Pastry chef prepares Valentine’s Day delicacies

Jean-Gabriel Ferrandon, or “Chef Gaby,” for short has been in business at Gaby’s Gourmandise – the Grand Rapids Downtown Market’s only authentic French pastry shop – for almost three years. The endeavor started in May of 2021.

Ferrandon is the “Real McCoy,” as they say, having cut his chops in pastry shops in France. He also studied French Pastry in France, in high-end restaurants. La tour d’Argent (an exclusive and historic high end restaurant located in the heart of Paris, just steps from the Notre Dame Cathedral) is one of them. Ferrandon says he chose the career path so that he could “share the passion that I have for food, and make people happy with delicious treats.”

The tasty treats are one-of-a-kind (Gaby’s Gourmandise isn’t affiliated with any other pastry shops in the area). He cites his “love for food, quality, and freshness of ingredients,” as the three things that inspired him to open the shop. His personal hero in the world of French Pastry is Pierre Hermé . Chef Gaby says he’s been following his career,  and “other great pastry chefs from all around the globe” as role models for his creative confections.

Valentine’s Day is a big day for Gaby’s, with an assortment of delicacies that are as mouthwatering as they are “eye-candy.”

Coming off a big Thanksgiving and Christmas season, Chef Gaby is primed and ready for the onslaught of cream-puff loving customers (it’s his best-selling item).

His personal favorite?
“A slice of fraisier, strawberry, and custard cake!”

Here’s a smattering of items that will be available in Gaby’s bake case:

• Chocolate covered strawberry $2.75
• Heart entremet: $9.50
• Heart shaped raspberry chocolate cookie: $3.50
• A slice of strawberry, vanilla custard cake: $9.75

“Each item will be available in a limited quantity on our bake case each day,” says Chef Gaby. In other words, get ‘em while they’re hot (or chilled)!