Best Croissant in SF/Bay Area?

[lapster]

Can any croissant the Bay Area has to offer come close to anything in Paris? My favs are those carmelized "almondine" croissants in Paris... so heavy and dense, with the edges and bottoms carmelized, filled with sweet almond paste, inside those flakey and crusty and buttery crosissants... ahhh... any you have had come close? Regular, chocolate, almond, etc. are fine! Im just lookign for those crisp/flakey shells, with light, soft airy interiors, and a delicate crumbly texture. C'est possible ici, non?

[grishnackh]

Tartine gets a lot of favorable mentions for their croissants.

I'd recommend Petite Patisserie on Portrero Hill.

[david kaplan]

The almond croissant at Tartine is quite different from what the OP asked for, but the ham & cheese is appropriately heavy and dense.

Delessio's croissants are worth trying -- not as heavy or big as Tartine's, and flakier.

[Sharuf]

Le Croissant in San Rafael has lovely Croissants. They are jumbo sized and one with a cafe au lait will do you for breakfast.

[larochelle]

"jumbo sized" sounds more American than Parisian.

I like the croissants made by the Bay Bread empire - they use butter; are flaky, not bready; have a nice crust that shatters and the almond croissants are as good or better than any almond croissants we had in Paris.

[Sarah]

Any stores in Marin?

[chompy]

Yes.

http://www.baybread.com/strawberry.php

[Sarah]

Thank you. You've enhanced my mornings -- hope they have terrific butter ones, no almond paste for me!!

[Melanie Wong]

Not crazy about Bay Bread's plain croissant, but the almond ones are my favorite of the genre.

[dhoffman1421]

I second Bay Bread and Tartine is a close second. Bay Breads Almond Croissants are too die for. They sell them at the Burlingame Farmers Mkt on Sunday. I grab a Peet's, an Almond Croissant and grab a spot in the sun with the Sunday paper. Heaven.

[citygrrl]

Bay Bread is amazing. I dream of their croissants!

[Kimba2000]

I agree, want to 2nd (or 3rd) Bay Bread pastry. Yesterday had a pain au chocolat with hazelnut topping and frangipane filling (or was it hazelnut too?). Got it at the Montclair Farmer's Market where Bay Bread has a stand. Not something that you would see in France, necessarily, but the crisp pastry and the ribbons of chocolate were outstanding, and amazing with the nut filling. They have an orange morning bun (typically San Franciscan, not français) that is really robustly flavored. But to answer your question, the regular croissants are great too. They're not too "jumbo", are crisp, flaky and buttery.

[Ruth Lafler]

I have to disagree -- I had a plain Bay Breads croissant this morning from the Montclair market and I was disappointed. It was mushy and bland, with no crispness to the crust and no distinct butter flavor. The custard raisin bun was better (or at least the couple of bites I got -- as I was typing this, my dog stole the rest of it off the table behind me!).

[foodiegrl]

I have to put in a vote for Liberty Cafe Bakery's Pain au Chocolat. It's remarkably close to the Pain au Chocolat we would get at this tiny patisserie on Rue St.-Dominique in Paris. Not too big with a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. We get them every Saturday when we go get our bread in the back bakery, and they are often still warm when we go around 8:30 AM.

[Robert Lauriston]

La Farine's almond croissants are good.

Here's a recent topic on that subject:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/387199

[lintygmom]

You might find this funny and I hope I'm not embarassing myself by being so daring, but my favorite croissant is the one sold by the German guy at the Berkeley Farmer's market (Octoberfeast, I believe). Some days when it's damp out they're not as flakey, but the flavor is outstanding, buttery and also a touch salty. Heavier than most but absolutely delicious.

[bayareatiger]

Actually, the Octoberfeast guy calls them pretzel croissants. He makes them from the same dough that he also makes his pretzels out of. Bought some this past Saturday - still awesome. We eat one each, and then buy two more and make breakfast croissants the next day.

BTW understand that he will have a storefront on University in the same block area as the Farmer's market before year's end...making his goods much more accessable. He told me that he will be also serving sandwiches and other goods also with his breads and pretzels.

http://www.octoberfeast.com/

[lintygmom]

The pretzels are certainly not tender multilayered with butter. And to me they're still the tastiest croissants in town. Awesome is right. I have to limit myself to Saturday am only.

