Le French Dad Boulangerie
MIXING
If you go on Google Maps and try to find a route from Sarajevo to Montclair, NJ, Google tells you, “Can’t find a way there”. And yet Arben Gasi, owner of Le French Dad Boulangerie in Montclair, did what Google is unable to figure out how to do. Arben’s odyssey from Sarajevo to Montclair certainly was not in the form of a direct flight. In fact, there were several layovers. I had the chance to sit down with Arben and learn the remarkable story of how he came to be in Montclair as well as sample some of the delicious creations he and his team make each day in his boulangerie (i.e. French bakery).
I arrived in Montclair shortly after 8am on a sticky, humid Thursday morning and had my phone at the ready as I walked up to the Le French Dad storefront. Arben and I had only been in touch via Instagram at this point but I think my desire to document every moment of the day gave away that I had arrived. He greeted me warmly and welcomed me to his boulangerie. Le French Dad is reminiscent of French boulangeries I enjoyed in Paris. The shop itself is small but mighty as it does what it does well but you could miss out on it if you aren’t looking. I tried to stay out of the way as customers arrived to grab coffee and pastries to start their days. I could tell immediately that Arben was a kind, caring soul by the way he interacted with each customer and his staff. Throughout the course of our time together, several customers would stop to say good morning to him and he knew them all by name. Other local business owners were also walking around and he knew them all and shared a bit about them with me. It was truly refreshing and inspiring to see someone so connected to the community in which his business operates.
He led me to an outside table where we would proceed to sit and chat. What I did not know at this early moment in our meeting was that we would converse for almost three and a half hours. The time went by in what seemed like a moment and I am truly grateful he was able to sit with me for so long (and this after he had been at the bakery since midnight!). We spoke about everything from travel to the painstaking process of making macarons to game meats and Jersey weather.
We took our seats and he offered me coffee or espresso and shortly thereafter arrived my espresso and two croissants, one for each of us. I first admired the crisp, glistening exterior and then ripped off a small piece. I heard the delicate crunch of a well-baked croissant and proceeded to eat that piece and savor the buttery goodness only a perfect croissant can deliver. We discussed the beautiful layers throughout and the butter quality, which I learned was so stellar because it’s imported butter. As if in a moment of serendipity, the butter delivery arrived and I watched sheets of glorious butter get wheeled into the bakery and pondered whether it would be made into croissants, pain au chocolat, or perhaps some of the delicious pistachio escargot or cinnamon rolls. As I sipped my espresso and ate my croissant, Arben began to share his story with me.
KNEADING
Arben and his family lived in Sarajevo during the time of the Bosnian War in the early 1990s. With all of the conflict and unrest, Arben and his family emigrated to France as refugees. In 1992, they were in Albertville, France, a city that hosted the Winter Olympics in that same year. At age 15, Arben lived in a city near Toulouse, France. It was around this time that he began to feel a connection to France and its culture as he formed relationships with peers at school. Arben applied for French citizenship and eventually received it in 2001. For schooling, Arben took an interest in mechanical engineering, earning a degree in this field.
After receiving his degree, a company was scouting in France for recent graduates who might be interested in moving to the United States for a job. Arben and dozens of others applied for this but as luck would have it, only he and one other candidate were selected for this opportunity. Through this job Arben spent time in Arizona, Northern California, and Upstate New York. During his time on the East Coast he ventured into New York City where Arben met his wife. He joked that he was all the way in New York City and still met, fell in love with, and married a French woman. This now brings us to the year 2008.
Arben began working in sales for an industrial furnace company located in New Jersey. However, his region was the midwest. He spent several years in this field and experienced all of the midwest. During this time period, Arben and his wife had twins, a boy and a girl.
In 2015, Arben began baking at home. As is so often true with many inventions and creations, his desire to bake was born out of necessity. He said to me frankly, “I couldn’t find good French bread”. Now, I’m sure some of you are thinking, “I know plenty of spots for good French bread.” And it is for this reason that I want to remind you that 1-2015 was 7 years ago and 2-even then the wealth of information on Google, Yelp, etc. did not exist in the same way that it does today. So Arben began to learn as much as he could about the history, process, ingredients, and overall concept of what makes French bread so appetizing.
PROOFING
In the summer, Arben flew to France with his kids and spent 2-3 months in the small town of Romans, which he told me is the “Shoe capital of France”. He added that there are many cities in France known for a specific food or item that they’ve perfected and I certainly need a list so I can visit them all. While in this city, Arben spent time working in a bakery that baked 400-500 baguettes each day. He met regular customers, some arriving promptly at opening (6:30am) and others who would arrive both early in the morning and return in the afternoon. Following this life-changing experience, Arben came to the realization that he didn’t want to go back to the “suit and tie life”. He had the epiphany that so many of us wish to have: “This is it. This is what I want to do”.
Upon his return to New Jersey, Arben spoke with Choc-O-Pain Bakery, a Jersey City and Hoboken staple, and spent 8 months working there to hone his skills and implement what he learned during his time in France. From Choc-O-Pain, Arben moved on to work in New York City at the famous Maison Kayser. He spent 1.5-2 years there continuing to soak up all of the knowledge of French breads and pastries and grew in his skills enough to become their head baker at the Upper West Side store. He also made the dough for several stores that would then be delivered to them to bake for the day. Sadly, Maison Kayser has closed early on in the pandemic.
