Six Steps Down

The tables are black, yellow, orange, and red while the whitewashed walls sport an occasional brick of blue or green. But even without the rainbow effect, Patisserie Gabrielle is a colorful spot. The air in its decorated cellar carried the scent of two dozen types of pastry (French of course) and six types of coffee. The chef, Leon Marty, is an expert with butter-creams and Napoleons, but a novice with bread and rolls--a true artist.

The Patisserie's present owner is Dr. Francine Alexander, a Parisian who bought the restaurant in 1954 with her criminologist husband. She describes her customers as "a very international set: South Americans, Germans, Chinese, Japanese, and, of course, French." Most of these order in French although when high school language clubs visit, the members usually point. Less proud five years olds use the international nose pressed against counter technique. Student patronage fluctuates with exams, football games, and holidays while house-wives place orders all year. Some connaisseurs request dishes that send the proprietress scurrying for advice to Monsieur Marty who usually replies, "Oui, c'est possible."

His kitchen is filled with preserves, sugars, beaters, ovens, refrigerators, and pans. The only empty wall space is covered with pictures of motor scooters (French, of course). On the wall outside the kitchen is a sign with a Parisian touch, "I am French. I would like to tutor," and a phone number.

Most of the diners take little heed of their European surroundings, but still add to the atmosphere. These are the section men with beret and moustache; Cliffites with black sweaters, pony-tails, and haggard looks; a grad student who sits in the corner reading a letter that came par avion; the women who drops in to say "Comment allezvous?"; the chef's daughter Monique who philosophizes in the French-English combination of a six-year-old; and the Freshman out to prove he passed the language requirement by ordering a pineapple tart and a hot chocolate "like a native."

Actually, all that is required is a "bonjour" and a "merci."