New French Spot Opened in Blanchardstown
New French Spot Opened in Blanchardstown
Words: Shamim de Brún
Images: Unsplash
Madame Monsieur, a bistro-style toastie shop, opened in Blanchardstown last week.
Their Instagram says they’re “designed for takeaway” and delivery. So you can order from Madame Monsieur on Just Eat and Deliveroo if you live in the Dublin 15 area.
As the name would suggest, they will specialise in Croque Madame and Monsieurs. A Croque Madame is a ham and cheese sandwich with bechamel sauce and topped with an egg. A Monsieur is the same but sans egg.
Madame Monsieur serves seven different croques, including a vegan option with a gooey vegan cheese alternative. Their offerings kick off at just under eight euros and max out at around ten. They also offer sides, including french fries, salad, onion rings, wedges, and mozzarella sticks.
The name is derived from the crispy bread of the sandwich; the French verb croquer, which means “to bite”. So the flagship sandwiches literally translate to “Crunch Sir” or “Crunch Mrs”.
As anyone who has visited Paris knows, a very popular lunchtime meal at cafes and smaller eateries in the City of Light—and indeed throughout France. One origin suggests that the sandwich was created entirely by accident when French workers left their lunch pails too close to a hot radiator, and the heat toasted the bread and melted the cheese in their sandwiches.
Another dates back to 1901 and a Paris brasserie on the Boulevard des Capucines. Having run out of baguettes for the restaurant’s sandwich of the day, the chef took a loaf of pain de mie (similar to American sandwich bread), sliced it, placed ham and cheese between the slices and baked it to crispiness.
Elsewhere on CHAR: Dublin on a Score.
