Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/603345
34 | DECEMBER 2015 nshoremag.com Behind a glass case of colorful macaroons stands trés chic Char- lotte Reymond. Her striped French sailor's shirt shows from beneath her apron as she selects pastries for a customer. Victor Navarre, a true Parisian, serves coffees and crèpes to those seated at the espresso bar. He points to a map of Paris posted on a brick wall and says that this French pâtisserie, La Maison Na- varre, is not meant to be a replica of something that already exists. It is neither a copycat of a Parisian photographs by Rachael Kloss BY ERIKA WALBURG Portsmouth's La Maison Navarre brings a bit of Paris and a lot of pastries to the Francophiles among us. Raison d'Être counterpart nor an Americanized version of French culture. It is a place unto itself. Reymond and Navarre, both French-born, came to New England this year, bringing with them a taste of France. They thought that Ports- mouth, New Hampshire, would be a nice place to open shop because of its bustling downtown. Within the inviting Congress Street shop, framed posters of Moulin Rouge and Peugeot brought back from the streets of Montmartre add to the Parisian vibe. Two crèpe makers are set up side by side, separated by an open jar of Nutella. One customer cuts into something savory while an- other watches the ice cream filling drip from the middle of their black raspberry macaroon. The pink pool of ice cream hardens onto a white plate below, while sounds of spoons clinking in cappuccino-filled cups fill the café. Reymond and Navarre believe their customers come with an appetite for that kind of authentic- ity. A simple ham and cheese on a baguette, something so common in France, can be hard to find here. Knowing this, they say, "The only thing we adapt is the time we serve it. Instead of serving croque monsieur at noon, which is the time Colorful macaroons are always popular. Below, owners Victor Navarre and Charlotte Reymond