Ooh La La, Chez Amie

New restaurant marks the return of Eric Fritch’s French-inspired dining to Traverse City

By Beth Milligan | Aug. 22, 2026

New Jersey native and Seattle Culinary Academy alum Eric Fritch has come a long way from being an upstart chef in Seattle dreaming of moving to Michigan with his wife, Amy, to open a patisserie. The couple did just that 30 years ago, launching the tiny Patisserie Amie on East Front Street in Traverse City in 2005.

Developing a cult-like following with lines out the door for his French-inspired fare, Fritch eventually decamped for larger digs on Lake Avenue in 2008. The restaurant continued to enjoy a devoted following until the pandemic forced its closure in 2020. Fritch pivoted and launched a new food truck, Le Metropolitain, which served up a combination of previous menu staples and new brunch features to hungry weekend guests at Traverse City Whiskey Company.

A devastating truck fire last fall required Fritch to pivot once again. “Through the grace and timing of manifestation, we found this space at the Warehouse MRKT,” he says. Enter Chez Amie, a return to Fritch’s brick-and-mortar roots that is once again reviving beloved French staples with some creative new twists.

Bon Appétit

Open since April in the former Hexenbelle space on the corner of Garland and Hall streets, Chez Amie is a brunch-focused, Parisian-inspired café with touches of chic European décor in an airy, light dining room. The restaurant sits about 30 indoors and another 15 on its sun-dappled patio. Accommodating both reservations and walk-ins, Chez Amie offers a counter service-style approach, with guests perusing menus and then placing orders at the front café area for table delivery.

Fans of Patisserie Amie will find plenty of returning favorites on the menu. Those include a “perfectly executed” Croque Monsieur, Fritch says with pride, a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich with bechamel. Small breakfast pizzas highlight fromage blanc with toppings like bacon and a fried egg, mushrooms and truffle, or smoked salmon with capers. An entire “Les Oeufs” menu offers numerous plays on eggs, from silky omelets to eggs “Benedictine” to steak haché, a classic bistro dish featuring minced beef patty, fried egg, truffled holly, waffle fries, and toast.

“It’s classic French with something for everybody,” Fritch says of the menu. “We don’t try to reinvent the wheel, but we’ll put our own twist on it. We probably have the best hollandaise in the world. We have a great bechamel sauce. We really stick to those mother sauces.”

Those with a sweet tooth won’t want to miss the “Sucrées” section of the menu. In addition to Belgian waffles, French toast, and a variety of crepes, Fritch has become legendary for his beignets. The hollow, puffed-up French donuts are topped with powdered sugar and delivered warm to the table. Fritch says they’re different from the traditional kind you might find in New Orleans, for example; his style is more of a “beignet souffle.” Made fresh to order, the beignets can be eaten alone as a sweet treat or turned savory with surprising fillings ranging from snails to garlic bechamel. “It’s a nice little vessel for your eggs,” Fritch says, hinting at future menu specials to come.

The pastries pair well with Chez Amie’s extensive coffee and espresso menu. The classics are present—café au laits, cappuccinos, and lattes—as are some craveable special features. Standouts include the restaurant’s “famous” hot chocolate and the Moka, which features Belgian chocolate, espresso, and Chantilly cream, according to Fritch. A showstopper is the Crème Brûlatte, a vanilla latte with a caramelized sugar crust guaranteed to earn longing stares from neighboring diners.

Bientôt (Coming Soon)

While brunch has been the focus, Chez Amie is about to ramp up operations. Fritch estimates the café will have its liquor license by the end of August. “The first thing that will start happening is our brunches will start serving mimosas, bellinis, Bloody Marys, and alcoholic coffee drinks like we used to do [at Patisserie Amie],” he says. “Then we’ll start keeping our doors open after brunch.”

Fritch plans to soon launch an afternoon happy hour, which will include both drinks and “French noshables.” Next up will be the return of “bistro nights,” weekend dinners that were in high demand at his former restaurant. At Chez Amie, those slots will likely be available Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 8pm.

“We can book those up and probably max them out,” he says.

Dinner options will range “far and wide,” Fritch says, growing animated as he discusses his plans. “Steak frites, duck dishes, pork, chicken, our famous snails,” he lists off. “It probably won’t be quite as large of a dinner menu as it used to be, but always having some appetizers, some pizzas, entrees, a small dessert menu. The possibilities are endless.”

The liquor license will also allow Chez Amie to host private events and parties, plus a series of special dinners. “We used to do beer and wine dinners, and I want to bring those back,” Fritch says.

He mentions a renowned “France vs. Italy” dinner series long hosted by Traverse City’s Trattoria Stella, in which he previously participated representing the French side of the cuisine. He’d love to do something like that again, potentially partnering with Warehouse District neighboring chef Eric Nittolo of Nittolo’s Little Italy. “We’re already talking about doing a dinner together,” Fritch says.

For Fritch, his restaurant journey in Traverse City—from tiny bistro to bustling restaurant to food truck to modest café—has ultimately landed him in the right place. “We love being in the Warehouse District,” he says. “We have a hotel going up right across the street from us, another one going in nearby. And everyone in Warehouse MRKT is so nice. We’re so happy to be part of this community.”

On the cooking side, Fritch’s goal remains the same as it was 30 years ago. “I want to try and give people a good value and a good vibe,” he says. “I want to transport them, even for an hour or two, to Paris.”

Find Chez Amie at 144 Hall St., Ste 107, in Traverse City. facebook.com/chezamietc