Article by Frank Cierpial

La Maison du Croque Monsieur. Finding Authentic French food in New York proves to be a challenge. Finding French food in New York that college students like myself can afford proves to be even harder. This daunting task is almost impossible in most cases, but not in this one. What if I told you that you can find Authentic French food in the West Village that is more than affordable. No, I am not kidding. Such a place does exist. The place is called “La Maison de Croque Monsieur”.

Now, French culture enthusiasts like myself all know what a Croque Monsieur is, but if you do not know what a Croque Monsieur is, I urge you to run to 17 E 13^th Street and try it immediately. A Croque Monsieur is very simply an oozing, almost creamy (from the Bechamel cheese) grilled ham and cheese sandwich, but has variations thereof. That originated in Parisian Cafes in the 1900’s. Proust referenced Croque Monsieurs in his book « À la recherche du temps perdu ». Well today, anybody can go to Greenwich Village and taste a part of France.

The people who work there are very friendly and the one who helped me spoke French, so here is yet another opportunity to practice your French. The place is decorated like a Parisian Café and offers a big menu of options. If you look at the picture of the menu that I provided, I tried the number five, (the Mr Otto : grilled pork, pickled pear and tickler chedder) which I found to be très good. They also have a wide selection of coffee and deserts and a beautiful upstairs area to relax and enjoy your Croque Monsieur, Parisian style.

For NYU students, the Café is conveniently located right next to the NYU campus for a quick bite on your way to class. This is the cutest little café, and it is a nice and affordable piece of Paris for those who love French Culture. Give it a try, and bon appétit!