in Reynoldsburg can save you the long haul... by Lisa Sherck L e Vieux Lyon (translated into The Old Lyon in English) is a French bakery in the heart of Reynoldsburg and is a delightful hidden gem. Though not so hidden now that it has been featured in both the Columbus Dispatch and “Foodies on 4.” When I was given the assignment for reviewing a French bakery, I was a little apprehensive, as I could not see how a bakery in Reynoldsburg, Ohio could compare to the pain au chocolat (croissants stuffed with chocolate) that I had every morning in southern France years ago. When I learned that one of the co-owners, Manira Camara, made all the pastries from scratch, and learned to bake when she lived in France and worked at the pastry shops, I was willing to give it the old college try. To help ensure I had a good sampling of pastries, I enlisted my family, who were visiting from out of town, to help me make a wide selection of the various pastries.We entered the small shop and were immediately greeted by a very friendly and helpful server. He directed us to the chocolate and peanut butter mousse cake. We also selected a wide variety of other delights, such as a sampling of their petit fours, Key Lime Pie, traditional croissant, and an assortment of mini eclairs. The server packaged up our goodies to go in charming to-go bags, which fit perfectly with the atmosphere in the small bakery. We were able to hold off on sampling the appeal of petit fours are the presentation. They are usually colorful and have intricate designs on top. The petit fours at Le Vieux Lyon met the requirements for presentation, and as we cut into them, we realized the color of the design on top indicated the flavor of the individual cake. The cakes ranged from flavors such as lemon, vanilla, chocolate, but hands down, the strawberry was my favorite. The assortment of mini eclairs ($3.50) was delightful as well and had a nice surprise of fruit flavor in the cream as well. Macarons are a type of French pastry that websters defines as a light, often brightly colored sandwich cookie consisting of two rounded disks made from a batter of egg whites, sugar, and almond flour surrounding a sweet filling (as of ganache, buttercream, or jam). Le Vieux Lyon’s macarons were classic and traditional to the concept of the French macarons and were generally fruit flavored. Don’t mistake these delicacies for the macaroons, of which the main ingredient is coconut! Finally, we tried the traditional croissant ($2.99). It flaked apart beautifully and melted in my mouth. What more can you say? Move over, Vieux Lyon, Nouveaux Reynoldsburg has your number! Le Vieux Lyon is located at 1774 Brice Road, Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Per its website, it is closed on Mondays, and open from 10:00 to 3:00 during the rest of the week, and open 8:00 to 5:00 on Saturday and Sunday. We stopped by on a Friday, and the other co-owner Maohammed Halaoui said the weekdays were slower, and they had even more pastries on the weekend. Based on the amount of food we ordered, I think it was a good thing that we didn’t have more choices! The owners have lived in Reynoldsburg for the last 10 years and opened the bakery two year ago. Since that time, Mohammed said that their customers are a big support and most of them are more than customers, more like family. He said that the city of Reynoldsburg are their biggest supporters and he is very grateful to be part of this community. Mohammed also said the fruit tart is one of the best items, so I would recommend sampling that as well. The website states that some of the items need a two-day advance notice. Most of the items on its website range from $3.00 to $5.00. They also sell breads, large tarts and fullsized cakes, which cost from between $6-10. One word of caution: If you bring a 12year-old into the shop, you may have to get one of everything. Brace yourself! pastries until we made it back to the house, and then we sat down to savor all the wonderful flavors. First up, I needed to try the pain au chocolat ($3.50) before I had other flavors to change the taste. One bite of the chocolate filled croissant, and it seemed like I was back on my vacation in France. It was just as good as I remembered. So, I confirmed that a bakery in Reynoldsburg, Ohio actually could hold its own against French bakeries. Next up was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse ($3.50). I would compare it to the creaminess of a peanut butter pie filling, and a buckeye with the chocolate layers. It was heavenly, and I had to fight off my family for the last bite. After clearing my palette, third up was the Key Lime Pie tart ($3.50). If you like key lime pie, this was amazing. Then we tasted the petit fours ($1.50 each). For some context to the uninitiated, Petit fours (pronounced like petty) are a classic French pastry that resemble very mini cakes. Webster’s defines them as a small sponge cake and frosted. I believe part of the Reynoldsburg Magazine • Fall, 2021 Lisa Sherck is one of our favorite contributors to Reynoldsburg Magazine as a restaurant reviewer. She loves her assignments and doing a great job of justice to them. She also has a lethal forehand in tennis* (*Publisher’s opinion) 35 Le Vieux Lyon
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