Park Slope’s newest dessert destination boasts star chefs and a Gordon Ramsay pedigree, but it’s going to be more ma-and-pa eatery than “Hell’s Kitchen.”
Husband-and-wife dough masters TJ and Vera Obias plan to turn a shuttered brunch joint at Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street into a friendly neighborhood bakery — but they’re also intent on serving the borough’s best tarts, danishes, and other glass-case staples.
“I like the classics — I’m not interested in the trendy dessert of the minute,” TJ said. “I’m a sucker for the perfect eclair.”
The flour-and-sugar wizard — who boasts an impressive pastry-making resume including a chef position at the New York branch of Gordon Ramsay at the London — hopes to bring top-notch ingredients to a down-home setting.
The eatery, dubbed Du Jour Bakery, will also feature house-made creme brulee, pies, and almond bread pudding crafted by Vera, who brings a lot to the table.
The up-and-coming baker was a chef at the star-studded Russian Tea Room, was featured on Food Network’s “Food Genius” program, and was named “rising star” by the culinary magazine Star Chefs.
Alongside all of the sweets, the couple will also offer healthy, seasonally inspired lunch options such as soups and sandwiches using a simple recipe for success — respect the seasons and keep ingredients simple.
TJ said the couple will likely open the shop in July. He hopes to attract a family-centric crowd, saying Park Slope is the right place for a low-key, everybody-knows-your-name-style scene.
“It doesn’t have to be complicated to be good,” he said.
Du Jour Bakery [365 Fifth Ave. at Fifth Street in Park Slope]. For info, visit www.dujourbakery.com.
Reach reporter Natalie O'Neill at [email protected] or by calling her at (718) 260-4505.
