Hamden Restaurant Week 6—Le Petit Gourmet

Le Petit Gourmet is located at the busy intersection of Whitney and Putnam Avenues in the space adjacent to Books & Co. that was once occupied by Patisserie Normande.

There’s parking in the rear, accessed by a nice slate walkway.

I saw that Le Petit Gourmet had supplemented our Restaurant Week signage with a nice signboard of its own.

Le Petit Gourmet and Books and Co. are connected inside, even if they are separately owned. The relationship appears symbiotic.

As I waited for my lunch guest, I checked out the various goodies offered by the gourmet shop.

The daily specials sounded delicious.

Le Petit Gourmet is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bright, clean and casual, Le Petit Gourmet is a nice place for grownups and children alike.

My lunch date was attorney Edward C. “Ned” Burt, sometimes referred to as “Mr. Spring Glen” and an old friend dating back to high school cross country. Here he is shown standing with Le Petit Gourmet owner Susan Gooley, whose husband, Dan, coaches the Quinnipiac baseball team.

Before too long, we were joined by Ned’s wife, Chris (center), who also is an attorney, and their friend, Joyce Flinter (left).

Our waitress was a sweetie and took great care of us.

Since there were four starters, four entrées and three desserts on the Restaurant Week menu and four of us, we were able to try everything. Ladies first. From the appetizers, Joyce had warm goat cheese medallions on baby greens,

Chris had the crab cake streaked with lime cream served on a bed of baby arugula,

Ned had the French onion soup with toasted croutons covered with melted Gruyère cheese,

and I had the vichyssoise, the classic cold potato and leek soup garnished with fresh chives.

The lunch entrées were just as much fun as the appetizers had been. Joyce enjoyed quiche with a side salad,

Chris relished a grilled chicken panini with aged Cheddar, green apple and honey mustard plus a wild rice salad with dried fruits,

Ned devoured a croque Monsieur (grilled ham and Swiss cheese with béchamel sauce served on French country bread),

while abstemious I charted a healthier path with a black bean burger plus a wild rice salad with dried fruits.

I lost track of who had which dessert, but does it matter? The treats included a cannoli,

chocolate mousse,

and apple crisp with cinnamon-laced whipped cream,

all of which were delicious. Any eatery that can elicit smiles like these is a definite winner.

Le Petit Gourmet, 1231 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, 203-230-3252
lepetitgourmetcafe.com