French Crust Café

Paris in the middle of downtown

An Authentic French Café

       Eric and I are always searching for a café that will transport us back to France.  It's been a difficult quest in our city.  When Lavomatic first opened, the prepress seemed to point in the direction of an affordable French café but that wasn't the case.  Jean Ro was a vibrant bistro that became
increasingly expensive before closing, and La Petite Pierre piqued our interest before becoming exclusive caterers a few years ago.  None of them had created a perfect atmosphere of convivial conversation, European surroundings, and authentic French café cuisine and pastries.  That is, until we walked into the French Crust Café.

Dexter Waits Outside

      The storefront has been through several transformations, but this is the first interior that has worked.  The walls are covered with framed French themed prints, posters and mirrors lending dimension to the intimate space.  It's cozy, but the furnishings and layout all work to their fullest potential.

Parisian Style Latte

      Service is welcoming, knowledgeable, and precise.  Our server made recommendations that we followed and enjoyed. We started with a very reasonable latte presented as in a Parisian tearoom.

Croissant with Duo of Salmon

Eric chose the Duo of Salmon on croissant made with egg mimosa, tomato, and avocado.  It was small in stature, but mighty in flavor and content.  Served with La FCC Salad of field greens with radishes and dried cherries, it was lightly dressed with a honey mustard vinaigrette.

Salmon Quiche with the Soup of the Day

I chose the Salmon Quiche with asparagus and mushrooms.  It was dense throughout with a perfect flaky crust and a thin tomato skin topping.  All quiches should be made like that one.  Mine came with the Vegetable Soup of the Day, which was well seasoned.  I'd still like to try the signature Creamy Chicken Soup.  

The Pastry Case and Service Area

      Dessert was definitely in our forecast so we took a look at the display case.  We had arrived later in the day so the choices were limited.  We relied on the barista to direct us to the best selection, which ended up being the Coffee Eclair.  I wanted to try the Chocolate Croissant so those were our pastries to share.  Both were exceptional creations—fresh and authentic.

Chocolate Croissant and Coffee Eclair

      Thank you Jean-Robert and Jean-Philippe for sharing your ancestral cuisine and expertise with all of CIncinnati.