"After moving here two years ago from her native France, Alexia Duchêne hasn't had to venture far from , the old-school, "unapologetically French" West Village restaurant that she and her husband, Ronan Duchêne Le May, opened earlier this year. The couple lives above the restaurant, and most of her routines - brunch at the Commerce Inn, twice-a-week stops at the Union Square farmers' market - keep her downtown."
"When Duchêne, who became one of France's biggest culinary stars as a 23-year-old Top Chef finalist, first got to New York, she was thrown off by some American customs, but now she's mostly adapted. "I've become more of a beverage person since moving to America," she says. "In France, people don't really carry drinks around while they're walking. People go to a coffee shop, have their coffee, and leave. Now, it's impossible for me to not be carrying around a little drink.""
"Market day. I have a couple of vendors I make sure to visit: She Wolf for their sticky, sweet-smelling maple oat bread and Halal Pastures Farm. The couple that own the farm are Egyptian. I have a strong connection with Egypt because my mom grew up there and cooked a lot of Egyptian food. I have some family there, and it's just a very special place for me."
Alexia Duchêne lives above an unapologetically French West Village restaurant that she opened with her husband. Her daily routines focus downtown, including brunch at Commerce Inn and twice-weekly visits to the Union Square farmers' market. Duchêne rose to prominence in France as a 23-year-old Top Chef finalist and initially found some American customs disorienting but has adapted. She now carries beverages while walking and shops market vendors for specialty breads, herbs, and seasonal produce. She follows the New York Dosa cart on Instagram, shares dosas with her husband and sous chef, and pairs them with mint chutney and tamarind sauce.
Read at Grub Street
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