You've come back from a French holiday with tales of that lovely little patisserie, or charcuterie you found near where you were staying? Your skin misses the sun, but your stomach is really suffering. La Maison des Gourmets might be the answer to this problem.
This new shop combines the best of specialist French food shops under one roof, while also providing a cafe area and gourmet take-away service. In essence, Nicolas Boutin (30) and Olivier Quentin (26), two young French chefs, have created a one-stop shop for all things French and foody, from fine wines to fois gras.
If you haven't time to cook a main course for your party, their little vacuum-packed parcels can be transformed in minutes into pan-fried salmon in a sorrel sauce, or stuffed leg of chicken with bacon and mushrooms. Your only effort will be with your conscience
- should you confess to the guests?
You can walk out of La Maison des Gourmets with a complete meal: how about stuffed tomatoes to start, rack of veal with rosemary and cream to follow, and tarte tatin to finish? You can wash that all down with a bottle of Loire wine, and pick up some cigars to round it off.
Classic but classy is how Boutin and Quentin describe their venture. As well as the range of patisserie and prepared meals, they are delighted to cook for specific requests. "I do like so much to do this," enthused Quentin in his accented English, as he described a special cake he made for a customer.
Both were trained in some of France's finest eateries. Boutin spent two years as the second chef at the internationally acclaimed Les Troisgros in the Rhone Valley. He moved to Dublin to learn English and spent three years in the well-regarded Freres Jacques restaurant on Dame Street. There he met Quenet, who was working as a pastry chef.
A restaurant was the obvious project for them, but they felt that Dublin was over-run with fashionable eateries. So, after seven months of planning, they set up this new project. The shop is on Castle Street, between the Powerscourt Townhouse and George's Street Arcade. Before inspecting their wares I suggest you take a seat outside, order a coffee, and one of Quenet's exquisite pastries.
"Passion," he told me, with Gallic vigour, "is what cooking is all about." Suitably aroused, I chose his fondant au chocolat, a light, chocolate mousse flavoured with griottines cherries and encased in thin dark chocolate. Like all the produce, the coffee is carefully sourced from a supplier they know and trust: in this case a shop called Knopes in Belgium. The Bayonne ham comes from near Biarritz and the sausages from Toulouse.
Boutin recently returned from a tour of Loire vineyards and has chosen a range of wines which he says will be new to most Irish palates. He recommended a bottle of Coteaux du Layon - a sweet chenin blanc from Anjou, which he says would go well with some pan-fried fois gras.
The bread comes fresh every morning from Guilbaud's Restaurant. I tried the baguette liberally smeared with some of Boutin's rillette of pork: a fresh crunch from the bread balanced the smooth flavoured pork.
Prepacked main courses range from about £5 to £9 per portion. Quenet's cakes, at about £2 a go, are worth every penny.
It's the attention to quality combined with the enthusiasm of its two young proprietors that is so appealing about La Maison des Gourmets. Once the shop is established they hope to branch out into small-scale outside catering.
If my little introduction was anything to go by, you'll have a meal to remember. And, if you're short of a guest, I'll be only too happy to oblige.
La Maison des Gourmets, 15 Castle Street, Dublin 2. Phone (01) 6727258. Open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.