French Pastry Shop Opens at Grand Rapids Downtown Market
There's a new spot to grab sweet and savory treats in downtown Grand Rapids.
The Grand Rapids Business Journal reports that Gaby's Gourmandise is now open at the Downtown Market. The French eatery held a soft open last week.
Owned by Chef Jean-Gabriel (Gaby) Ferrandon, the patisserie serves up authentic French and French-inspired items like galettes, cakes, tartes, Viennoiserie, crepes, cookies, éclairs and mille-feuilles. Savory menu items include sandwiches, quiches, pies, salads, soups, and stews.
Last summer, Gaby’s Gourmandise began operating out of the Downtown Market Incubator kitchen and quickly became a favorite at the Fulton Street Farmer's Market.
Chef Gaby, who is originally from France, has over 20 years of culinary experience. According to the Downtown Market:
He was classically trained in fine dining at Fontiville culinary school and honed his skills in Paris for over six years. He also worked as Demi-Chef Partie at both a 2-Michelin star Alain Ducasse restaurant and at La Tour D’Argent, a 3-Michelin star restaurant that is among one of the oldest restaurants in Paris. After moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, Chef Gaby served as Executive Chef in restaurants throughout San Francisco, as well as Tasting Chef and Manager in a large, fine dining catering company. He also spent over ten years as a culinary instructor in Berkeley, California at Kitchen on Fire teaching sweet and savory baking, fine dining, and themed cuisine from countries around the world. In 2018, Chef Gaby began the search for a location to grow his own business venture, Gaby’s Gourmandise. Ultimately, Chef Gaby and his wife moved to Grand Rapids to be closer to family and to be part of the booming West Michigan food community.
Gaby’s Gourmandise is located in the space currently occupied by Sweetie-licious Bake Shoppe at the Downtown Market.
An official "grand opening" has yet to be announced - follow Gaby's on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.