GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Inside the Downtown Market, you’ll find Gaby's Gourmandise, a destination for people looking to try something new in West Michigan.
It's a taste of authentic gourmet French food.
“It’s not really a bakery or patisserie, it’s a blend of both," Jean-Gabriel Ferrandon, chef and owner of Gaby’s Gourmandise, said.
Ferrandon was born and raised in France, where he studied his craft at Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris.
“That was the word of the day, perfection, always try to reach it," Ferrandon said.
He moved to the San Francisco Bay area in 2004.
“I started my business over there but it’s really saturated in the Bay area so we were looking for a booming city and Grand Rapids was in the top 10 in the country," Ferrandon said.
Gaby and his wife, who’s from Detroit, are closer to family now.
He hopes Gaby’s Gourmandise will provide a unique experience to customers.
“It’s eating for the pleasure of eating. Sometimes you just walk by something and something attracts your eye and you’re like 'I'm going to get this and I’m going to eat,'" Ferrandon said.
Gaby’s offers both sweet and savory options while using as many locally grown and organic products as possible.
“It’s not always easy but I’m trying to be one more person into that movement and hopefully in the next year or two, we have a community focusing on organic ingredients," Ferrandon said.
Gaby says he’s working on more vegan and gluten-free choices.
He describes his food as pure deliciousness.
“I’m really putting a lot of love into the quality of the ingredients, into the craft, and also not taking any shortcuts.”
Gaby says in the future he hopes to open a second location in West Michigan.
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