Napoleon from La Nouvelle Patisserie on Union

[cocochanelella]

I know La Nouvelle closed about 5 years ago because of a family situation. I've been going since I was kid and LOVE their napoleon. I've tried many places and can't find a similar one. Does anyone know where I can a napoleon like La Nouvelle?

[sugartoof]

The subject line of this post screwed with my head for a second there. I started to wonder if I had only imagined it was closed. Aww well, I miss that place too.

Patisserie Phillippe is a great suggestion.
I'll add Dionda's and suggest you try the one with the layer of pink caking (it's not actually a Napoleon, there's a different name for these).
Same with Victoria (I suspect they carry Dionda's to be honest, but either way, very good when fresh).

[CYL]

Have you tried the napoleon from Victoria Pastry in S. F.? I've been going there since I was a kid and love their whip cream napoleon (it's also in custard) and am still going!

[Melanie Wong]

I miss Nouvelle as well, but don't recall the napoleon. That said, I recently had an excellent one at Patisserie Philippe in SF. You might want to give it a try.

[cocochanelella]

Thanks MW you are probably the only one that remembers. Ok, how about recommending the BEST napoleon? Will travel for food.

[SteveG]

They had great triangular brownies moistened with some type of syrup and dipped in chocolate. I remember them too!

I haven't had the Patisserie Philippe napoleon, but the napoleon from Thorough Bread and Pastry is pretty good. The pastry itself is very flaky and adequately cooked to be browned nicely, and the pastry cream is caramel-flavored and very tasty. A bit on the soft side, so it squishes out, but I didn't try eating it "sideways" the way pilinut eats napoleons. Ultimately, I think a good napoleon should be messy--flakes of pastry and globs of filling should have to be scraped off the plate (queue the Carl's Junior commercial: if it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face).

One thing to note about Thorough, I think their pastries are only prepared once a day, so they're probably freshest in the morning. In other words, eat your napoleon for breakfast on a weekend, since the flaky pastry is a butter+flour concoction that will go stale quickly.

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Thorough Bread and Pastry
248 Church Street, San Francisco, CA

[cocochanelella]

Thanks for the suggestion SteveG I didn't know Thorough Bread has napoleons. I will report back when I try Thorough, Victoria's and Patisserie Philippe.

[pilinut]

I second Melanie on PP's napoleon: the pastry cream filling is light, but with enough body to keep from squishing out between the millefeuille (if you eat it sideways).