Bakery opening French bistro next door

By Lisa Brody

The owners of an authentic and classic French patisserie in Bloomfield Township, Chez Pierre et Genevieve, will be opening an adjacent French restaurant, Bistro Pierre, in the next few months.

Owner Moni Ghosn said the new establishment will feature true and classic French dishes, “things you can't get here, that are more typical of France,” such as fondue like in the Alps, savory and sweet crepes, and French pizza, which he explained is thin-crusted, made with French flour, and has a different texture and taste.

“(The bistro) will have more Parisian flavors and food, not like other places here that have the typical steak frites,” Ghosn said.

Bistro Pierre will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with shared access between the two spaces.

While he and partner, personal injury attorney Joumani Kayrouz, had hoped to open the new restaurant in December, Ghosn said a difficulty in finding workers to finish building the space has held up their opening. He now anticipates a March opening.

Chez Pierre et Genevieve, located at 6525 Telegraph Road at Maple Road, by Leo's Coney Island and Roland Optics, opened in fall 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering classics that include croissants, palmiers and brioche; breads, including olive bread, rustic sourdough and country bread with fig; a wide range of French pastries, ranging from tarts – apple, lemon, blueberry and linzer, eclairs, and mille feuille; and savories which include Quiche Lorraine and onion tart. Kayrouz said the patisserie is named after her two french bulldogs.

Ghosn said they import all of their ingredients from France, “like the butter, four different kinds of flour, the chocolate, and we imported the kitchen from France. The butter is from Normandy. The chocolate is the best in the world. The ham we use is from France.

He explained they imported a French kitchen, installed here, because “The kitchen plays a big role, You could have the best chef and the best ingredients, but without a good kitchen, it will not taste right. You need all three – a good chef, good ingredients, and a good kitchen.”

Their chef has also been imported from France.

Kayrouz said the only thing not imported from France is their coffee, illy, a line of gourmet coffee and espresso imported from Italy, “just like in Paris,” she said.

Once they open, Ghosn said they plan to apply to Bloomfield Township for a wine and beer liquor license. “We do not plan to serve hard liquor, since our food is best with wine or beer,” he said. “We plan to have brunch with champagne.”