"With 500 locations in France and now two in the United States, Marie Blachère is a behemoth bakery and produce market founded in 2004 by Bernard Blachère, headquartered near Avignon in Provence, France. When it opened last month in Greenwich Village, many of the employees were French and wore perky brown uniforms, and the range of breads, pastries, sweet rolls, sandwiches, quiches, and pizzas gleaming in the long glass cases was breathtaking. The bakery and “sandwicherie” occupies three storefronts along Sixth Avenue just north of Carmine, with no-frills seating inside and a plain gray color scheme. A coffee bar enjoys its own window on the street, but the baked goods, rather than sandwiches or coffee, are the star of the show. The chain promises traditional baguettes, priced at $2.20 each and available in three shades: pale, medium baked, and well done. The bread is crusty with a dense crumb, perfect for buttering. But these are really demi-baguettes, half the size of regular French loaves. Four loaves (or four croissants) are offered for the price of three; Marie Blachère wants to be your discount French bakery. Many of the products are a shade sweeter than they ought to be. The croissants, for example, have a thin sugar coating that glistens, making them taste almost like dessert. These croissants are split to make a nice egg salad and bacon sandwich garnished with lettuce and tomato ($6.50), though the croissant dominates the sandwich. The same domination applies to a tuna sandwich with chopped veggies ($8.40); it comes on a cheese focaccia and is breadier than it ought to be. The Danish, where you want a little extra sweetness, is Marie Blachère’s forte. One recommended sweet roll implants chocolate chips in its sugary swirl ($3.30), and the pain au chocolat is spot-on, with a profuse chocolate filling. Many other pastries are available, almost too many to contemplate, including a good apple turnover. Tarts both small and large are showy, but beneath the sometimes canned fruit, the texture of the filling is more cakey than custardy. Neither the pizzas nor the pre-made croque monsieurs had much eye appeal. Go to Marie Blachère if you want pastries that are cheaper and sweeter than usual." - Robert Sietsema
