A proudly-hung cast-iron sign declares this place as
Madame Sou Sou Café & Bakery!
Lewis and I treasured our trip to Paris, so we are fond places that are evocative of its joie de vivre.
Recently expanding into the storefront next-door, the owner hired a local artist (below) to paint the exterior and new interior space with whimsical animal characters.
On the pavement near the entrance are inspirational quotes:
In addition to the sidewalk seating for 24 people...
(and notice the cleverly-crafted "cup holders" on the benches)
...the communal cement table remains, with new gold-topped ones added throughout the space.
On the pavement near the entrance are inspirational quotes:
In addition to the sidewalk seating for 24 people...
(and notice the cleverly-crafted "cup holders" on the benches)
...the communal cement table remains, with new gold-topped ones added throughout the space.
The new window-seats are an artistic combination of vintage tractor seat / piano stool--which you can swivel upward or downward to your desired height.
"Normal" stools are found on the other window ledge (as seen above). That is the new space. It has clever flooring of copper pennies covered in resin!
Like the original space, the new half also has a tin ceiling, but with a different pattern.
Thankfully, many things have remained the same: the excellent pastry and petit déjeuner from Balthazar (less costly here in Astoria than at Balthazar's bakery in NYC!) and goodies from Doughnut Plant in Brooklyn. However, Sou Sou bakes its own Cake varieties (with fresh fruits, Valrhona chocolate and organic flour) and Quiche du jour (with homemade crust, organic eggs, heavy cream, and gruyére cheese).
I also admire their cute "to-go" bags, with a hand-illustrated Parisienne "madame" walking her doggie.
The back of each bag has this humorous note:
As you can see below, I kept trying to photograph the menu, but all these cute guys kept getting in the way. Oh well.
Yes, this place certainly has a fun vibe, as signified by the sign above the cash register:
Lewis and I definitely enjoy visiting, partly due to the friendly chattiness of the 3 baristas: a body-building Greek, a striking blue-eyed beauty from Northern Europe, and an older man with leg tattoos who calls me "boss".
Unlike other coffeeshops where the baristas are good with technology but not courteously chatty with people, these baristas take time with each person. They also bring drinks to your table--even outside, and they gladly carry away your dirty dishes before you do it yourself. I give credit to the muscular men for being so smiley, gentle and polite, as they sweep floors, tamp macchiato, and handle the clatter of tiny cups/saucers and food plates. They are a well-chosen team.
Owner, Ahmed Hegazy, is a good-natured and warm-hearted proprietor He cares about his customers. He firmly trains his employees. He drives home and ferries boxes of freshly-baked quiche to the cafe, whenever it runs out. Once, he gifted me a canelé because I was politely patient in a long line of hurried customers.
Another time, I saw him shake hands and introduce himself to a guest, saying "I see that you always order a slice of our homemade Hummingbird Cake with your coffee. Thank for liking it. This slice is on us!"
Their Customer Loyalty cards are the best value in the neighborhood: Buy 6 drinks, and the 7th is FREE (whichever type you prefer)! Everywhere else requires 9 or 10 purchases. When ordering my free latte, Ahmed smiled warmly and asked, "Ok, would you like a single or double?" How cool is that? How many proprietors actually upgrade your freebie? That generosity of spirit impressed me greatly!
Demonstrating that many cultures can appreciate one another, Hegazy loves French recipes and blends the menu with some from his homeland: Egypt.
It takes a certain kind of guy to decorate an eatery the way he did: Art Nouveau wall panels, a ball of moss "centerpiece", an avante-garde restroom, vintage incandescent light bulbs, varied porcelein plates hung on the wall in bric-à-brac style, the humorous sayings on signs (and those take-out bags), and wallpaper featuring words of beauty (seen in background below). Hegazy is a soccer coach for the U.S. Federation, and he published poetry and songs in Egypt.
Sou Sou has a serious espresso machine, using Lavazza beans. A chilled dispenser of complimentary water is nearby to parch your thirst, as well.
Twice, a saw a father carry in his toddler daughter and take her to each wall so she could speak-out/identify the various animals (painted on the wall, on some of the plates hanging alongside, or as statuettes on the shelves). What a clever lesson in learning. It also speaks to the vibe of the place to condone it and welcome it. The little girl always ends by tapping the oversized brass "service bell" on the counter!
The view from the big windows keeps things small-town/"Old World", thanks to Astoria's low skyline and historic buildings.
Being near the corner of 31st Avenue (where a strip of well-known eateries begins) and 33rd Street provides lots of people-watching. There's often at least one type of motorcycle parked outside, too.
You'll also spot when Hegazy arrives with more quiche! (as seen below)...
You'll also spot when Hegazy arrives with more quiche! (as seen below)...
Customers also get giddy for the section of gluten-free brownies, cookies, and crumb-muffins.
On my recent visit, I tried one of their loose-leaf teas: Turmeric/ginger - $3.25 for the whole pot.
That earned me a free drink via their Customer Loyalty Card (buy 6, the 7th is free--whichever drink you want)! I enjoyed a cheese Danish and a prosciutto/pecorino/tomato sandwich on fresh bread! YUM!
I enjoy places that are unique and thoughtful. It betters the neighborhood, instead of having corporate food chains. Madame Sou Sou stands out from the rest of the coffee culture here--in a warm-hearted way. It reminds me of a quote by Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Robert Frost:
*To read amusing snippets of a poem about being drunk, please go here:
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