Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French Bakery in Millvale

7/13/11 #221

0730 McD Burrito 1230 Clif Bar, Power Bar 1330 Eclair 1800 Stromboli

Rode 36 miles on urban Pittsburgh trails, taking my yearly mileage across 2000 miles in 2011 (and on to 2035 miles). That was a little bit exciting.

But what was really exciting was riding the trail to Millvale and enjoying the products of Jean-Marc Chatellier's French Bakery in Millvale, just minutes off the bike trail. (enter Millvale, TL Grant, TR Lincoln.)

Their chocolate eclair was phenomenal (the shop is particularly known for the macaroons). Pittsburgh has excellent bakeries but I'd wager most of them are Italian bakeries; I didn't know that Pittsburgh, let alone Millvale, supported a French pastry shop. Highly recommended; note their annual closure, July 19 till August 9th. After all, they are French.

Between Pamela's Pancakes and Jean-Marc Chatellier's French Bakery, I suspect that Millvale is on the cusp of gentrification. I did spot a gaggle of hipsters in Millvale recently.

I rode from Western Penitentiary to Millvale, back to the Stadia, then the Strip Trail to 24th Street, Penn Avenue, Market Square, Jail Trail, Junction Hollow Trail, Hot Metal Bridge, Baldwin Trail, Southside Trail, Station Square, Ft. Pitt and Ft. Duquesne Bridges, back to the Pen.

I need a good name for the Western Penitentiary; the winning moniker needs to be brief and unique. "Western Pen" sounds too much like the hospital. The only people that know the official name, SCI-Pittsburgh, have relatives that have been inside.