I must confess, I love the Patachou brand. This will not be my most un-biased review. It will, however, like everything on this blog, be completely honest. The entrepreneurial spirit in me loves how Patachou started, its evolution, and what it means to Indy today. I happen to call Martha Hoover, the chains proprietress, an acquaintance. Martha was formerly my neighbor for 5 years after moving back to Indianapolis after being in Atlanta for awhile. I find Martha to be everything fantastic about successful women in business: a true visionary with an exacting sense of what she wants and how to get it done. She is also a great conversationalist and very involved in our community.
My admiration of Martha aside, the foodie in me just loves what Patachou stands for. Martha Hoover wanted a neighborhood eatery that would provide the type of food she cooked for her friends and family: fresh, locally-sourced when possible, and French inspired deliciousness. So she created it. I give thanks for this often, as I find myself in one of the Patachous frequently.
What is Patachou? A quick search revealed the following:
-Patachou was the stage name of Henriette Ragon (born 10 June 1918), a French singer and actress. After very humble beginnings, she was awarded as Officier of the Légion d'honneur in 2009. Plenty of her performances are available on YouTube if you are interested.
-After some more serious Googling of the term "patachou," and no actual definitions of the word itself, I have 2 hypotheses. First that the name came from "pâte à choux," "cream puff pastry," in French. Or perhaps the term originated from the actress's stage name.
-The moral of this little exercise is a somewhat surprising one: 6 out of the top 10 Google search results for Patachou are in reference to the Indianapolis Brand (dozens of reviews, interest pieces about Hoover, et cetera). It is such a lauded establishment that it is hard to find the actual meaning of the word. Now that's what I call impact.
So how was my lunch? It was delicious as always. I was having a business lunch with a colleague and our server let us linger over our lengthy conversation well beyond finishing our meal. I had the Hippie with a Benz omelet (mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and feta) with a side of whole wheat cinnamon toast. It was more food than I could eat, which is saying something. The omelet was perfectly prepared, the toast was house-made, thick-cut bread and the fruit cup was fresh and filled with seasonal berries and more. Yum.
It's not the cheapest place to eat for breakfast or lunch, but the serving sizes are generous and the ingredients are only the best. I've heard people complain about the cost before, and I never understand why given the portion size, as well as the freshness and quality of the ingredients and preparation techniques. I give Cafe Patachou a 4/5. It is such a treat every time I go (and yes, I have had wonderful experiences at every Patachou in the city). Cheers!
