
It’s technically more of a grab-and-go situation, as the space is a bit small but does have some seating towards the window where you can people watch as you indulge in their beautifully crafted sandwiches. Plus the names are all famous French people who have shaped the course of our overall history over the past couple of hundred years.
The sandwich that I tried (that you should as well) was their Cousteau, which came with smoked tuna, fresh goat cheese, olive oil and thyme. Simple, four ingredients, but gets the job done and makes for a great sandwich. For something a little heartier, I would recommend the Marie-Antoinette which comes with 16-month cured ham, fresh goat cheese, EVOO and honey. Yummy.
For more information on Le Petit Parisien, please check out their official website.