October 2011

One of the perks of working for the quirky start-up that is my day job is what we call “French Pastry Tuesday.”  On Tuesdays, the company and Ed, the volunteer pastry fetcher by default of being a neighbor of the bakery, brighten our day with pastries from La Gourmandine.  I made the mistake of disclosing my zeal for almond croissants which make a limited appearance, so Tuesday mornings at work now feature a mad dash (and the occasional fisticuffs) to the pastry delivery to snag the coveted croissants with the moist, almond filling.

I have also alluded to the pastry source of happiness when I talked about my “Me, Myself et Moi” moments.  The choice for a Saturday morning breakfast during the Heather & Jess visit was clear!  Mind you, when you stay up extremely late on a Friday night catching up with an old friend and forming a bond with a new friend, Saturday “morning” and “breakfast” come around 1pm, which explains why these late birds missed the almond croissants.  Luckily, the bakery offers plenty of other delicacies.

La Gourmandine
4605 Butler St,
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Neighborhood:  Lawrenceville

Since the sun was shining on the beautiful Allegheny Cemetery just across the street, we went on a Pastry Pique-Nique.

Paris-Brest x deux
Choux dough filled with hazelnut cream

Those coffee cups held hot beverages from one of the finest espresso purveyors on the Pittsburgh scene (and even beyond the Pittsburgh scene):  Espresso A Mano.  The combination of their cappuccino and La Gourmandine’s pastry makes for a moment that transcends the borders of this steel town.

Jess took a slightly more savory route to our French “morning” and chose a brie tart.

The pastry gods were shining upon Heather and her hazelnut selection.

After ample digestion and relaxation time, the ladies were due for a Lawrenceville tour.  The adventures continued.