La Bohème, from Paris to Detroit, tea, breakfast and lunch: C'est magnifique!

La Bohème's menu: from Paris to Detroit

On the corner of Kercheval and Parker in the West Village, a delicious taste of Paris comes to Detroit at La Bohème. Along with quiches, croques, pain au chocolate and macarons, there's also an added bonus to tea enthusiasts: a large selection of wonderful Paris-brand loose tea.

 

We stopped in this weekend for lunch and for a party of five, I found it wasn't a bad idea to call ahead for reservations. It was quite busy this Saturday afternoon. And, although the dining area is not large, we had plenty of space and found the ambiance casual and comfortable. Our tables were waiting for us when we arrived a little early and the staff was warm, friendly and accommodating.

My husband, Chris, and I got there before the rest of the family, so decided to have a little "appetizer" of pain au chocolate, a light and flaky croissant filled with chocolate.  It was simply scrumptious!

When the rest of our gang arrived, we ordered lunch.  I had a maurice sandwich - layers of ham and cheese housed in a baguette slice - served up with a light mix of greens and a garnish of grapes.

Others in our party ordered different croques, a type of grilled sandwich. All gave two thumb's up to their selection. These are generous-sized sandwiches, so some of us reserved a little to take home in order to save room for the pastries.

We ordered a few of the many tempting delights that are displayed in a glass case in easy view of all dining tables.  The pastries are as beautiful to look at as they are tasty to eat. We loved the Marie Antoinette, a pistachio macaron with raspberries and creamy filling.

We also ordered the chocolate lava cake. Truly decadent and delightful, it's a sweet, dense cake with a lush chocolate center.

              

But the figurative icing on the cake is the tea! All tea is from  Palais des Thes, a Paris brand tea. All the tea is loose and brewed in individual pots. Perfectly brewed and steeped, the tiny pots are brought to your table and all you need to do is pour.

We sampled some blacks and herbals and I found the Earl Grey to be particularly delicious. It was a smooth blend with a well-balanced citrus-y note, not overbearing as some can be.

Sugar and milk are served in an eclectic mix of china and silver pieces as are the tea and variety of comestibles.  (There's also a fine selection of coffee for those who wish to partake in the "other" hot beverage).

The decor is simple, yet artful and distinctively French. It reminded of us of the informal elegance of many of the Paris cafes we visited when in France a few years' back.

We met with co-owner and Paris native,  Jean-Yves Jeannot, who opened La Bohème this past February. There are more exciting plans for this lovely cafe in the very near future. Crepes will be on the menu and hours of service may be extended a few nights a week for dinner. We'll keep a close watch on that.

In that spirit, there are two clocks that hang on one of the cafe walls which are set to Paris time and Detroit time. We say, anytime is a great time to visit La Bohème.  C'est magnifique!!