A while back I was invited to a media event and tasting for Pastry Chef Daniel Benjamin’s forthcoming patiserrie, lucettegrace. Tastes of quiche, sweets and more, Daniel sent us home with a beautiful chocolate easter egg that showcased his wonderful skills and magic with sweets. Fast-forward to November and lucettegrace is open in downtown Raleigh and ready to serve the local crowd. Located in an old Cross-Fit space (ironic) on S. Salisbury street, lucettegrace glows with a sweet, warmth during the evening hours. Inside you’ll find a lovely multi-hued wood plank floor, fire-fly incandescent lighting overhead and a small counter running around the space and in front of the large plate glass windows in front.
But of course all the action is at the pastry counter in back and Chef Daniel has a lovely array of sweet-savory baked goods on one side, intricate pastries flanking the other side. Over the course of two visits I tried out the salted caramel bar, kouign-amann (sugared croissant) along with a butterscotch pouf. All three were made with love, talent and precision, it’s hard to describe what Daniel is doing at lucettegrace because I have rarely seen sweets and pastries done at this level. Let’s just say, imagine a fancy French pastry shop and spin things up a bit. But I can tell you that lucettegrace serves up some of the most beautiful pastries I’ve seen in a long time.
From brownies to tarts, cakes, gateaus, puffs, and pastries lucettegrace offers a wide variety of sweets to meet your cravings every day! They are exquisitely made and will be packed neatly in a bright yellow box if you buy several of them. The pastries usually feature fresh nuts, pungent fruits, in some sort of cream or ganache form, so good!
lucettegrace also dabbles in some savory treats! They once had a Cannonball bun with gravy and usually have some breakfast-type (cheese-meat) pastries. Grab their lunch box special for $16 which includes a sandwich, side, and treat which will keep you happy and healthy. During the summer, they also typically do a macaron ice cream sandwich which is fabulous!
Add in a small menu of coffees, teas and juices and you’ve got a wonderful cafe experience for those in Downtown Raleigh. Prices run from $3 – $7 which isn’t cheap but reasonable for the effort placed into these intricate creations. While lucettegrace may not be an every-day visit, if you enjoy your pastries you owe it to yourself to check them out soon. I’m sure there’s more to come from Chef Daniel so l’m excited to see what lucettegrace becomes next year! Welcome to Raleigh, Daniel and lucettegrace…
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