Maison Nico is French-inspired, specialized in pâté en croûte (pâté in a pastry crust) and brioche feuilletée - you might have come around pictures of their brioche, we haven't tried it yet but it looks amazing! They are also offering other French specialties, like Chartreuse, a French liquor.

The chef/owner is Michelin-starred Nicolas Delaroque for its restaurant Nico (currently closed), joined by Paul Einbund, owner & sommelier of The Morris (a restaurant in SF that we love, check our post).

For Christmas last year, we ordered some pâté en croûte and a Duck Pithiviers, the star of our Christmas dinner! A pithivier is a round, enclosed pie usually made by baking two disks of puff pastry, with filling stuffed in between. We picked it up in the afternoon and baked it at home, following scrupulously the baking instructions! It was delicious and we were happy to have leftover (being only 2 for 1 whole pithiviers).

Pithivier - before baking (when we picked it up)

Pate en croute (on the left) & terrine (right)

Pithiver - after baking (at home)

A slice of the duck Pithiviers, with a side of endives