Voulez Vous un café avec moi?

Sometimes the winter blues require a jolt of something with a little more verve to get one’s self moving on bleak days … like coffee as powerful as jet fuel.

And if you’ve ever felt like you’re flying high on the java, bet you haven’t met Julie Boulet. She’s the owner of the year old Voulez Vous Café with hubby Sean Lacey — but she also juggles running her new business venture while working as a flight attendant.

The two endeavors go hand in hand to a degree. While on her off-hours Boulet travels the continent sourcing coffee beans from San Francisco to Saskatoon.

What’s served in the café is freshly roasted within seven to 10 days, she tells me.

Meanwhile Lacey, a former miniature set designer, almost opened an espresso bar in Little Italy four years ago, but the space he wanted fell through.

He got his groove back when he snapped up the current location of the café.

The vibe of the place is comfy French chic, with a 1920s mantle painted bright blue and flanked by coffee-hued wingback chairs Lacey has reupholstered.

The mantle matches the retro-looking blue Elektra espresso machine, which isn’t retro at all, but rather a fancy Italian espresso-making extravaganza — and Lacey’s pride and joy.

There’s pastries and other goodies, some by French chef and Ici restaurant owner Jean-Pierre Challet, who’s just set up a wholesale kitchen next door. He supplies the café with the most melt-in-your mouth croissants made with real butter from France (my hips are expanding as I write this).

There are already sandwiches and baguettes, and more savoury items will trickle in slowly.

The duo will be hosting a first anniversary event in mid-February so make sure to keep your eyes peeled.

1560 Queen St. East 647-300-3499 or visit www.voulez-vouscafe.com

Lucky Charms

The waistband on my leggings is too tight and all those goodies have surely added to my holiday poundage. Time to turn our attention to a non-foodie development in the ’hood.

Talk about the luck of the Irish. Just before Christmas, Monika Donnelly opened the doors to her Irish imports store, Gold and Shamrock, which has relocated from Scarborough to Leslieville.

The store had been in biz for 20-some years before she bought it from the retiring owners in 2009. Donnelly boasts the most comprehensive selection of Irish dancing paraphernalia for kids and adults in the city — the wigs used in competition, along with four types of hard dancing shoes and seven types of soft. She’ll even crystallize headbands, shoe buckles and number holders used in competition.

There’s everything to satisfy an Irish lover here, from silver jewellery, perfume for both sexes, wool sweaters and accessories, and — if you haven’t quite had enough goodies — sweets too, all the way from Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day will be upon us, so for the Guinness-loving gent in your life, try a Guinness pint glass, mug, boxer shorts, t-shirt, or even a tin whistle. I’m crushing on a purple and pink plaid mohair blanket, $255, by Donegal Design. Check out the grand opening event Sunday, January 16; there will be a live radio broadcast from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with Hugo Straney, host of We Are Irish on CHIN radio.

When you’re done, pop across the street to the Irish pub, and if you’re so inclined, check out the Irish dancing school behind the pub. If you’ve been feasting macarons and croissants all day like me, you may want to sign up for a dancing class.

1298 Queen St. East, 416-264-2185 www.goldandshamrock.com