La Maison Blanche is located at 5420 State Highway 12, Norwich NY. The French bakery recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary. (Photo by Rebecca Laibowitz), Owner MiBy Kim stands in the upstairs kitchen showcasing some of the food to be served at La Maison Blanche’s twentieth anniversary celebration. Behind her is Vicky Martinez stirring the soup she is known for making for the bakery and restaurant Bohemian Moon. (Photo by Rebecca Laibowitz)

NORWICH – This past Tuesday, Oct. 27, La Maison Blanche held a public after-hours celebration to commemorate its 20th anniversary and thank its valued customers. Since the French bakery opened its doors, it has become a staple for many locals and a hub for community events. Family, neighbors and friends all gathered to commemorate the milestone.

To mark the occasion, there were free food and drinks, live music by Higher Ground and a history display inside the front room of the bakery. In the display were stories, fliers and mementos from the two decades of culinary operations and community involvement.

La Maison Blanche, or “The White House” in English, was opened in 2006 by Roger Bransol and his wife MiBy Kim, introducing a new type of cuisine to Norwich and Chenango County.

“He was the baker,” said Kim, who now operates the restaurant since her husband’s passing. Bransol had previously run a successful bakery in New York City before moving to the area. Kim shared that they met at the bakery in Manhattan after someone gave her a delicious pastry and she just had to find out where it came from.

The current baker at La Maison Blanche, Ismael Flores, began his career in that bakery, La Tropezziene, and has been baking for over 20 years, eight at La Maison Blanche. While everyone at the celebration insisted that everything is a specialty and delicious, he shared that his favorites are the croissants.

“The croissants are the best for me, but of course everything is delicious and good,” he said. “The boss gets good quality ingredients, that's why,” he added.

Flores' wife also works for Kim at the restaurant Bohemian Moon in Norwich, and their family was at the anniversary celebration. Kim expressed that many of the employees have been with them for decades across both Manhattan and Norwich. A sense of mutual respect and history was clear in every interaction.

Bakery regulars also attended the event and shared what they loved most about the bakery. Arja and David Moy, a couple, say they come in nearly every week.

Arja said, “There's so much good stuff,” listing chocolate mice, mousse cake, fruit crepes and soup as some of her favorites. David spoke about the charming ambience. “I like the atmosphere,” he said. “It's like walking into a home, welcoming and inviting,” he added. They also commented on the French decor bringing the ambience of a “piece of France in town.”

Another regular customer in attendance, Diane Gallo, commented on a similar feeling when coming into the bakery. She said, “You feel at ease here. You get something sweet. You get a sweet feeling, enlightened heart, and feel what you want.”

“You come in and for a minute you just don't have to worry about anything. There's that sense of animated suspension that you come in and you've walked into another world. It's the world of pastry,” she added.

Throughout the years operating the bakery, Kim has not only maintained the high quality of products her husband was known for but also created a space where the community gathers to share information and support each other.

Across the two establishments, La Maison Blanche and the Bohemian Moon restaurant, Kim has hosted events ranging from yoga and energy work classes to art gallery receptions and history seminars. She has also hosted many speakers with topics that included the U.S. census, climate change, veterans affairs, dairy farming, immigration and more.

Kim is also proud of her work as a founder of the Chenango Family Food Co-Op, which in the beginning operated on the same property as La Maison Blanche but is now located at 105 E. Main St.

Despite having no professional culinary training, Kim has successfully continued the legacy that is La Maison Blanche into its 20th year while also supporting the community she cares about. She knows her late husband would be proud.