Petite Thuet King East
Petite Thuet has a high-end, woodsy cottage feel with a Parisian inspired menu. With gold and red patterned dining room chairs, Manitoba maple wooden tables and a chandelier made of painted twigs; the beauty is in the natural details. Located on King East , the space was formerly operated as Zoulpy's Deli . This is the fourth Petite Thuet location, with the three others located in Forest Hill, Rosedale and the Financial District.
Everything on their extensive menu is made in house from the take home dinners, jams, terrines, sandwiches and salads, to the pastries and croissants. Of course, we wouldn't expect anything less from Toronto's most famous Alsatian chef .
While it would be highly unlikely to spot Marc Thuet himself behind the counter, his well trained minions offer hand made breads like pumpkin seed ($7) or dark rye ($6.50) or flaky croissants like the pain au chocolat ($2.75).
The lunch special is a side salad and grilled sandwich ($11) with options like the chicken club with provolone speck. They also offer specialty take home dinner items like the spicy Toulouse sausage ($14.54) or creamy mac and cheese ($8.95). Shelves are stocked full of homemade jams and sauces like wild ginger syrup ($11) or elderberry jam ($12.95).
I ordered a single shot of espresso ($1.75) while Stefania ordered a latte ($2.50). The espresso is made from fair-trade organic Columbian beans from Mountain View Estates, while their regular coffee is an organic Peruvian blend. WiFi is free and there's a modest amount of comfy seating space. The staff was super friendly and accommodating during our entire visit.
Petite Thuet has many hands to help with the creation of their diverse menu. I spoke to Jay Moore, one of the chefs who explained the baking schedules. With four food chefs, three pastry chefs, three bakers, and a one man croissant team, the kitchen runs strictly and smoothly with people coming in at different times to ensure that everything that hits the palate is fresh. They even have a special macaron team.
Oh those macarons. Stefania and I shared four of the colourful treats ($1.95 each) and that wasn't enough. Who knew three ingredients (egg whites, almond and sugar) could create something so eye appealing and delicious. My favourite was the rose water flavour while Stefania enjoyed the best seller, salted caramel.
Looking to sample something savory we also tried the chef's vegetarian pizza ($5). The pizza was delicious with lots of grilled vegetables and chunks of creamy goat cheese. Interestingly, their pizza is made with croissant dough to add a little bit more decadence.
Petite Thuet also offers catering for hot and cold menus, brunch, breakfast, main course dinners and desserts. During the 9-5 grind in the sweaty summer months, I tend to daydream of cottages and Paris simultaneously. I now know where to escape and get a little fix.
Petite Thuet is open Monday to Friday 7a.m - 8p.m and Saturday- Sunday 8a.m- 5p.m.
