Our History
After out-growing his two previous ice cream parlors located on Decatur Street and shop in the 500 block of Ursulines respectively, Angelo Brocato moved his parlor to 617 Ursulines Avenue. The high-ceilinged white-tiled space was modeled after fashionable parlors in Palermo in Sicily, Italy where Brocato had become an apprentice at an ice cream shop at age 12. Angelo Brocato died in 1946, but his business continued under his wife and children at the same location. The ice cream parlor located at 617 Ursulines stayed open until 1981, but soon Angelo Brocato’s opened another location near the corner of North Carrollton Avenue and Canal Street.
Brocato's Ice Cream and Confectionary Parlor, 617 Ursulines Ave., French Quarter, New Orleans. Source
617 Ursulines was then purchased in 1983 by the talented pastry chef Maurice Delechelle. Previous to his ownership of 617 Ursulines, Delechelle operated a European-style pastry shop called La Marquise on Chartres Street. Under Delechelle’s ownership, 617 Ursulines transformed into Croissant D’Or Patisserie. Delechelle was known for crafting authentic patisseries, hand-made croissants, and hot cafe au laits while maintaining the Old World aura of marble top tables, white tiled ceilings, and overflowing pastry counters.
Maurice Delechelle relaxing in Croissant D’Or in 1986. Source
Delechelle officially retired at age 60 from Croissant D’Or in 2003, passing the restaurant ownership to a longtime New Orleans Pastry chef Gerard Marchal. Even after the ownership change, Delechelle’s long-time croissant baker Son Chau and cake decorator Phong Ouch remained a constant in Croissant D’Or’s baking.
