Maison J

When a Sète native sets up shop on the other side of the Étang de Thau lagoon with the goal of pimping out your apéro hours and family meals with her pies, you wind up with Maison J: a small artisanal tielle factory located in a village marking the end of the Canal du Midi. And it’s a resounding success thanks to Mathilde Justo – the daughter of a respected restaurateur in town, Yannick Justo. She honors her family’s legacy with traditional recipes, and you can even admire them being made in real time through the window into the kitchen. What should you expect? Delicious tielle handpies filled with Mediterranean octopus and spicy tomato sauce, available in several sizes, plus mussel tart topped with crispy breadcrumbs, or even a beautiful Georgette – a vegetarian take on Sète’s famous tielle filled with a tender eggplant stuffing. Also available to go: a small selection of briny products, like the classic fish soup or the bluefin tuna rillettes, or, for something more original, tarte tatin-style scorpionfish pie, all sourced from the Azaïs-Polita cannery. // Megan Linar

THE HIDDEN GEM: The “bouchée marseillanaise,” a house invention that distinguishes itself from Sète’s star product . It’s a shortbread handpie filled with a mix of Mediterranean blue crab and tomato sauce seasoned with mustard seeds, celery, chives and black olives. This masterfully balanced combo of flavors is sold in three sizes (€2 for a small one, €3.60 for a medium, €6.20 for a large).