Two nights ago, at the tail end of a 20-hour work day prepping for the opening of their new store, Patrick and Joanne Quillec grabbed a baguette and a jar of pate and headed home.
“I was tired – really tired — and we didn’t want to cook,” he said. “You take good bread and pate, pour yourself a glass of wine — that’s a satisfying meal. That’s all you need.”
That experience is in many ways a perfect illustration of the concept behind the Quillecs’ new shop, French Market, at the Village Shops: The joys of real French cuisine and culture made readily accessible and convenient.
Earlier this fall, the Quillecs, who run the award-winning Café Provence just a few doors down from the new store, took a three-and-a-half week trip to Brittany to line up suppliers for French Market, and say a number of straight-from-France products will debut in the coming months. To start, though, the store is focused on offering take-home versions of some of the most popular fare from Café Provence. There are the restaurant’s popular salad dressings, soups and quiche, as well as French standards like coq a vin and pate.
“The customers kind of inspired us to do this,” said Café Provence chef Philip Quillec, who spearheaded development of French Market’s prepared food offerings. “We have people asking if they can take home our sauces and dressings all the time.”
Additionally, the shop features French linens and gifts.
“Mission Hills and Prairie Village have a lot of people who are cosmopolitan and love France,” said Patrick. “We want to give them a place to enjoy true French cuisine and culture right here.”
The new store is located at 6947 Tomahawk Road in the space previously occupied by Tulip Boutique. The store is open 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