[wally]

There is no farmer's market on University. Center, Derby or Shattuck. Or am I misunderstanding you?

[bayareatiger]

Sorry I wasn't more specific.

I was referring to the Saturday Berkeley market on Center Street.

The Octoberfeast storefront will be on University between Milvia & MLK,
the same two streets that begin and end the market on Center.

[wally]

Thanks, I like their black bread. The croissants on the other hand...don't like that dark coating. Tastes somewhat bitter to me. Is there chocolate or something on it?

[bayareatiger]

Actually, to me it is more like the exterior of a pretzel.

Speaking of chocolate croissants, the bride and I had the most wonderful one ever from Pavel's Bakerei in Pacific Grove yesterday...a GREAT bakery with an incredible whole wheat bread, soon to found at all Whole Foods nationally... :thumbs up:...

[chemchef]

Did he ever get his storefront? I haven't heard or seen anything about it.

[TopoTail]

What is all this stuff about almond and chocolate croissants? The real competition is for your basic butter croissant. Best one I've had locally is La Farine. And I have to agree with larochelle. Jumbo is a bad sign when it comes to croissants. I must also admit a fondness for the Acme croissant, though it certainly isn't light enough to be counted as a real, authentic French croissant. (So much for my purist claim.)

[Melanie Wong]

I'd go with Delanghe for the plain butter croissant. Della Fattoria's are amazing too. Many like Masse's but my one sojourn didn't wow me.

[SteveG]

Wouldn't you say Acme's is jumbo? I strolled by one evening behind the bakery along the water around midnight, and they were proofing hundreds of croissants on racks, all extremely large. They might even be bigger than Tartine's, which while flaky and buttery are gigantic.

[rworange]

Uh, Acme's are a third the size of Le Croissant which are decidedly American. I do want to try the almond some day though ... it kind of covers a dinner plate .. definately breakfast in itself ... maybe for two.

My vote goes to La Farine for plain and Bay Bread for almond. Bay Bread also sells at the Sunday Oakland Temescal Farmers Market.

[brears]

Besides Tartine, I have two faves in Hayes Valley...
-Arlequin on Hayes btwn Gough and Franklin- they also have a great patio in back
-Citizen Cake on Grove & Gough

[ntabak]

In Berkeley, Hopkins Street Bakery's "congnac almond croissant" is one of the best representations of the French counterpart i've seen in the states. Simply put, it is an explosion of almond deliciousness that takes me back to paris. This item is not offered every day, but frequently nevertheless. It's also important to note Hopkins has a regular almond croissant, which isn't on par. same goes for the other flavors.

[lintygmom]

After reading this, I went and bought one. It was enormous and very heavy but, I'm sorry to say, with nothing like the delicacy I expect from a French croissant. It was more like stollen--dough wrapped around a wad of marzipan with a wad of marzipan on top. And by wad I mean a whole heaping lot. Now I love marzipan like crazy but no way could I eat more than a bit of that thing. I could see buying two for the office (of 6 people) and slicing them for morning coffee.

And the croissant dough I do believe is commercial. Purchased. No distinct good butter flavor. Do yourself a favor and go for a plain croissant from the Octoberfeast guy at the Berkeley Farmer's Markets and delicately unwind that buttery goodness. Definitely NOT commercial. Definitely handmade.

[Sarah]

Not from the East Bay, when/where is the Berk Farmer's Market. I was so disappointed w/Bay Bread's (Boulangerie) plain croissant - it just tasted wrong!

[lintygmom]

I know he comes to the Saturday one on Center Street between Milvia and Martin Luther King. The Octoberfeast guy, complete with Lederhosen, sets up early and is there when it opens at 10 for sure. You can get parking if you come early --bring money for the meters. Stands sell coffee and you can sit on the steps on the north side of the street or in the park on the south side. I often sit under a tree in the park and eat the delicious outside of three croissants while my dog eats the insides as a favor to me. My husband eats one whole one AND one of the super-good soft pretzels (which don't keep either, though perhaps if you freeze...) If you're coming over, do yourself a favor and also stop at the Berkeley Bowl Shattuck just north of Ashby. You can get anything there. And by anything I mean also durians. Which stink as badly as their reputation would have it!

[Sarah]

Thanks for the info and the BB rec but think I'll pass on the durian! Now Feel Good Bakery has my attention as well... as if I need any of this!

[lintygmom]

Here are some snaps taken by my daughter of the Berkeley Bowl produce section.

