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New Yorker's Satiated By Contemporary Parisian Patisserie & Bistro Design

By JOHN KOVACS

Imagine yourself strolling down Lexington Ave. between 73 rd and 74 th Streets in Manhattan, and before you is an building so extraordinary you are certain you've somehow been transported to the Left Bank of Paris. So beautiful is Payard Patisserie and Bistro, (www.payard.com) you are likely to fall in love with the romantic and cozy warmth of the place before you even savor the flavor of gourmet foods offered by Francois Payard, world renowned 3 rd generation French pastry chef, and Co-owner Daniel Boulud, Restaurant Daniel, Café Boulud.

Inspired by Europe's grandest cafes, the 2,700 square feet of architectural and design details include a storefront and vestibule area crafted in wood and marble. From the street, you gaze into artfully arranged window displays, a dining area and mezzanine. The irresistible scent of café espresso, freshly baked desserts and chocolates seduce you to enter the bakery and bistro. Inside, a large plaster frieze white as pastry flour and a Roman mosaic floor border embedded with illustrations of croissants, baguettes and other pastries welcome you with whimsical references to candy and pastry everywhere. The high ceilings decorated in a warm creamy color and mahogany woodwork accentuate the open space.

The bakery and bistro also have over-scaled mirrors surrounded by belle epoque gold frames and dramatic blown glass lighting fixtures. The chocolates, candies, pastries, breads and packaged gifts are skillfully arranged in custom display cases made of wood and marble. Everything right down to the lighting design is thoughtfully planned by renowned New York David Rockwell, architect and designer, His firm, The Rockwell Group, approaches design based on identifying a concept to be carried through from space planning to the smallest detail. Rockwell is also known for its ability to maximize all opportunities for interactions between technology, craftsmanship and design.

The Payard lighting design accentuates product displays with such effectiveness these appeal directly to the customers' desire for impulse purchase. The attention to detail such as fitting each custom display case with new high-tech lighting. The high definition PROMOLUX (www.promolux.com) true color lamps provide amazing color rendition and 86 per cent less harmful ultraviolet radiation than general use lamps.

This new breed of PROMOLUX fluorescent and globe lamps actually extend the shelf life of perishable foods while emitting a perfect color rendering of Payard's fresh deli foods, baked goods and chocolates. Consequently, all color hues of the visible light spectrum are vibrant to customer eyes, compared with general use bulbs. "People who care about merchandising recognize the value of PROMOLUX light and go for it," says New York supplier Ed Yuter, Yuter Marketing. Payard Patisserie now has six beautiful display cases pre-fit with PROMOLUX lighting. "So many people go to Payard's because they want to see his pastries," Yuter explains. "PROMOLUX make products standout without distorting their true colors."

PROMOLUX lighting is no deception either, you really are getting the best balance of colored light for the human eye. As a matter of fact, cheaper general use lamps focus on the yellow-green spectrum of visible light, and these tend to wash colors out with a ugly tinge of yellow. The lower grade lights have an additional disadvantage, they actually hasten the rate of product spoilage. Perhaps, it is this attention to detail which has contributed to the tremendous success of Payard's business.

Alexandra Payard, Special Events and Public Relations Manager, says everything sold at Payard is created on the premises. There are lead out display cases which include refrigerated home made ice creams and fresh deli goods. One side of the room is refrigerated sandwiches and quiches, and the other side offers traditional French pastries as well as Francois' signature line of pastries, temperature- controlled chocolate and cookies display.

Today, Payard's has become the upper east side's upscale patisserie since first opening in 1997. Success though has also meant Francois Payard is rarely at his own business. These days Payard is traveling world wide creating dinners for special event promotions. Alexandra Payard says she's pleased the bistro is very popular with everybody including elite movie stars such as Madonna, Sigourney Weaver and Brooke Shields. Payard says the patisserie and bistro is an upscale pastry shop which really is the equivalent of what you would find in France. "I don't think you can find another one like it in the United States."

The busy patisserie and bistro operation is staffed by 100 employees with prep work going round the clock. Typically, Payard's will serve over 1,000 people on a given Saturday with 60 restaurant tables on the ground floor and 40 more seats in the mezzanine. There are another 10 tables in the patisserie area.