Jambon beurre, meaning ham-butter, or just ham on buttered baguette, might be the quintessential French sandwich. It’s a staple for a picnic or a quick lunch with a tot of Beaujolais. And it sounds easy enough.

But, as Pierre-Antoine Raberin recalled, it prompted the chef Alain Ducasse to note that “the simpler things can be most difficult.”

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You can find jambon beurre at a number of spots across the city, like Frenchette Bakery, Balthazar, the new Pavé and Épicerie Boulud, where it comes with slices of Gruyère. And the advantage to buying, not making, the sandwich is a matter of French fashion: It will come partly cut in half and tightly wrapped in paper, just one end peeking out, and like a perfectly tied scarf, with that touch of French panache.

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Jin Ahn, an owner of Noreetuh, a Hawaiian restaurant in the East Village, and the chef Jonghun Won, the owner of La Tabatiere, a bakery in Closter, N.J., first met while working at Jungsik in TriBeCa. Both share a passion for French baguettes, freshly baked. The inevitable result, Pavé, is a small Midtown bakery-cafe that specializes in French-inspired sandwiches on crusty baguette rolls that are baked throughout the day. “It’s fresh bread the old-fashioned way,” Mr. Ahn said. The partners also hired Peter Hong, a chef who was at Gramercy Tavern. Mr. Won is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America who trained at Balthazar. Pavé also sells other baked goods like madeleines, cookies and focaccia laden with vegetables. They’re still working on their croissant.

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Pavé
At this pristine little storefront cafe, which bakes its own bread, sandwiches—like a $12 croque monsieur and a $9 country paté with cornichon on baguette—are served to eat in (at a cluster of tables in back) or to take away. Open Mon. to Fri., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 20 West 46th St.

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This little cafe is a true refuge in the middle of a chaotic neighborhood thanks to its quiet, charming atmosphere—it isn’t mobbed by tourists and influencers who just want to take photos. The food here leans classic French, with an excellent country pate sandwich and a passionfruit brioche we’d go out of our way to eat. It’s the ideal location for a quick snack or lunch and a break from the crowds.

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Pavé
What’s better than chewing on a warm piece of bread, fragrant and fresh out of the oven?
Nothing more. Nothing less

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Q: What was your earliest interest in cooking?

A: I always loved going to different bakeries as a child. As a result, I naturally wanted to learn how to make bread, and although I studied music in college, I enrolled in baking & pastry institute.

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Pavé
Chef Jonghun Won (Balthazar, Jungsik Restaurant, La Tabatiere) and Jin Ahn (Per Se, Jungsik Restaurant, Noreetuh) are co-founders of Pavé. Their friendship and passion for their craft brought them together to launch this European-style cafe/bakery which launched mid-September

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