The PR French Club spent some time in France. Well, not really France, but as close as you can get to experiencing France in Illinois. On Wednesday, March 11th, after school we took a trip to Ambrosia Patisserie, a French pastry shop in Barrington, Illinois.

French teacher, Mme. Keaty, chaperoned 25 club members to the shop, and they enjoyed special treats from the bakery. When asked about the trip, Mme. Keaty said “Everybody had a great time.”

Some of the treats they enjoyed included chocolate croissants, a French cookie called Sadlé, and other French pastries and cookies. While there, the students were given a tour of the kitchen and learned about the history of the shop.

“It was really interesting to see how the pastries were made,” said freshman Tori Kucharski.

The baker at the shop has previously trained with French chefs, making the pastries look and taste as if they were from a pâtisserie in France. In fact, he was so great at making these pastries, Julia Child hired him to make dessert for her parties!

“My favorite part was getting to know the owners [Richard and Debby Rivera] and all of the great stories that they had,” said Mme. Keaty. “Their car’s license plate says GATEAUX,” recalled Mme. Keaty. For all of you non-French speakers, that translates to “cakes” in French.

For all of the French club members and French students who attended, this trip was a small glimpse of France. Many of the students probably left with the same thought as Tori Kucharski: “It was very yummy!”

Click here for more information about Ambrosia’s menu.