Breakfast pastries are available daily and are sold individually or at a discount by the dozen.

Please order in advance for more than a dozen.

The breakfast pastries tend to sell out quickly some days.

If you need a special flavor and are afraid it might be sold out when you arrive,

even if it’s one or two pastries, don’t hesitate to call.. We’ll be glad to set it aside for you.

Brioche (pronounced bree-oh!sh.  As in Oh my gosh, these are incredible.)

A light roll rich with eggs and butter; somewhat sweet.

plain             sugar       chocolate                                                 NEW!  chocolate chip and cream brioche

cheese       raspberry      almond

The year 1404 is was when the word brioche first appeared in print. It is believed

that brioche is of Roman origin due to its similarities to a holiday bread made in Romania.

(Romania was originally part of the Roman Empire)   Another interesting historical reference to brioche is that it is brioche, not cake, mentioned in the famous quote attributed to Marie Antoinette. The quotation was first written in 1766 by French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Confessions.  Rousseau wrote that when the princess was told that the peasants had no bread she said "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche," which essentially means "let them eat brioche." Later, it had become known as, "let them eat cake."  Since Marie Antoinette had not even arrived in France until after Rousseau wrote this, it is doubted that she was the princess he was referring to.  Still it remains a statement that symbolizes the eventual demise of the wealthy from a callous disregard of the great division between the rich and the poor.

Because, well, we all know what happened to Marie. In any case, brioche remains a popular breakfast pastry in France. And, stale brioche makes the best French Toast ever.

Croissants ( pronounced: kwah sahn)

A leavened type of buttery puff pastry. Croissant means crescent.

The plain and the chocolate croissant are most common in France.

 plain       chocolate      cinnamon          cheese           almond cream

raisin & cream              cherry               apple               vanilla cream

There are many stories of the origin of France's best known pastry, the croissant.  The most popular dates back to 1683 when Austria was under siege by the Turkish empire. It is said that the bakers, since they worked at night and underground, heard the Turks digging to get to the city of Vienna.  The bakers alerted the military, thereby saving Austria.  To honor the victory, the bakers made a pastry in the form of a crescent moon, the symbol on the Turkish flag. Then, 100 years later, Marie Antoinette (from Austria) introduced the croissant to the French aristocrats.  Many say both stories are false.  But, most agree that the recipe for the croissant, as we know it today, was first published in a French cookbook in the early 1900's, and went on to become a national symbol of France.

Jean-Marc's Croissants....

“Famous croissants.”                                              Alliance Française de Pittsburgh

“Best croissant I've tasted, including Paris.”    Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“I’ve never had better.”                                           Pittsburgh City Paper

Danish (pronounced: day nish)

Similar to croissant dough, but with eggs and more dense than a croissant.

Made with a butter based danish dough.

maple fondant icing                                   chocolate            blueberry       cherry

white fondant icing with walnuts        apricot              cheese     

The danish as we know it today is said to have originated in 1850 when Danish bakers went on strike.  The bakery owners brought in Austrian bakers, but the Austrians used their own recipes, one of which was the Plundergeback, which went on to became popular in Denmark. Later the Danish bakers added more eggs to the recipe and called it a danish.

Palmier  (pronounced:  pahlm-yay)

Palmiers are crisp and delicate palm tree leaf-shaped cookies made of puff pastry and sugar.

The sugar on top caramelizes when baked.  Palmier literally means "palm tree" in French.

Often known in the US as elephant ears. Jean-Marc’s personal favorite.

Palmier are thought to have first been made by the French at the turn of the 20th century.

Strudel (pronounced: stroo dol)

                     apple strudel                                                        almond strudel
Puff pastry wrapped around apple, cherry or almond filling, topped with powdered sugar.

Available in individual slices or whole (24-inches long). Whole is available Saturdays, and by order.

The oldest Strudel recipe is from 1696, in a handwritten recipe at the Viennese City Library. The pastry has its origins in Byzantine (330AD) or Middle Eastern pastries such as baklava. Most agree the strudel that we are familiar with sprung from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which dissolved at the end of WWI.  The word itself derives from the German word "strudel" which means whirlpool.  Forms of strudel are found all over the world. The Pennsylvania Dutch brought strudel to America.

  Breakfast Pastries | Dessert Pastries | Specialty Pastries | Mini Pastries      Pastries

Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery | European & American Pastries, Cakes, Pies, Bread & Truffles
213 North Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15209-2501 | In the heart of friendly Millvale. Exit 3 off Route 28.
Tuesday - Friday 7 AM - 5 PM | Saturday 7 AM - 2 PM | Write us online or call 412.821.8533.