The story of Angela and Alexandre Darbousset is one that could go in books.
Boy meets girl in a Parisian restaurant with friends. He cooks for her. They wed and had a son. Then they move across the globe to a sweet little southern city and open their own French café.
This fantasy became a reality for Angela and Alex this past spring when they opened Le Café Gourmet just off Franklin Square at 53 Montgomery St. in Downtown Savannah next to City Market.
“Le Café Gourmet was a dream for both of us,” Angela said. “We always dreamed in having our own restaurant. We decided to open a French bakery because we both wanted to change our lives, and we love cooking.”
Cooking was, after all, what brought them together.
Both Alex and Angela worked at their fair share of restaurants, cafes and bakeries in France, each bringing their own flavors to the fare. With Alex came the tastes of Southern France—traditional recipes from his parents and grandparents—and with Angela came an international flair, as her Spanish mother and Singaporean father taught her how to cook.
That’s why their menu features an array of sandwiches, including their Paris Sandwich (made with ham, brie, lettuce and basil butter) and Marseille Sandwich (made with roast beef, mozzarella, spinach, fresh tomatoes and homemade mayonnaise), as well as savory crepes with the option of tuna, bacon, cheese, ham and veggies, and sweet crepes made with Nutella, banana, cinnamon and honey.
They make everything onsite. With home-baked breads and made-to-order sandwiches, everything is fresh.
Le Café Gourmet serves their customers a variety of food so fresh, that their menu doesn’t even stay the same day-to-day. Customers are always sure to find croissants, baguette sandwiches and an array of sweet and savory crepes.
“We present authentic French products, tasty products, a lot of recipes you cannot find anywhere else,” Angela explained. “There is no machine to do the baguettes or the croissants. Each croissant, baguette and quiche is handmade by Alex. We present authentic artisanal food. Because everything is homemade, every day the menu changes. It is a surprise every day for our customers.”
Le Café Gourmet is open Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and closed on Mondays. For more information, call the café at (912) 200-3258 or go to lecafegourmet.com.