Where the all-American Inferno’s Pizza once stood, the European-style TC Paris pastry shop is now open. Owner Richard Mazzaferro and Chef Brianne Larsen have created a delicious, delicate collection of old-fashioned French pastries and confections. Macaroons come in a dozen flavors such as lemon, pistachio and Earl Grey tea. Eclairs, tarts and chocolates fill the glass cases and lure the customer.

For big events, customers can even order decorated cakes by Matt Fagan of Matt-a-Cake.

French tea and coffee are available as well.

The TC Paris team evidently sampled a lot of coffee before selecting theirs--the products of 40 small roasting companies. The staff likes to get all the details just right, even if that means Dixie cup after Dixie cup of caffeine.

“We do a lot of research before selecting an ingredient, developing an item or creating a recipe,” said Paul Sebastran, an investor in the store who helped cook on opening day last Friday. “We want our offerings to be as traditional and as excellent as practicable.”

The recipe for the store’s rustic apple tart, for example, is 100 years old.

TC Paris uses the best possible ingredients for its baking, such as French water shipped in from France, Sebastran said. Most ingredients are in fact French, except special hazelnuts from Washington, D.C.

“We utilize unique ingredients,” he said. “We try the most ridiculously expensive items to see if there’s a difference in cooking and taste from the less pricey.”

Of the shop’s many special creations, Sebastran’s favorite sweet is the chocolate to infinity macaroon.

“Watching our international food shipments come in is like having Christmas every day,” said store manager Theo Hipos.


 --Jennie