Viva La Baguette
When France Calls…
If you’ve been in Memphis for any length of time, chances are someone’s invited you to La Baguette for a light lunch, you’ve seen their gorgeous petit fours at a party, or you’ve sopped up something good with their baguettes at another local restaurant. When it comes to delicate French pastries or the most delectable bread in town, the little cafe tucked away on Poplar Avenue is a favorite for many. It’s no wonder why, really. With a menu like no other local establishment and a selection that never disappoints, La Baguette has been a Memphis standard since it was founded in 1976.
Folks With French Dreams
There are differing stories about the beginning of La Baguette, but one thing is certain….it was founded by investors who were passionate about French cuisine and recognized a terrible lack of it in Memphis in the 1970s. One investor, Ruth Howse, had grown up in Mississippi, studied at Le Cordon Bleu, and been taught by Julia Child herself. Another investor, Reginald Dalle, was born near Lille, France, but had studied at the University of Arizona and had seen how popular a local French bakery around the corner had become. He thought owning a bakery sounded like a dream come true. Determined together to bring fine, true French food to Memphis, the varied investors brought bonafide French chefs to Memphis to create the recipes, train the staff, and create the culture of what has become an iconic bakery in the city. As a result of all that international investment and talent nearly fifty years ago, La Baguette is still producing consistently gorgeous pastries and baked goods every day of the week.
For Everyday
Whether you’re looking for a savory croissant sandwich for breakfast or a sweet pastry with a cup of coffee, La Baguette opens daily at 7 am to start your day off right. The lunch menu features everyone’s favorite chicken salad…(like good enough to eat every day of the week), and a spicy tomato soup complete with a layer of mozzarella that settles in a warm, gooey puddle in the bottom of the bowl. The “Light Lunch” is a traditional choice that offers a side salad and a cup of soup, and perhaps that’s the best way to go, because heaven knows you’ll need to stroll by the bakery case before you leave. Big chocolate chip cookies or seasonally themed sugar cookies are obvious picks for the little ones while you might rather enjoy a flaky almond croissant sprinkled with nuts and drizzled with a white sugary icing. But you can’t go wrong. There’s a little bit of France in every single bite. And with charming seating both inside the Chickasaw Oaks “courtyard” and outside at their sunny sidewalk tables, you’ll probably feel like you’re somewhere a little more European too.
For Fancy Occasions
The bakers at La Baguette also create divine cakes and cheesecakes, all available with 48 hours notice. Their menu features a spectrum of flavors from double chocolate, to traditional almond cakes, raspberry ganache, italian creme, and blackforest. Their cakes are always beautifully decorated and party-perfect.
For the average Francophile living on this side of the Atlantic, you can’t really do better than a trip to La Baguette. Treat yourself soon to a quick passport-less trip to France with a “light lunch” and a large eclair and imagine yourself dining on the Seine…even while on Poplar.