'All things sweet:' Why this French pastry shop in the Highlands sells out of items daily
Sugar is my weakness. Whenever I go out to eat, I always order dessert — and I’m not opposed to having a sugary treat any time of the day. Fortunately for me, there are a handful of places around town that cater to my cravings. One is La Pâtisserie Française on Bardstown Road.
The French pastry shop is owned and operated by Charles Reed, whom I last spoke to in 2022 about his downtown restaurant, Melba’s Culinary Canvas. Reed has since closed that spot and is now focusing on all things sweet. Here’s what you should know about La Pâtisserie Française.
Reed constructed the La Pâtisserie Française space
Shortly after Reed’s brother-in-law suggested he open a bakery, Reed discovered the perfect spot on Bardstown Road.
“I was driving by here, and I saw this building,” Reed recalled. “I called about it, and within five minutes, the real estate agent was here.”
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The space at 1355 Bardstown Road was once a UPS store but had been sitting empty for quite some time — and it needed a lot of work.
“There were no walls, no ceilings — just rafters,” Reed said. “Everything you see in here, I did myself. I did all my own construction drawings and submitted my own permits.”
Without a general contractor, Reed hit a few hurdles. But soon enough, he got to work, installing everything from wallpaper and WiFi to wooden slats and shelving. This past July, he opened his doors, offering a variety of goodies.
There's more to La Pâtisserie Française than pastries
The shop boasts pale, mint green walls and plush pink seating. Cases full of treats sit directly ahead and to the right of the entrance, while shelves with merchandise like books, mugs, and rolling pins are to the left. Down the hall, guests can get a peek behind the scenes via a serving window.
“I want to put chairs there so (people can) sit and talk while you’re baking,” Reed said.
Offerings include breakfast pastries, including bread, croissants, and cookies; a dessert section with French pastries, petits fours, and the like; a chocolate section with various bars and bonbons; candies and lollipops; and gelato.
“I found the 10 most classical French desserts offered in a pâtisserie in Paris,” Reed added, “so we run all 10 of those.”
A few from that list are religieuse, which is made of two choux pastry buns and filled with pastry cream; an eclair, which is a soft, log-shaped, cream-filled that’s often typically topped with chocolate icing; and opéra — or gâteau opéra — made with layers of almond sponge cake, ganache, coffee syrup, and coffee buttercream, and topped with dark chocolate icing.
Arrive early for croissants, Danish pastries, and tarts
Reed whips up an assortment of croissants, like almond, chocolate, ham & cheddar, and black truffle & gruyère. They sell out every day, as do the Danish pastries. But the number one sellers have been tarts.
“Tarts are really big in Europe,” Reed exclaimed. “I remember down at Melba’s, we were selling five or six strawberry tarts a day. Every day, we put out 18 here and we sell out.”
One of the popular picks is apple tarte tatin, which features caramelized apples baked in a buttery pastry crust; and Reed recently began offering an autumn pear version.
Order a custom cake for special occasions
In addition to the myriad of offerings available in the pastry cases, Reed also offers online ordering for custom cakes.
“We do seven to nine birthday cakes a week,” Reed said, adding that there are 14 culinary cake offerings. These include everything from mocha buttercream and German chocolate to Dutch carrot and tiramisu. There is even a French cotillion cake, made with cocoa sponge, Grand Mariner buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, Bavarian chocolate, and Grand Mariner punch.
Reed also crafts sugar art pieces, which make for one-of-a-kind cake toppers.
Pop by La Pâtisserie Française for breakfast club and other new offerings
In addition to the variety of sweet treats, Reed is also now also offering grab-and-go sandwich offerings.
“I’m … doing French pâtisserie sandwiches,” he said. “I’m going to be doing smoked turkey … on a croissant, and I’m going to be doing ham & cheese, but like a charcuterie sandwich (with) provolone, some prosciutto, some Genoa, maybe some capicola, and maybe some mortadella.”
Beer and wine offerings are also in the works, so guests will be able to pair their meats and cheeses with a little vino.
The coffee program is another recent menu addition that just debuted last week. Thanks to the newly installed espresso machine, guests can now pair their pastry with a drink from the European coffee bar.
“I’ve got a sign out front for the breakfast club,” Reed said, explaining that the special includes any size or type of coffee — including lattes, cappuccinos, iced options, and more — plus any croissant or Danish for $6.
“Anybody can put up a … bakery,” Reed said, “but can you really run programs that are right and will last? I’m hoping the breakfast club is a good way to start.”
Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at [email protected] or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
La Pâtisserie Française
WHAT: This is a locally owned French pastry shop that serves cakes, pastries, sandwiches, and coffee.
WHERE: 1355 Bardstown Road
SERVICES: Dine-in, outdoor seating, carryout, and custom orders; 7:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; closed Monday
CONTACT: 502-365-1338, louisvillepastryshop.com