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| - I appreciate French food and like it more than I should.
I also love NOLA and their Laissez les bons temps roulern!
But, the French Grocery is really not a grocery store at all. You cannot buy any grocery items, like you might find in a typical Champion or Carrefour. No Carte Noire coffee, no Maille moutardes, et cetera
They also do not cook, nor serve food here. Everything is pre-made, wrapped for sale and kept in a refrigeration case. The only exception is the bakery items and a small chilled salad deli case.
When we arrived on Friday just before five, there were also very few items left in the refrigerator. There was no croissants, no french bread or much of anything in the bakery case except for some small $1.75 cookies.
There were a couple of small individual Quiche Lorraines (which didn't contain any bacon or ham) and a few small baguette sandwiches, like you would find in Gare du Nord.
The French Bakery also has a wine section, along with a few French press coffee pots. As others have noted, the lighting is poor and makes the store feel dreary. There are a few tables scattered in this cavernous store. But I am unsure what they are used for since you cannot sit and eat any of the chilled items.
I believe the French Grocery is set up to appeal to working couples on the go --who want something more interesting than the Take Out selection of Fresh & Easy. Of the six items we ordered, the best was the chocolate Pot de Creme for $3.50. Our total including tax came to $32.11
But if you come to the French Grocery thinking of Le Pain Quotidien, Le Madeleine, or even local Amuse Bouche (Surprise), you might leave disappointed. Sorry!
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