By Sally Drucker

What a beautiful patisserie this is! You enter and the glass shelves are full of the most mouthwatering sweets, tables inside and outside for your enjoyment of the delectable things that Vanille makes. I was greeted by Sophie Evanoff who has been running this establishment for 11 years now. This fantastic neighborhood business made it through the pandemic, has a thriving retail business and her main focus is satisfying her local clients.

Vanille is strictly retail now and one of their best sellers are the macaroons and cheesecake. They love to do wedding cakes and especially like to see families, dogs and kids to come in and enjoy their hot chocolate, coffee and the best croissants in the city! I was lucky enough to take one away and warmed it up and ate it at lunch time instead of my lunch! It was delicious.

The company has 28 employees, some in the French Market, but all of the baking is done here on Clark Street. They have an outdoor café seating arrangement that is comfortable and inviting. I would recommend ordering a cup of chocolate or tea and a sweet, and you could sit for a long time with a friend.

Stop by Vanille Patisserie the next time you are wandering to the Zoo or just taking a walk. This is a gem in our neighborhood!