Food Forager: A Chocolate Croissant to Remember

When I dream of a warm, flaky pain au chocolat, my thoughts rarely traveled to Shelter Island, New York. Until now. A car ride on the Long Island Expressway, followed by a ferry boat to this beautiful island nestled between the Hamptons and the North Fork is a heck of a lot closer than Paris. Book a room at Le Maison Blanche, a newly renovated boutique hotel in an 1800s white mansion with airy and luxurious rooms, an expansive wrap-around porch and a regulation Pétanque court (known as bocce in Italy). And let’s not overlook the excellent restaurant and cozy bar.

My husband and I settled into our seats outside at the brasserie, run by 30-year old Parisian chef Charles Le Tous, previously of Bistro Vendome in New York City, and kicked off our weekend with a glass of their dry, refreshing house rosé, made with Mattebella Vineyards on the North Fork. Then the food arrived and we quickly discovered that the offerings were top-notch, with standouts like Moules a la Mariniere, seared sea scallops and an authentic pasta carbonara. You could not ask for a more hospitable crew, from the friendly bartender to the vivacious restaurant manager. They elevate the experience and make you wonder if you’ve been transported to the French countryside.

But back to the pain au chocolat! Every morning at 5 a.m., out of a tiny on-site bakery, the team begins churning out pastries, including fresh baguettes. The pain au chocolat is as close to its Parisian version as you’ll get stateside. Maybe it’s because Chef Le Tous, a native Parisian, makes the fresh dough each night and knows how to get it just right—flaky, buttery with the perfect amount of chocolate. Suffice it to say, they make it very hard to leave.—Denise Shoukas

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