[Ruth Lafler]

I had a really delicious almond croissant at Feel Good Bakery yesterday. As I mentioned in another threads, their croissants vary and are currently on an upswing. These are much more like French croissants: not huge, brown and crispy cracky on the outside, tender, slightly elastic and buttery on the inside. The almond croissant was cut in half and lightly spread with what looked like a mixture of ground almonds and simple syrup -- delicate but still distinctly almond-flavored -- and it was topped with toasted sliced almonds and powdered sugar.

[lintygmom]

Alas, tis in Alameda, Feel Good. Wish they delivered to Oakland!

[Ruth Lafler]

Feel Good is always tinkering with their pastry line-up. This week I had a bearclaw that was stunningly delicious.

[Lori SF]

Patisserie Philippe
655 Townsend St
One of the better ones I have had around here. Their almond tort is so delicious as well.

Btwn 7th & 8th St

[lintygmom]

What is the crust on the almond tort? Pastry? Browned butter crumb? Cake? Thick or thin?

[Lori SF]

The crust is a flaky pastry thin around the sides and med. dense on the bottom, very buttery but a bit airy too. They serve good coffee too.

[lintygmom]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I'll have to (gulp) go into The City and stop being such an East Bay yokel!

(Thanks. I hate butter cookie dough type crusts.)

[lauercrnsw]

In SAN JOSE we have a least two great bakeries:
1. http://www.rigabakery.com/mercurynews/RigaReview.html
2. http://www.greenleesbakerysj.com/home...

[poulet_roti]

I am a fan of plain croissants. I find that the best ones are found at Bay Bread. Best in terms of size (not overly huge), best in terms of flakiness, and best in terms of overall balance. That said, if you really want to enjoy them, take them home and pop them in your regular over to heat up - will soon become even lighter and flakier which is the desired way to eat.

Tartine's croissants are too large and heavy for my tastes.

[iwantmytwodollars]

Must agree with the chicken man on this one. American croissants are crazy huge. In fact, I find almost all American croissants are B&B: burnt and bloated. I guess they are usually either or, actually. The small ones are roasted beyond recognition while the big fluffy ones (not flaky, as they should be) are just effing huge.

[lmnopm]

For my tastes, La Farine has the best. Honestly, I don't order many croissants around here (or anywhere on this continent) because they are usually crap. I feel like after bite 1, I am just wasting calories. I haven't had the almond, but I really like the plain and chocolate.

[dreamsicle]

Sorry that I haven’t been very active on this board recently since I’ve been out of the country for the entire summer, but I did get to try La Farine’s almond croissant before I left, which they call the “frangipane”. It sort of resembles the shape of a snail and is topped with sliced roasted almonds. The filling is not a typical frangipane filling, but a mix of coarsely chopped almonds, butter and sugar. The almond flavor was a bit weak and the filling could have been a bit sweeter. Personally I like a smoother and runnier filling. The croissant, though buttery and flaky, seemed somewhat bready and slightly on the heavy side. So that was a diasppointment for me.

Haven’t tried the plain croissant from Masse’s in Berkeley and not sure if they have an almond croissant, but their pain au chocolat and morning buns are pretty awesome (crispy, flaky and buttery at the same time), even better than La Farine’s in my opinion.

My favorite almond croissant is still Bay Bread’s, especially if they’re fresh out of the oven with a crispy and flaky exterior, fragrant almond topping and “oozy” filling.

(See the attached pics of La Farine's frangipane, and Masse's pain au chocolat and morning bun.)

[rosso]

Most of the over sized croissants are not made with real butter..
Bay Bread is the real deal..since I live so far from SF I'll buy 3 dozen when in the city and freeze them..very close to the croissants in Paris except for that the butter in France is better then our butter..

[oPerrin]

I love croissant, and some of the best I've ever had come out of my own oven, though I buy them frozen or unproofed from either:

1. your local whole foods (they might put up a fuss, just insist you want unproofed croissant) or 2. Milk Pail Market.

Let rise overnight and bake in the morning, fills the house with warm buttery smells and hot hot croissant goodness.

[sugartoof]

Is there a particular location of Bay Bread you're getting such reliable croissants from? I like the Almond Croissant a lot, but I find the butter to be lacking freshness, or buttery-ness. I think Bay Bread over all makes some big hit or big miss products, and I think location makes a difference.

