Photography by Venera Alexandrova
French flag flies among the Stars and Stripes that line Main Street in New Canaan, heralding the arrival of Saisons Sucrées. The elegant little patisserie transports us to Paris, with its black-and-white marble floors and warm white walls adorned with large black-and-white photographs of the City of Light. Charming little round café tables and simple bistro chairs give a streamlined look.
The heart of this temple to the art of French baking and American culinary innovation is the display case, replete with croissants in novel shapes, filled with unexpected flavors; individual desserts glistening and flecked with gold leaf and rows of macarons in vibrant shades of pistachio, lemon, lime, strawberry and lavender.
Up a few stairs, you’ll discover a jewel-box room lined with red banquettes and mirrored walls accented with little gold medallions, creating an inviting space where guests can linger at square bistro tables that easily rearrange for groups of varying sizes. Menus on the table offer French cheese from Murray’s Cheese in New York City and charcuterie, as well as champagne and wines. This sophisticated space is also where Saisons Sucrées serves a luxurious high tea, with a selection of organic black, green and herbal Palais de Thé teas and Italian Aneri coffee (made from wood-fire roasted beans). Tiered towers of bite-sized French pastries, savory and sweet, look too magical to eat. Almost.
Owner Elizabeth Srivastava envisioned an elegant Parisian patisserie, much like those she visited while earning her Diplôme de Pâtisserie from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She honed her skills as a pastry chef in Manhattan, including a stint at Gray Kunz’s Café Gray. She then transitioned to a career in finance, spending 15 years in the field. Now the Northport, Long Island, native lives in North Salem with her husband and kids, and has reconnected with her love of French baking, combining it with her knowledge of business and sense of entrepreneurship.
Srivastava bakes the venoisserie—croissants, choux and brioche—along with the traditional baguettes. Pastry Chef Andy Chorda, a native of France, creates the exquisite layered individual desserts. He whips up mousses and creams, bakes delicate cakes, spreads fruit gels, melts rich chocolate, brulees meringue and meticulously finishes pieces with touches of gold-leaf flecks. The ingredients are all imported from France.
True to its name, Saisons Sucrées (“sweet seasons”) embraces a seasonal approach. Fall desserts feature apple and pear; while in December, the chefs will be busy rolling and decorating Bûches de Noël, the traditional French Christmas cake in the shape of a log. (Be sure to order ahead.)
Eating a dessert from Saisons Sucrées is truly a ceremony. Each mouthful brings ethereal textures, from crunchy, caramel buttery bits to deep flavors of chocolate or fruit. These are desserts meant to be savored slowly, with reverence. You’d have to travel far to find treats as fresh and lovingly assembled as these. The portions are generous enough to be shared—if you’ll let anyone else in. And don’t let the price surprise you: at approximately $15 and $20 apiece, the quality of the ingredients, the craftsmanship, sheer beauty and overall experience make them more than worth it.
MICHELIN-STAR TALENT
Chef Andy Chorda and his wife Ivana Salies, the manager of Saisons Sucrées, have worked as a team at lauded world-class restaurants in gorgeous properties in France, including Domaine de Primard, L’Oustau de Baumaniere, Chateau de Valmer and Le Couvent des Minimes. (There are some ideas for the next trip to France!)
Most recently, Chef Chorda was the executive pastry chef at La Bastide, in North Salem, while Ivana managed the dining room. The restaurant earned a Michelin star in its first year.
SAISONS SUCRÉES
84 Main Street, New Canaan
Saisonssucrees.com
Follow on Instagram @saisonssucrees for more information about their French cultural events and sidewalk crepes station.
Reservations are required for tea.