“We create dreams for clients, we make dreams come true,” begins Lina Ariss-Abdo, co-owner with her daughter, Lara, of luxury confections boutique Les Cinq Amandes (French for “The Five Almonds”). But Lina isn’t exaggerating or boasting, just explaining the guiding principle behind their artisanal confections and gift business—wish fulfillment.
To understand what Lina and Lara promise, consider, if you will, the age-old tradition on which Les Cinq Amandes is based: In the mid-seventeenth century, Europeans celebrating weddings would offer their guests five sugared almonds symbolizing wishes for health, happiness, wealth, longevity and fertility. Today, Lina and Lara have adopted the tradition, and given it a modern twist. The five wishes that accompany their dragées are now health, happiness, longevity, peace and love. “It was a lost art, a lost tradition,” Lina says. “We wanted to revitalize [it].”
For this they specialize in artisanal dragées and confections from around the world, and use only the finest ingredients, among them the best chocolates, fruits and nuts, including the grand Cru Avola almond, a rare Sicilian almond handpicked from 200-year-old trees.
Whimsy also defines how the boutique was born. Lara, then a junior at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, urged her mother, a former pediatrician, to start her own business. They’d been shopping around for unique party favors without success when Lara realized that they likely weren’t the only ones looking for that something special to give to guests. Her mother had always had a flair for the creative, whether in terms of her sense of style—“Even as a doctor I was trendy,” says Lina—or in how she entertained guests. For parties she would hand-make unique, often edible, gifts that were always a big hit. Lara decided that this creativity could be channeled and benefit others. So she went into business with her mother. “It’s an adventure,” Lara says. “I’m the business mind, she’s the creative mind.
“We play off each other,” she adds after a short pause.
The pair runs Les Cinq Amandes out of an atelier in the family home in Stamford; walk down an unassuming stairway, and you find yourself surrounded by small “celebrations” showcasing what they can create. Here, a miniature version of a bride’s wedding gown, made with white satin pouches holding white dragées. There, an autumnal table in red, orange and chocolate hues with arrangements of similarly colored bite-size meringues. Across the room, an eye-catching red dress made with rich velour yarn, adorned with pouches bearing yet another tempting sweet. There are candy bars and jars filled with tempting treats everywhere, in every conceivable color and size. It’s a challenge not to give in to a tasting, which is generously offered again and again.
Baby showers, graduations, religious milestones—it seems that all of life’s big events are represented.
Though based locally, the products draw on international culture. Lina's father worked for Pan American Airways, a job that took the family from Lebanon to Asia and Europe. “I traveled from a very young age,” says Lina. “It made me appreciate different cuisines. You had to try everything, and eat everything, so as not to offend your host.” She developed an appreciation for exotic flavors—there is a spiced dark chocolate—and a certain scent can take her back to her youth. All of this influences her ingredient choices; for example, they recently debuted a lavender chocolate that recalls their time spent in the South of France.
At press time, Les Cinq Amandes was gearing up for brisk holiday business. Though their clients include large corporations, celebrities and event planners such as David Tutera, Lina is careful to note that each and every customer is important no matter the budget or vision. “We really work with people,” she says. “It's about making a moment special.” And sweet and yummy, too.