The absolute best croissant used to be at West Portal Bakery which was opened by the son of the current owners of the Italian American Bakery in North Beach (which isn't so good ironically). The place has since sold, or maybe just stopped making good croissants for whatever reason, but these things were phenomenal.

[peppatty]

Try Brioche Bakery, 210 Columbus Ave. SF or local farmers markets. They have wonderful baked goods. I love their palmiers, and just had the chocolate croissant from the sat. farmers market at CSM. It had a small amount of chocolate, very puffy, flaky and buttery.

[Kitchen Imp]

Re: authentically French croissants, I posted a similar query back in 2006. People recommended La Farine and Masse's, so my French husband conducted a side-by-side taste-test...
Here's the taste-test results:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/317981#1819607
And the thread overall:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/317981

[cristeen]

Cafe Des Croissants in Santa Rosa always had excellent almond croissants. My favorite was always the mushroom, but the savory flavors aren't as readily available as the sweet ones.

[Eat_Nopal]

Update... the Croissants at CDC are still mediocre (overly bready and a bit stale on the edges... at least the Apricot & Apple ones). I think this place does a lot better at Bagels & Danishes. Santa Rosa in general is dissappointing on the Croissant front (Michelle Marie's is also mediocre... I haven't had anything in town yet that has been better than say a Safeway or Starbucks version... that says a lot).

The best Croissant I've had in Wine Country thus far is from the Panaderia a few doors away from Antojitos La Mixteca in Napa. That was among the better Croissants I've had in California... of course it helps that they were still sitting on the tray cart, and not in counter for 4 hours.

[Melanie Wong]

You need to try Della Fattoria's (Petaluma).

I agree, Cafe des Croissants are too bready and not flaky enough.

[maria lorraine]

Bouchon Bakery in Yountville (Napa Valley) for outstanding plain and almond croissants.
Both show very distinct, laminated layers and buttery flavor -- very similar to those in the patisseries of Paris when I lived there. The almond croissant has a liberal sprinkling of almonds on top and almond paste within. If you're up thisaways, the bakery deserves a look-see. Great craftmanship and flavor in all their products.

[wolfe]

maria lorraine,
Have you had a chance to try the croissants at the main store or the Oxbow store
of Model Bakery? I bought a grab and go bag with almond and chocolate and enjoyed them both a day old. How are they fresh?
http://www.themodelbakery.com/pastrie...

[vnchile]

Very much agree with you maria lorraine. Bouchon's plain and almond croissants are the best I've had in the Bay Area. I make a monthly trip just to get one!

[sandypaws3]

I love the croissants at Boulange de Polk at 2310 Polk Street! We go to Paris often, and these are very close to what we get there.

Sandy

[ChowFun_derek]

The ones at Delessios used to be my favorites...but I haven't tried one in over a year, so I don't know whether opening a second branch affected their quality ..(the croissants used to be larger)

[chemchef]

I tried the almond croissant from Bay Bread yesterday at the Temescal farmer's market. Wow! It was sooo good. Tender and buttery inside and crisp and flaky outside. The almond filling was exceptionally good - almost creamy with a sweet almond flavor. I will definitely put in my vote for Bay Bread's almond croissant!

[ebayfoodie]

sure all my thumbs up for boulangerie(415-440-0356)!! my fav is on pine and filmore. it's a must stop for all my friends from hong kong before returning. they freeze them and bring them back. and sure yes-that almond croissant! definitely the best! for myself, i called and order ahead(while i always get at least a dz), and just pick it up since parking sometime is difficult and i just double park.

[karma_bites]

I love the croissant at Liberty Bakery, but then again I just love Liberty Bakery (behind Liberty Cafe in Bernal Heights).
I also like Panorama's, but they don't have a storefront, you need to find them at a farmers market.
And at least once a year I roll out my own, just to keep my hand in. But you can't go wrong with most any of the choices already mentioned.

[Atomica]

I think Liberty has dull, plodding, overworked dough that they use for almost everything. Most of their output is like doorstops, or you could tie something to one of their croissants to sink it to the bottom of the ocean.

[xanadude]

Seconded. Beautiful bakery, awful awful baked goods.

[LarryW]

You all must be completely nuts. Sixty replies so far, and I haven't heard one person mention the absolute best croissants this side of Paris:

http://www.fleurdecocoa.com/
39 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95030