Members of the Redmond community can now experience a bit of French culture without even leaving the city limits.

From breads and quiches to croissants and tarts, Le Rendez-Vous at 8918 161st Ave. N.E. in Redmond offers customers a variety of French pastries and baked goods prepared by owners Khalid and Nadia Kaskou.

The brother-and-sister duo grew up in Paris and while they both have had careers in different fields and no formal culinary training, their family had always owned a bakery. So it was no surprise when they decided to open one in Redmond modeled after their parents’ bakery back home, which goes by the same name.

A FAMILY TRADITION

“We grew up in a bakery,” said Nadia, who began working the cash registers at age 10. “We were born literally in a bakery … It runs in the blood.”

Nadia focuses on Rendez-Vous’ savory dishes — mainly the quiches — and Khalid prepares the sweets and breads.

“It reminds me of our teenager times,” Khalid said about running the bakery with his sister.

In addition to working together again, another reminder of their adolescence could be the teasing that goes on between them as brother and sister never hesitate to joke with — and about — the other or give them a hard time.

Khalid said one of the only differences from their parents’ bakery is that Rendez-Vous in Redmond is also a cafe and Nadia, who is in charge of cafe, had to learn the barista business. In France, they said cafes and bakeries are usually two separate businesses.

And while this differentiates their business from their parents’, Nadia and Khalid’s Rendez-Vous also differs from other bakeries in town as they mostly offer French specialities — although there are a few European and American treats thrown in the mix.

REMINDERS OF HOME

In addition to the pastries themselves, there are also a couple of differences in the preparation process. French recipes use a lot more butter but fewer ingredients overall. The Kaskous said a simplified recipe highlights the dish’s main ingredient without masking it with other flavors.

Khalid added that everything is handmade and homemade and they use as many organic ingredients as they can.

Nadia (above, left) was the one who first had the idea to open a bakery. She’d moved to Redmond about four years ago when her husband was hired at Microsoft Corp. She said she missed having a local eatery where she could grab a quick lunch but was still “a little fancy but not too fancy and (with) a nice atmosphere, something you would have in Europe.” Nadia said she enjoyed the variety of local dining options but this was one option that was missing.

Khalid followed his sister two years later and they began making their dream of a having local French bakery a reality. Le Rendez-Vous opened in the Bella Bottega shopping center the day before Thanksgiving in 2011 and Nadia said they already have a growing group of regular customers.

“We are surprised,” she said, adding that they have many French customers as well.

A RELAXED ATMOSPHERE

Connor Peavey was one such regular who eventually started working at Le Rendez-Vous.

“(My girlfriend and I) came here 10 days straight … our goal was to try every single pastry,” he said.

The 23-year-old Redmond resident said on every visit they would ask for macarons and it came to the point where the Rendez-Vous staff called them “Mr. and Mrs. Macaron” before learning their real names.

It didn’t take long for Peavey to become part of that staff. He said after a couple of weeks of visiting Rendez-Vous he learned they had open positions and immediately applied for the job. He had been working at a cafe on the Microsoft campus and put in his two weeks as soon as he was hired a few weeks ago.

And Peavey has not looked back.

“This is like a really cool atmosphere,” he said about his work environment. “(My coworkers are) just so nice to be with.”

Peavey said everyone works very hard and does their job, but things are more laid back than at his previous job.

This relaxed atmosphere has extended to the dining area among customers as Nadia said they are comfortable enough at Rendez-Vous to converse with the staff and even ask if they can move tables to dine outside on nicer days. Nadia said these types of moments and connections with her customers are what she loves most about running a bakery and hopes to share with others.

“More than the food, you remember the moments,” she said about memorable dining experiences. “We sell memories and pleasure. It’s an experience, not just coffee. You come for the experience.”