The warm morning sun leaks through the front window at 5 a.m., illuminating the kitchen — and the heart — of Cou Cou Rachou. The kitchen stirs to life as the bakers greet each other, busying their hands with preparing the day’s pastries as they catch each other up with what is new in their lives.
As soon as the clock strikes 7 a.m. and the bright orange “open” sign illuminates, a crowd gathers around 917 Preston Ave., eager for their warm, buttery pastries, perfectly gooey chocolate chip cookies and exquisite quiche. Just a quick five-minute drive from Grounds, Cou Cou Rachou, a delicious French bakery, is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and has wine afternoons Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The mastermind behind such a community staple is Charlottesville native Rachel De Jong, pastry chef and Cou Cou Rachou owner. De Jong said that she first discovered her love for cooking as a child, sitting on a stool in her grandma’s kitchen as her grandma told her stories…