TRAVERSE CITY -- For years, Patisserie Amie served fine French fare a dozen customers at a time inside a doll house bistro on Front Street.
Recently relocated to the former Light of Day Tea Room site on Lake near Eighth, Patisserie Amie has kept its quaint feel while losing its long lines -- for now.
"When we first started three years ago, I was doing the seating, the cooking and the serving all by myself. We grew to a staff of four and decided we needed more room," said Eric Fritch, chef and owner.
"We were famous for croissants, but we could only make about 12 a day. It almost became a competition; someone would come in first thing in the morning and buy all of them at once. We tried limits, but everyone had a hard time with that," Fritch said. "Now we have enough room to expand our baking."
Carried over from the previous restaurant is the trademark striped awning, cafe table seating and sunny windows. Just inside the door, a stand-up rack holds freshly baked bread. A glass case next to the cash register displays French pastries that vanish as the day progresses.
Patisserie Amie's one-page menu focuses on breakfast and lunch specialties. Trained by award-winning pastry chef Bernard of France, Fritch uses ingredients that lean toward eggs, butter, sugar and cream, with specialty dishes adding anchovies, Mornay and truffles.
A New Jersey native, Fritch attended the Seattle Culinary Academy, cooked at exclusive restaurants such as Tapawingo and taught at Northwestern Michigan College's Culinary Arts program. The road eventually led to Traverse City after Fritch met his wife -- for whom the restaurant is named -- and began visiting her family in Torch Lake. In 2005, Fritch launched the original Patisserie Amie.
"The old place was definitely a destination. You had to be headed downtown to pass the place," he said. "Now, we are on a main artery. Everyday since I opened, I have had someone come in and say to me, 'I didn't know you were here. This is great.'"
Fritch has added some new crepes and more salads to the existing menu. There's also new children's fare.
In the pastry case, finds might include a Financier Cake, which Fritch said is a gold bar cake made for bankers in Paris so cake wouldn't crumble on their clothing. Other treats include Citrus Bombe (a brilliantly colored shell outside, citrus mousse inside), Crème Brule for Two and Tartes (one of which features prunes steeped in Earl Grey tea).
"We get all age brackets, from the younger, eclectic set to the 'foodies' to the retirees," Fritch said. "It's a great mix. They all partake together."
Patisserie Amie, 237 Lake Avenue, Traverse City, MI 49684; (231) 922-9645; hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday.
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