Ah, oui… le fromage, les croissants, les crêpes - they are all here.
Le District is a French-inspired marketplace in downtown’s Brookfield Place that’s just a few weeks old. Being the dedicated francophile that I am, you can imagine my excitement when I first heard of its development, and this past weekend, my friend Paige and I made the trip down there to scope out the scene.
The space is divided into stalls that sell all the amazing French goodies your heart may desire, including crepes, breads, pastries, cheese, charcuterie, sauces, and even flowers; there are a seafood counter and a butcher, too, selling some really good-quality stuff. There are also several restaurants. Basically, the place has incredible money-spending potential, so enter at your own risk.
I was particularly delighted to see an outpost of La Cure Gourmande - a chain store that specializes in traditional French confections. They have many stores across Europe and this is their first stateside location. They sell these amazing little tea cookies (by weight), and I strongly urge you not to leave without buying some.
After doing a thorough walk-through and ooh-ing and ah-ing at all the gorgeous offerings, we sat down at Le Comptoir - a wine bar where you can also sample a variety of goods from the entire market. They feature great, affordable wines by the glass and a menu of sophisticated bar snacks. One of their options is a wine, cheese and bread pairing of the day, which will cost you $15. We loved this idea and both went for it. That day’s pairing was Gruyere, a crusty ciabatta-like roll and Riesling. We also ordered some olives and a poutine. All the food was really high-quality, and made for the perfect Sunday afternoon meal.
Brookfield Place is located on a gorgeous waterfront downtown on the bank of the Hudson river, so if you don’t feel like eating at any of the restaurants, you can assemble a gorgeous picnic with your purchases and eat al fresco.
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