In honor of Tulane’s annual French Week, which occurred over two weeks in November, I went on the hunt for restaurants and bakeries with French flavors located outside of the French Quarter and closer to Tulane’s campus to fully embrace NOLA’s French history.
With the recommendation from French pastry Chef Sullivan Fournigault, who visited Tulane at the beginning of November to give students a tutorial on how he makes macaroons, I first tried La Boulangerie. According to Chef Fournigault, La Boulangerie is the most similar to restaurants in France, which is evident immediately upon entering the restaurant. There are cases filled with various types of fresh bread and pastries from classic French desserts such as eclairs and napoleons, to croissants of all different flavors. With its extensive menu and free WiFi, La Boulangerie is a great place to grab a quick coffee, do homework, or get lunch while you embrace French culture.
Chef Fornigault is currently the head pastry chef at the Maple Street Patisserie, which unsurprisingly is located on Maple Street, only a short walk from campus. There you can try his authentic French macaroons, when they are not sold out, or try a range of other pastries from muffins to seasonal cookies. Maple Street Patisserie sells genuine French flavors at a fairly low cost and without the hassle of having to trek all the way to the French Quarter.
Located conveniently next to The Boot is Crêpes À La Cart, which is another option for French flavors close to campus. Although the restaurant only sells crêpes, there is a wide variety of both sweet and savory options, ensuring there is something for everyone. Crêpes À La Cart has a very limited amount of space, but serve crêpes in such a way that makes it easy to carry them out, making it the best place for a French meal on the go!
If you are not already convinced by its name, French Truck Café’s coffee is proof that the café does an impressive job at recreating French ambiance in New Orleans. Not only does the café have a wide selection of coffee, a sign of any good French restaurant, but it also has plenty of food options that are filling and delicious. The ingredients are fresh and can be enjoyed either inside or on the welcoming patio outside. French Truck Café is open until six pm every day so it’s a convenient place to go to finish up work, while enjoying good coffee.
All of these restaurants and cafés serve authentic and refreshing French flavors without having to go too far off campus, making them ideal places to study or hang out while enjoying a French meal close to home.
COVER PHOTO: New Orleans Online
