Gourmandise – The Bakery

Step into Gourmandise – The Bakery, and you’re immediately brought home. The welcoming, relaxed interior envelopes you in the aromas of freshly baked bread, rich pastries, and delicious soup simmering slowly on the stove.

Gourmandise’s executive chef and general manager is Jean-Jacques Grossi. Jean-Jacques began his baking career as a 13 year-old boy in France. After moving to Salt Lake City, he worked at various Salt Lake bakeries, including Bakers de Normandie and Brumbies, and eventually settled down at The Bakery, where he worked his way up from baker to executive chef.

The Bakery is owned by Pete and Wanda Hanssen, who immigrated from South Africa and purchased Gourmandise in 2006. It’s all about the family at Gourmandise, where several generations all work together.

The layout of the bakery is European inspired, which can lead to confusion for some. I remember my first time at the bakery, I walked in and didn’t know whether I should sit down at the table or order at the counter. Our host Becky gave us a tip: if you plan on staying to eat, sit down at a table and a server will come over to take your order. If you are looking for something to carry out, go right up to the counter to order and pay. If the weather is nice, I would recommend sitting out in their covered patio.

This unique layout causes service to be a bit sporadic at times, especially during the busy times. Water glasses can go unfilled as the servers try to handle their tables.

I have never left from Gourmandise disappointed with my meal. The Bakery has recently reinvented their quiches from ground up. They are made completely in-house from scratch using delicious ingredients such as creme fraiche and gruyere. Each day offers a different quiche. The Saturday quiche is roasted red pepper, goat cheese, and basil. If you have to make a special trip to The Bakery in order to try the Saturday quiche, do it. It’s that good. The goat cheese isn’t too overpowering, and the quiche was perfectly cooked. 

The cup of French Onion soup that came with the quiche had the perfect blend of sweet onions, salty broth, and gooey cheese. It’s their house special and it’s obvious why.

Other recommendations from Becky: for the vegetarians, the Chickpea Smash, which can either be had as a sandwich or a salad. The Smash consists of smashed chickpeas, olives, red onions and fresh Italian parsley. Another hit is the Portobello Panini. Grilled portobellos, red peppers, muenster, hummus, and basil aioli. I think I’m going to have to try that one next time. The Curry Chicken Salad is another Gourmandise classic. Think of a delicious chicken salad kicked up a notch with a rich curry dressing.

Another reason why I love Gourmandise: they’re open late. They’re the only bakery in Salt Lake that does so, staying open until 10 pm Monday through Thursday, and open until 11 pm Friday and Saturday. One thing that had us wondering is why they are closed on Sunday. I guess we can give them one day off, right?

If you’re looking for a place to relax with friends, bring a business acquaintance, or for some late night eats, make sure to put Gourmandise – The Bakery, on your list. I guarantee you’ll find a sweet treat you’ll love in their gigantic display cases.

Croissant Pudding

For a chance to win a $25 gift card to Gourmandise, leave a comment telling us what your favorite Gourmandise dish is, or what you’d like to try when you go. Or tweet @Broswhobrunch and tell us there!

Gourmandise – The Bakery
250 South 300 East
Salt Lake City

http://gourmandisethebakery.com