Whether you’re trying to impress a sweetheart or just get over a bad day, it’s hard to go wrong with chocolate. Fairfield has the perfect bakery to meet both of these needs — and every sweet craving in between.
Located at 1903 Post Road, Isabelle et Vincent is a family-owned French bakery that serves up delicious treats made fresh each day.
Isabelle et Vincent sells a wide range of French pastries and bakery items, with the quiche as a particularly tasty option. The buttery crust is filed with a smooth blend of eggs, cheese and different vegetables or meats. While these quiche are on the smaller side, they are perfect for a light but satisfying breakfast or late afternoon snack.
However, the clear standout items are the different desserts and treats.
Small heart-shaped chocolates are sold individually off of trays in one of the many different cases displaying the bakery’s products. These chocolates are deliciously prepared, with the outer shell melting in your mouth to reveal a soft caramel filling.
Also notable are the macarons, lined up in trays that are tucked between cakes and tarts piled high with fresh fruits. The macarons come in a variety of flavors including vanilla, chocolate and lemon. A light and airy treat with a creamy middle, these sweet cookies are sure to satisfy any sugar craving.
Isabelle et Vincent also provides its own homemade ice cream, although they ascribe more fame to one of their hot beverages: the deliciously sweet “Layered Hot Chocolate.”
The shop first opened in May 2008 after the Koenig family packed up all of their belongings and moved from France to the United States.
“We sold everything to come here,” said Vincent Koenig, the owner and chef of the store. ‘Everything’ included their already successful pastry shop in Strasbourg, France. They had a dream of starting fresh in the States, bringing high-quality French treats across the pond with them. “We love a challenge,” he said.
While Koenig bakes, his wife Isabelle handles many of the business and customer service aspects of running the shop.
After sampling some of the products Isabelle et Vincent has to offer, it might be surprising to learn that Koenig had no formal training at culinary school. “In France, it’s not the way to go to culinary school,” he explained.
Instead, he started gaining experience during his first job at the age of 16. Since then, he became a certified Master of chocolate, pastry and ice cream – an accomplishment which he estimated is shared by only around 1,000 chefs in France.
Isabelle et Vincent has received numerous awards for its products, which can only be found at the shop in Fairfield to ensure quality control. Of course, the high quality and fresh-from-France taste is not inexpensive, but the prices are fair and well worth the purchase.
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