Besalu Onion and Gruyere Croissant: In the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle is a small bakery called Besalu. Their sign says "handmade pastries," but they also make savory breads. This onion and gruyere bread, made from croissant dough, has all the flaky, buttery richness of a croissant mixed with the sweetness of caramelized onion and crispiness of baked gruyere. Somehow, it feels like an obvious flavor combination for baked goods, like the bread version of french onion soup, but it isn't one I've ever had before – and one ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended seattle besalu onion gruyere croissant 4.0
Dunkin Donuts Croissant Donut: I've been working a lot from the Arsenal Project in Watertown, and I commonly find myself very hungry without many options. Right next to the makerspace I've been working at is a Dunkin Donuts, and for the first time in about a decade, I found myself making a purchase from this establishment. I figured I would get the most interesting option, which for me was the croissant donut. The donut is glazed with a thick, crystalized sugar coating that's far too sweet and masks any potential crisp... (read more) 2.5/5.0
fakecronut dunkindonuts croissant donut 2.5
Firebrand Croissant with blackberries: Available at Asha Tea House in Berkeley, this flaky croissant has a cream-cheese spread and fresh blackberries. I found it to be surprisingly tasty, even at the end of the day after it’s likely been sitting out for a while. The cheese spread was slightly seasoned so the pastry overall wasn’t too sweet. Glad to know that Asha has quality food options on top of their teas! 4.0/5.0
recommended berkeley firebrand croissant blackberries 4.0
La Farine frangipane: Excellent pastry. Flaky crust topped with almonds. Inside is fluffy and light. Center has lightly sweetened almond paste. Some parts of the exterior are dark, but they're caramelized rather than burnt. Very sizable and filling for the price ($2.95). 4.5/5.0
lafarine bakery pastry almond frangipane croissant oakland exceptional 4.5
Mont Thabor Chocolate Croissant: The best and most popular baked item from this shop is their Hokkaido milk bread, a pastry that can easily serve 2/3 people and consists of a fluffy baked bread with a sweet crumble coating. I had purchased it once but seemingly didn't photograph it, so here's a another item I purchased from the bakery instead. This is a chocolate croissant, shaped like a cornucopia, that has both a chocolate sandwich cookie at its end plugging a very rich and substantial chocolate filling. The entire pas... (read more) 3.0/5.0
pastry azabujuban dessert japanese montthabor chocolate croissant 3.0
Mr. Holmes Bakehouse California Croissant: Topped with sesame seeds, thin strips of nori, and wasabi powder and filled with smoked salmon, the California Croissant from San Francisco bakery Mr. Holmes is more interesting in concept than in execution. The best bites were ones containing minced ginger, but those were a minority. Overall, while the texture of the croissant itself was satisfying, the salmon was overcooked. The packaging is a bit of an embarrassment of riches, served in a plastic takeout container with packets of soy t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
nori salmon sanfrancisco mrholmesbakehouse california croissant 3.0