Provence en Boite

It's French with a delicate hint of Brooklyn!

This dog knows a good croissant when he sees or rather, smells one! This is Provence en Boite a quaint & quintessentially French Patisserie & Bistro owned and operated by Leslie & Jean Jaques Bernat. Here you will find an authentic French atmosphere & delicious food and wine to match. They serve breakfast, brunch, lunch & dinner with some wonderful dinner specials Mon-Thurs. In this post, I have focused on their style and beautiful little pastries, since that is what I have come here to enjoy most often. It's also worth noting that they offer an extensive wine list and have a full bar. Friendly waitstaff, as well!

*By the way, Stinky cheese (above) has some fabulous cheeses, if you're fortunate enough to tolerate lactose and a strong aroma, that is!

I've enjoyed many terrific brunches here and I am a big fan of their sweet crepes, chocolate croissants & numerous pastries. I do occasionally eat more substantial meals with protein, but my tendency has been to stick, figuratively speaking, to sweets when I'm here. Too hard to resist. Wait til you see the desserts below!

Love all the little tin cans, pictures and bottles :)

This is Leslie above on the phone-- wish I had taken a nicer photo because she could not be more charming or engaging. She stays quite busy and takes great care to see that Provence maintains it's tidy and enticing appearance.

Sparkling drinks by Rieme and their line of syrups below.

I sometimes think I should have become a pastry chef. Have no idea if I'd be any good at it, but I adore the bright colors, luscious icings, beautiful chocolates, sweet creams and the overall sugary appeal of it all!! I know it influences my artwork & I love a painting that looks good enough to eat! *Side note-- if you feel the same about the visual appeal of such sweets then you must rent Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette ;D

Pastry chef had just brought these triangular treats out on Saturday while I was there. I neglected to ask what these are called, but what a superb yellow!

Tasty macaroons above in an assortment of colors, plus the candy below isn't bad either. Provence will make any kid swoon and just so happens this is a kid-friendly bistro. I've been several times with a variety of friends, little ones in tow, and it's always been a pleasant experience. Dogs are allowed too of course!

Malabar Bubble Gum with tattoos! Plus, mascot total dreamboat, why not buy the whole box?

As you can see, they also have sidewalk seating. Oh yea, there is a TV in back near kitchen, seems bit outta place here, but I was happy to find it one night several years ago. Caught a tennis match I'd wanted to see. Don't worry the tele is pretty conspicuous in general.

Provence en Boite is located at 263 Smith Street between DeGraw & Douglass Street
F or G Train to Bergen or Carroll Stop / Hours: M-Sun 8am-10pm phone 718.797.0707

Le Petit Cafe

This is Le Petit Cafe! The 1st restaurant to take a chance on the less populated part of Carroll Gardens-- Court Street below 4th Place (now quite a thriving area!) I remember walking by this storefront, windows covered with brown kraft paper, 10 years ago and wondering what was going to eventually open. Hard to believe, but only 2 guys were in there doing all the construction. Tommy Perez (background as a Contractor in Hotel Renovation) conceived of and created Le Petit from scratch with Jose Segundo. I just learned today that he met Jose while he was making a delivery for a nearby restaurant on Smith Street. He knows a hard worker when he sees one!
Le Petit opened on October 23rd, 1999 as a small Coffee House/Muffin/Juice Bar and has since expanded into a full & delicious restaurant. It is one of my very Favorites in NYC.

Here is Tommy Perez (on right) and Jose Segundo (left) hanging out. They rarely have a chance to relax, especially now that they are expanding into next door (my landlord's old shop). I can't wait to see the finished space-- as you'll see, these guys do amazing work, not a single detail is missed. It's nice that Tommy has something to renovate besides the garden patio, which has gone through 4 incarnations since it was built in 2002.

Here is the entrance, where people on the go line up each morning for their coffee, espresso, muffins, croissants & more... The beautiful ceiling mural was painted by a the talented french artist Nadia Wolinska

Le Petit is known for being kid friendly and was recently written up in Time Out Kids
This Choo Choo train is a treat for all the little ones who venture in. It travels the perimeter of the front of cafe. There are also some stuffed toys & tiny creatures hiding in small nooks, if you take the time to look around. Plus, the metal sculptures in the garden can be quite fascinating, too.

There is a wide array of tasty treats like this rugelach above, cute colorful iced cookies with sprinkled sugar, pecan hearts dipped in creamy vanilla, wonderful scones, muffins, chocolate chip, oatmeal and NY's famous Black & White cookies. Could be more, these are what I have sampled--Oh yea--great lemon squares, too!! Look in the displays and feel your mouth water :)

Every day you will find the sweetest arrangement of flowers on your table. They are fresh & oh so pretty! I just learned from Tommy that he is the one that does all the landscaping. He buys plants daily & flowers (weekly) at the Flower Market in Manhattan and on 7th Avenue Park Slope.

I realize that because I enjoy the space of Le Petit so much, I've neglected the food. I apologize for only having this one photograph of scrumptious panini. Maybe I will find some time & take pics of my favorites like corn flake chicken fingers, blueberry pancakes to die for, best french fries ever, perfect spinach salad with blue cheese, cranberries w-raspberry vinegrette & chicken on top if you so desire. I also enjoy their huevos rancheros, shrimp salad, turkey burger & wonderful omelettes. I know they have great hamburgers, too! Brunch on weekends requires a lot of patience because the whole neighborhood seems to make their way down. If you want a seat without much wait, you have to show between 9am-10am or maybe between 1pm-2pm. Dinners are bit less crowded and served from 5pm-10:30pm.

During the week, Le Petit acts as a tranquil environment to get some work done. There are often a number of people lunching & working away (or blogging, Facebooking or Twittering ;) Here is a local writer working on her book. The waitresses and I noticed her nice highlights, so if that's any indication, this book will Rock!

This is the first back patio Tommy built. It looks a little like a 1970s beach hut here and I'm suddenly craving Pina Coladas! Did not look so much like that in person, it opened up in 2002.

These photos above are from Le Petit's early days as a mere coffe house/muffin shop. Jose is pictured above with Tommy's sister who has done her share to make the cafe a success! I have felt much inspiration in my own life watching as Tommy slowly but surely works towards his next goal. I love that they opened small and just kept going & going until it was just what they wanted!

Le Petit at night! Most of these photos below are from private parties booked for the garden...

Yes, Le Petit serves Beer and a large selection of wines.

Here is one of my favorite waitresses! Tommy also recruits family like his sharp, lovely sister & nieces. You can tell by these two below that waitressing can be fun (at least to the outsider ;) I haven't done it in a while and it is hard work, but good excercise, too.

Above are just some of the cooks who make everything from salmon filet to fluffy pancakes.

Below is the garden patio today... there are 2 sides, one is more enclosed with skylight, the other with a fabric cover that allows the sun to shine in.

Below is the new addition (in the making) to Le Petit. This is George's old storefront, he has moved across the street and down a block. I know he and his wife, Emily miss sitting outside chatting with the cafe crowd. In the spring & summer, there is always someone hanging out on the benches in front, enjoying an ice coffee or fresh fruit smoothie. Tommy & Jose have their work cut out for them, but I trust this will be just as charming & yummy as the original!!

Long road ahead...

Le Petit Cafe is the perfect neighborhood spot. The atmosphere is always friendly and the food is consistently good!! This is also one of the most reasonably priced places in Brooklyn which, given the current economy, is a real gift :)

Le Petit Cafe is located at 502 Court Street between Nelson & Luquer Streets. Take the F or G train to Carroll St. or Smith & 9th St. Stations * Phone # 718.596.7060 Enjoy :D