In summer 2017, two short years after his initial foray into his commitment to French baking, he began to look at new opportunities and thought he wanted to work in a restaurant setting. He found Le Petit Parisien in Montclair, NJ and was told that they were getting their pastries from New York City. Arben offered to work with them to be the in-house incubator for their pastries. However, later in 2017, the owners of Le Petit Parisien received an offer to go to Switzerland, which they accepted. At this new crossroads, the owners offered Arben the chance to buy them out. After much deliberation and consultation with his wife, Arben took out a loan and proceeded to make the necessary moves to transition Le Petit Parisien into his own space.
In the early days, Arben continued to keep things as they had been. Le Petit Parisien made breakfast, lunch, and dinner and so he continued these offerings. But, as we know, this process began with a lack of good French bread and a desire to see it exist. So Arben shifted the focus to bread. “Breaking bread is like a ritual”, Arben said, “Bread of some kind is also part of every culture”. Evidently, the focus and love for bread was the right choice as the numbers changed from 20 baguettes per day to 140-160 baguettes per day. Arben hired someone to make French pastries and some desserts and, as with any new business, there were uphill battles such as keeping up with demands, ebbs and flows in customers, and monetary concerns. Soon the transition from Le Petit Parisien to Le French Dad was official with a sign change.
BAKING
Of course, in 2020 Covid-19 arrived and so many businesses felt the pain that came along with shutdowns. I’m sure you may recall that one thing that was hard to find in the early days of the pandemic was bread. Arben spoke of how he was able to provide that to many people during that time and also how it brought about a resurgence of shopping locally and supporting businesses right in your hometown. The holidays were thankfully hectic and busy for Le French Dad as people hosted small, intimate family gatherings and wanted local bread on their tables as well as the classic Christmas dessert Bȗche de Noël. Arben proudly stated that they try to source their ingredients as locally as possible (except that magical butter) and he likes the idea of a more regional economy when possible. And Arben practices what he preaches, such as using Paper Plane Coffee Co.’s (located on Claremont Ave. in Montclair) coffee in his boulangerie. Regarding the flour used for his products, Arben said he approaches flour from a whole grain level and wants to ensure the “European feel, authenticity, and taste”. Currently, Le French Dad supplies the bread used by the wonderful restaurant Faubourg in Montclair (one of my personal favorites), expanding this local mindset within the Montclair community.
One of many bags of flour used each day
Toward the end of our time together, one of Arben’s employees brought out a test bread, a honey spelt with rosemary and peach puree. The layers of flavor were palatable and the sweet and savory notes danced so well together. Before parting ways, Arben had me come inside to see some bags of flour, staff members hard at work, and the machinery used to help create the goods. He warned me of the flour on the floor and joked about how it’s all over him as well. There’s the antiquated notion of never trust a skinny chef (poppycock I say). But I will agree with “never trust a baker who doesn’t have a dusting of flour on themselves or fine coating of flour on the floor of their baking area”.
Then much to my surprise, Arben gave me a parting gift of a giant bag filled with boxes filled with items from the shop. I tried to fight him on it but he insisted I take them, indicating that it was important for me to try one of everything. I brought them home and found croissants, pastries, cookies, and breads. I shared the treats with my husband, parents, and friends and I can confirm that every item was superb. During our conversation, I asked Arben if he ever wonders what people do with his breads once they leave the shop. Without a pause he replied, “Once the bread leaves it is no longer ours, it's theirs”. Well, I want to share some ways I enjoyed the breads that may perhaps inspire you to do the same. I used the everything baguette for avocado toast with tomatoes and balsamic glaze. I had the buckwheat sesame and flax bread toasted with some Irish butter and salt and let me tell you, you need this bread. The coating of sesame and flax adds texture and nuttiness that is amplified to a divine taste once toasted. I used the baguette épi to scoop up some baba ganoush because it was a much sturdier vehicle than the pita I had on hand. 10/10 would carb load again.
I am so honored that I was able to spend time with such a calm yet passionate person. Arben has found his true calling and the proof is in the products. And yet Arben is so humble (and also so busy) that I don’t even know if he has had ample time to reflect on the amazing journey he’s had that has brought him to July 2021. His story is about drive, passion, grit, and the desire to create something special. You can sense his dedication to the craft. I encourage you to take the time to visit Le French Dad in Montclair. Yes, visit for the quality breads and pastries. Yes, visit because Montclair is a great city and you can easily spend a day exploring. But visit because you’re experiencing so much more than a simple bake shop. And if you get there early, before Arben heads off to take a well-earned nap, you may get to meet him and get a firsthand look at what I hope has come through in this blog. I leave you with one more bit of wisdom from Arben, “Food is a translation of what you feel inside”. Well, it’s clear to me that Arben feels love, passion, and a true belief that what he is doing is done with purpose. It is seen in the products he serves to the community and in who he is each day.
Le French Dad is open Wednesday-Sunday from 8am-5pm and is located at 10 Church Street in Montclair.
Arben, merci d'être toi.
