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Dining Out
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Open 7 Days: Mon-Fri. 6:30 am - 5 pm, Sat. 7 am - 5 pm, Sun. 7 am - 3 pm 161 Main Street • Peapack, NJ • 908.781.5554 www.cocoluxepastry.com Serving European Style Pastries, Housemade Croissants & Breakfast Pastries, Wedding Cakes, Tarts, Cookies, Soups, Sandwiches, Quiches. All Cakes and Pastries Made from Scratch Menu Available OnlineSomewhere in this magazine
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COCOLUXE FINE PASTRIES 161 Main Street Peapack 908-781-5554 By: Andy Canariato Fine desserts and pastries are the order of the day for bakery, café, and local Peapack social hub Cocoluxe, celebrating 11 years this spring. Mod- eled in the style of a rural French bistro, here one can plan a three-tiered cus- tom wedding cake over ovenfresh croissant and hearty soup. Having taken over ownership in 2008, head chef Paula Canariato along with her talented staff maintains a tra- dition of flavor, seasonality, and profes- sionalism. Classic French pastries are offered alongside familiar fresh-baked break- fast fare. The morning patron is greet- ed with a wide range of viennoiserie; here you can find brioche, dartois, canelés, varieties of croissant, muffins (and croissant-muffins!), and blackber- ry kouing amann, in addition to rolls, oatmeal, parfait, the “savory scone” (with ham, cheddar, and scallion), and the quiche du jour. Many come just for the coffee – a Benfatto blend made locally and exclusively for Cocoluxe. Cocoluxe is also outfitted with a full range espresso machine, and those particular about their morning joe should feel at ease taking a latte or cappuccino off knowledgeable and friendly staff. As the day wears on into lunch, rus- tic gourmet sandwiches, salads with house-made dressings, and exotic soups present themselves. Among the standbys are brie with arugula and raspberry compote on baguette, and roasted portabello and zucchini with fresh mozzarella and lemon tomato aioli on rosemary foccacia; these are joined by special limited edition sand- wiches and panini from month to month. Different soups are offered each day and are particularly popular during chilly weather. At Cocoluxe, variety is a virtue. Much of the menu is comprised of sea- sonal specialties; stately bûches de Noël, luscious coconut passion fruit or autumn spice cakes, petits fours, gin- gerbread girls and boys, heart-shaped strawberry mousse pastries, and indi- vidual pumpkin cheesecake to name a few. As well there are the popular themed sugar cookies, which reflect everywhen from Halloween to Groundhog Day. Also offered are a variety of homebrewed flavored iced teas in the warmer months and hot chocolates in the cold, the beloved Mexican hot chocolate (made with imported cocoa and a hint of chile and cinnamon) included. Onto some of the sweeter signa- tures: chocolate mice (cake shaped in an oval with almond ears and white chocolate whiskers), gjanduja mousse pyramids, pignoli or pistachio cookies, assorted bark and truffles, biscotti, French macarons, candied orange slices, and assorted tarts, such as pas- sion fruit and salted chocolate caramel. Also sold: bags of homemade granola and premium dog treats. All cakes are made on site from scratch. Although a selection is always available in the display case, custom cakes and unique wedding cake designs are a specialty and source of pride, and can be tailored to any event. A sample portfolio is available online at www.cocoluxepastry.com a nd on instagram at cocoluxefp. Try rich chocolate domes (layers of mousse and cake covered in ganache), or velvety opera torte (coffee syrup-soaked almond cake layered with chocolate ganache and coffee buttercream). Several other popular flavors include: lemon-raspberry, flourless chocolate, carrot, banana, vanilla bean, hazelnut torte, and tiramisu. Cocoluxe is a carrier of My Dad’s Cookies™, which are gluten, nut, and dairy-free, and offers many products which do not contain nuts or wheat flour, but is not a gluten-free or nut- free facility. There is always something new here to try. Follow us on Twitter and Face- book and Instagram (@cocoluxefp).