For several months, French Club has been wanting to take a trip to Pittsburgh. Not only would it be a fun adventure outside the town of Grove City, bit it would also be the perfect opportunity to search out some authentic French food and culture. As we were searching for a good bakery or restaurant to visit, we found a cute little French bakery just north of the city in Millvale. We braved the cold temperatures and snow, piled in the car, and drove down to Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery. The small business is owned by a native Frenchman named Jean-Marc. He was born Brittany and is a professional pastry chef. The bakery itself was decorated in all things France – Eiffel Towers, French flags, a soccer scarf that read “Allez les bleus!” and of course a Brittany flag.
The bakery offers a variety of treats like the most perfect macarons you’ll ever see, and buttery croissants, a few types of tasty quiche, and other Breton specialties. Each of the French Club members that came on the trip chose a few items before we headed to a nearby coffee shop; the only thing the bakery lacked was space to sit and enjoy the treats. Because one of French Club’s favorite activities is conversing in French over a cup of coffee at a café, we had no problem making ourselves at home in this new coffee shop. For the rest of the morning, we enjoyed our French bakery items and warm coffee drinks as we conversed in French and learned more about the language.
Holding to the spirit of adventure during this French Club outing, we decided to use our last bit of time to explore the small town of Millvale. Just before returning to Grove City, we stopped in at record store down the road from the café and French bakery. We searched the store for old albums and even found some French music. It was a fun way to experience a different town and go on an adventure while we had the chance. On the way home, we listened to French music to continue to theme of French and experiencing new things. A fun time was had by all during French Club’s adventure in Pittsburgh!