Croque Monsieur Review

By Katherine Jacobson

What if I told you there’s a special place in the middle of New York City with cheeses and ham imported from Paris, mousses made daily from rich Belgian chocolate, and produce brought in from local farmers and suppliers? Croque Monsieur stands out from the rest because of their quality ingredients and the impeccable way they combine them.

Their range of selection covers just about every individual’s taste. For example, if you’re a Thanksgiving lover, like myself, do yourself a favor and order the Mr. Antonin. It’s filled with fresh roasted Turkey, Sage, and just the right ratio of bubbling Provolone Cheese and oozing Cranberry Sauce, and let’s not forget about that audible crunch from the warm, toasted Amy’s Bread when biting into it! It’s Thanksgiving heaven all year round!

Another favorite of mine would have to be the Mr. Edmund. This one is for all of you vegetarians. This sandwich comes with juicy sliced Tomatoes, Basil that tastes like it was just picked, Pesto Béchamel, and hot Mozzarella. Bite into this one and get ready to see beautiful strings of mozzarella stretching from your sandwich to your mouth.

For meat-lovers, go for the classic Croque Madame, renamed the Madame Anaïs. This one comes with an egg and your choice of cheese. It’s salty, crunchy, and cheesy. What else could you want? Another option for the meat-lovers is the Mr. Joaquin; it comes with Roast Pork, Jambon de Paris, Béchamel, Dill Pickles, mustard and Gruyére Cheese, their version of a Cuban. The Gruyére Cheese is slightly sweet, which balances perfectly with the salty Pickles.

Croque Monsieur doesn’t just stop at mouthwatering sandwiches. They also carry Desserts! Both their Cheesecake and Chocolate Mousse is made from scratch, daily. The Cheesecake has more of a pudding consistency that came as a pleasant surprise. Instead of putting the crust on the bottom like a traditional cheesecake, they crumbled it on top, giving their cheesecake a bit of a twist.

If you’re more of a chocoholic, definitely get the Chocolate Mousse. As soon as I took a bite of it, my eyes widened, and I couldn’t help the “mmmm!!” that involuntarily came out. What makes it so good is it’s made with Belgian Chocolate. It was rich and creamy, yet not too dense.

On top of the delicious food, the staff is extremely friendly. I had the honor of dining at Croque Monsieur with the NYC editor, Jennifer Shanteau. Unaware of their recent change in hours, we arrived when they were just closing. Charlie, the manager, let us in and served us regardless of the fact that they were closed. He made good conversation, cracked a few jokes, and served our sandwiches in a timely manner. We could tell he was passionate about the food they serve there. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

Croque Monsieur has multiple locations in the city. The one we visited just opened recently on Lexington Avenue and has been doing well in their area, judging by the three or four different people who came up to the glass doors after closing time wearing terribly disappointed expressions on their faces when they realized they were closed.

Tip: Are you wanting to try one of their desserts but are afraid you’ll be full after your sandwich? You can always take half of your sandwich to go; Charlie says their sandwiches taste just as good if you heat it in a toaster oven.