Croq'Michel: Crafting Toulouse's Most Exquisite Croque Monsieurs
Warm CROQ’ Gascon in its customized packaging.
When you think of quintessential French cuisine, one dish that undoubtedly springs to mind is the Croque Monsieur. With its origins tracing back to the early 1900s in Paris, the Croque Monsieur is essentially a toasted ham and cheese sandwich, generously laden with béchamel sauce. With time, it has evolved into an emblematic French delicacy, gracing the menus of bistros and cafés across the nation.
Venturing into the heart of Toulouse, we stumble upon Croq'Michel, a brainchild of the illustrious Michel Sarran. Born in Nogaro in 1961, Michel Sarran is an acclaimed Toulousain chef whose eponymous restaurant has been Michelin-starred since 1991. Revered for his culinary prowess and innovation, Michel Sarran is also renowned for his tenure as a judge on Top Chef France. His gastronomic journey skyrocketed after his mother, during a dinner, convinced the then-young Alain Ducasse to recruit her son.
In 2021, Michel Sarran embarked on a new culinary adventure with the launch of Croq’Michel, a restaurant chain specializing in Croque Monsieurs, a dish he has always adored, hand in hand with his two daughters Camille and Emma.
Michel Saran with his two daughters in front of their restaurant in Toulouse.
Croq'Michel is a tribute to the traditional Croque Monsieur, but with an audacious twist. Sarran's vision was to retain the authenticity of the sandwich while incorporating a repertoire of flavors from around the world. The pièce de résistance of these Croque Monsieurs is that they are toasted not with butter, but with duck fat, paying homage to Sarran’s Gers roots.
With a menu boasting six mouth-watering, internationally-inspired Croques, Croq’Michel is a treasure trove of flavors. The options include CROQ' Montmartre, CROQ' Tulum, CROQ' Ibiza, CROQ' Helsinki, and CROQ' Veggie.
However, the crown jewel and our absolute favorite is the CROQ' Gascon. This masterpiece of a Croque Monsieur is an ode to Southwestern French cuisine, with duck confit, potatoes, sheep-milk cheese, béchamel sauce, garlic, and parsley. The duck fat toasting takes this savory delight to unparalleled heights, lending it an unctuous, rich flavor that will make your taste buds sing.
Image from Croq’Michel’s website of their CROQ’ Gascon.
If you find yourself in Toulouse and yearn to savor the epitome of Croque Monsieurs, head to Croq’Michel at 41 Rue des Filatiers, 31000 Toulouse. The CROQ’ Gascon awaits to captivate your palate and enthrall your senses, cementing itself as the best Croque Monsieur in town.
"Here like nowhere else..." holds true not just for Michel Sarran's Michelin-starred restaurant but also for the remarkable Croq'Michel, where the humble Croque Monsieur is elevated to a symphony of flavors.
Some of the pictures are courtesy of https://www.exosigns.fr/.
