An assortment of viennoiserie from the Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up. Photos: Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris
The Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up patisserie offers specialty treats and more.
Ever since opening the initial Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood in 2019, Marc Heu says people have asked him to bring his pastries west of the Mississippi River. Now, that wish has been granted, even if it’s for the short-term. The Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up opened on October 15 in the former Café Cerés location in Linden Hills. “I thought it was a good time, a good fit with the location too,” Marc says. “As soon as we saw the space, we loved it.”
Gaosong and Marc Heu at the grand opening of the Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up in Linden Hills.
The award-winning St. Paul pastry chef and his team have curated a cozy space that replicates the Christmas markets of France, inspired by Marc’s own adolescence. “At least for me, in France, when you go to those Christmas markets, you have so many types of different vendors, not just food,” he says. Marc’s wife and co-owner of Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris, Gaosong Heu, spearheaded the initiative to get local businesses involved, including Jae Maison. The Wayzata boutique has supplied an assortment of holiday décor available for purchase, from glass ornaments and holiday cards to mugs and stockings.
The pop-up patisserie serves up more than just holiday-themed treats. Visitors can also shop gifts and home décor from local shops.
On the edible end of the spectrum, the Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up offers a different menu than its Dale Street counterpart in St. Paul. “We might be offering the same coffee, maybe one or two of the same viennoiserie, but that’s it,” Marc says. The ever-evolving Linden Hills pop-up menu features some of Marc’s favorite holiday flavors including almond, hazelnut and pistachio. Marc says he’ll also be experimenting with the shape and design of the Minneapolis pastries. “Usually, we do very traditional French pastry in terms of shape,” he says. In the Linden Hills location, “I’m using a different type of piping, I will be using a different technique.”
As an accompaniment to the holiday viennoiserie, the pop-up also offers a hot sipping chocolate flight. Marc, who is a brand ambassador for Italy’s IRCA chocolate company, says he’s lucky to be able to showcase IRCA’s dark, milk and white chocolate varieties. “I want to make sure that people get to try the different [flavor profiles] of each chocolate,” he says.
The Merry Marc Heu Christmas Pop-up is open 8 a.m.–3 p.m. daily, now until New Year’s Eve.
Marc Heu Pâtisserie Paris
Instagram: @marcheuparis
