Name: Arben Gasi
Where do you live? Bloomfield, NJ
When did you move there? We moved to Bloomfield from Montclair in 2012
Where did you grow up? I was born in Sarajevo (Bosnia) and moved to France at age 12.
How do you make a living? OR What is your everyday passion? I am a baker/owner of a small French bakery in Montclair called Le French Dad. Baking allows me to focus, create, and most of all make people happy when they taste our baked goods.
Coffee, tea or … ? Coffee. Iced. With a splash of cream. 99% of the time. The rest is either mint tea or sparkling water.
What’s your idea of a perfect weekend day? Waking up before everybody, making breakfast for the family, packing up our backpacks for a hike in the woods. Get home and have dinner with the family and watch a movie.
What’s your favorite local restaurant? I really like Faubourg for their authenticity and highest quality I’ve experienced in NJ.
What’s on your nightstand? I don’t have one but if I did, it would be a book about bread/food or historical events.
What are you listening to? A little bit of everything, from alternative to classic rock to classical. Depends on the mood and environment.
What are your current indulgences? Kouign Amann toasts. I bake a loaf made out of the trimmings, slice it up, toast it and add some Nutella. Perfect for snack with the kiddos.
What talent you would most like to have? I’d like to be able to play an instrument such as a bass guitar. Or properly cook a brisket.
What’s the worst-kept (or best-kept!) secret about Montclair? Paper Plane Coffee Company in Montclair. Jon and his team are really making people think about coffee and the way it’s consumed.
What do you hope they say about you at your funeral? That I was there for my family and friends. And that I made good bread.