Since I’m a Saint Louis transplant of about two years, I am still learning my way around. These “Local Noms” posts are here to help me work my way through my never-ending STL foodie bucket list, as well as allow me to get to know this amazing city that I now call “home.” This is my first official Local Noms post; it’s basically an attempt to get my feet wet at featuring local foodie spots. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Note: For more details on what this Local Noms post series is all about, please see my little preview post.

// First up in my “Local Noms” review: This is a twofer! Today I’m talking about Blueprint Coffee and La Patisserie Chouquette (known as “LCP” in this post, for short).

[Side Note: I would love to dedicate an individual post to both of these shops, but I really want to improve on my photography skills before I take on such an endeavor. I am just not entirely satisfied with my current skill (or lack thereof!) level for that. But I just want to reiterate that both of these spots are definitely deserving, otherwise I wouldn’t even be mentioning them at all!]

+ Background Details: I spent most of last Saturday eating a lot of treats in St. Louis. Let’s just say that I may or may not have slightly overindulged [that’s why I’ll be hitting up the gym a lot!]… But I must admit that it was a great Saturday, and I’ve been to both Blueprint and La Patisserie Chouquette several times. Each time has been a lovely experience, so I’m happy to talk about these spots.

+ Restaurant Location(s): Blueprint Coffee is nestled in the infamous Delmar Loop, and La Patisserie Chouquette is located in the Tower Grove neighborhood. It takes me about ten minutes to walk to Blueprint, and about ten minutes to drive over to LCP.

+ Restaurant Type(s): Blueprint Coffee is – as you can guess – a coffee shop. La Patisserie Chouquette is a French bakery.

+ Initial Impressions: Blueprint Coffee is a small shop, and it’s definitely got that “hip” vibe to it. I have to say – my favorite part about Blueprint is that its “open/closed sign” consists of giant Scrabble letters. When they’re closed, they simply spell out “OPEN” to say “NOPE.” 😀 LCP is a higher-end French bakery, so it’s kind of got that fancy, “tea party” vibe going on inside. I’d describe its interior style as kind of “shabby chic.” Also, I love the old building that it’s in; the bright yellow painted trim on the outside is attractive and welcoming. In summary, both places are unique, and nice places to hang out.

+ Pros: There are too many to list, honestly. Blueprint is a great place to hang out or do work. Personally, I think the coffee is spectacular. They also appear to have expanded their food menu beyond baked goods to lunch items [such as salads], so I’ll have to go back and try some of that stuff soon. LCP is a really cool place to get awesome, unique French pastries. It’s the only place around here (that I’m aware of) where you can get fancy, delicate, gorgeous French pastries! 

+ Cons: Both places are kind of pricey, but I don’t necessarily mind paying more for good quality and local drinks and baked goods. Plus, taking trips to these places is generally meant as a special treat for me. So as long as you’re not going constantly, you won’t break the bank! Also, for Blueprint, parking on the Loop can be a bit of a pain… Lucky for me, I can easily walk there! Otherwise, I have no real complaints about either place.

+ Photos from Both Spots:

 + My Overarching {Ha! STL pun totally intended!} Review: I have been to Blueprint about five times so far, and to La Patisserie twice. In fact, I’ve had the privilege of talking to the owners of both places. And each of the owners of the shops are great people; fun to talk to, and very helpful, knowledgable, and down to earth. I have never had anything but a pleasant experience at both the coffee shop and the bakery, and I’m so proud that I have the privilege of visiting these lovely spaces in my current city. STL, you’re pretty cool, and your people are even cooler.

PS: Special thanks to Brian for putting up with me taking a million photos. 😉

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Obligatory Disclaimer: I’m not a professional food expert in any sense of the word, nor am I compensated for any nice things that I may say about any of the restaurants I feature on my blog. All of my ramblings on here are just, like, my opinions, maaaannn. I just really like talking about and eating food, and I think it’s fun to feature local food establishments that I think are awesome, and if it helps them out in the process? Even better! Join me on my quest to EAT ALL THE LOCAL FOODS!