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Sep 11, 2023

First Look: An Epic Crêperie on Chesapeake Bay

Travel P. Bordier Crêperie and Pâtisserie opens in Easton, Maryland By Cora

Travel

P. Bordier Crêperie and Pâtisserie opens in Easton, Maryland

By Cora Schipa

May 8, 2023

photo: Scott Suchman

Nestled along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, the tiny, once sleepy town of Easton is a blooming cultural and culinary hotspot. Yet it maintains a nostalgic charm: Buzzing cafés with Victorian-esque archways, eclectic art galleries, and red-brick boutiques fronted with flowery window boxes line its quiet, tree-shaded streets. This spring, Bluepoint Hospitality Group gave Easton a dose of France when it opened P. Bordier, a lovable little spot for pastries, galettes, and crêpes, with French decor by design director Shaun Jackson. "When I was asked to design it, my imagination immediately flew to Paris," Jackson says. "First, off to Méert, a beautiful confiserie-pâtisserie in the Marais known for its deep lavender, gray, and gilded interiors, and then off to Stohrer, the oldest pâtisserie in Paris with sumptuous decor, chandeliers, and murals painted by Paul-Jacques-Aimé Baudry." Step inside P. Bordier, which recently opened.

With a cozy 315 square feet to work with, Jackson chose de Gournay's rose-hued "Amazonia" wallpaper, enlivening the space with lush tropical imagery of toucans, parrots, love birds, and frolicking monkeys.

Grounding all that playfulness are marble countertops and checkerboard floors made from Bardiglio and Carrara stone.

Though the room allows for plenty of sun, pleated linen fabric shades hang overhead, lighting up a glass case of tempting treats. Bluepoint Hospitality's design team created the fixtures "with hand-sewn trim in a rich cranberry color," Jackson explains, "paired with ‘French Gray’ millwork and lightly gilded plaster ornaments, for the final touch of old-world charm."

For the powder room, Jackson chose "Tusk" Galbraith & Paul wallpaper, a lively geometric pattern in robin's egg blue and white, complemented by woodwork in a muted olive green and vintage Art Nouveau French theater posters.

"In developing [P. Bordier's] menu, I took cues from the interior design, which is tastefully colorful and romantic, with impeccable attention to detail," says Thomas Raquel, the hospitality group's executive pastry chef. The cuisine harkens back to Brittany, the birthplace of the crêpe, a hilly peninsula in the northwest of France known for its abundant history and stunning coastline. There, "crêpes are typically eaten for lunch and dinner, not just dessert, which is a common misconception in the U.S.," Raquel explains. The restaurant only uses Le Beurre Bordier butter, exclusively made on the northern coast of France for almost a century.

"If I am to indulge in something sweet," Raquel says, "I tend towards a more refreshing flavor profile—my favorite from the P. Bordier menu is the Citrus Meringue Tart with Meyer lemon, lime sablé (a French round shortbread cookie), and torched meringue."

"I also enjoyed the development of one of our most creative presentations, the Cherry—an oversized confectionary fruit filled with cherry compote, kirsch mousse, and devil's food cake, finished with a deep red glaze that gives it a realistic cherry look," Raquel explains. "We make everything completely by hand from start to finish, which is evident with one peek into the pâtisserie case." The gleaming case displays six specialty pastries and a selection of delicate French pastry cakes, or entremets, daily.

Crêpes do play a leading role at P. Bordier, and the menu honors both the sweet and savory. On it, you’ll see a zingy citrus crêpe with salted butter, citrus marmalade, and citrus supremes (sections of the fruit with all that unwanted pith and peel trimmed away); "Berries & Cream" with fresh berries, house-made jam, and vanilla crème; and "Hazelnut Banana" with hazelnut caramel cream, fresh banana, and chocolate sauce.

As for savory crêpes and galettes, P. Bordier starts with a velvety buckwheat batter filled with a variety of traditional ingredients: ham, brie, chive butter, and mustard crème; asparagus, leek, tarragon butter, and chèvre; or sautéed mushroom and spinach with sauce mornay (a béchamel cheese sauce).

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