Les boulangeries

Before we moved to France, every french croissant I ever had was AMAZING. All of the baguettes were just delectable. The pain au chocolats were all just soooo good. Well, it's been 8 months and I hate to say it, but my palate can discern the subtle differences so that now, I will not finish a croissant that is just average.

Yes, I hang my head in shame at the snobbery that my taste buds are practicing. But I can tell you, that when you can taste the difference, a whole new world opens up.

I thought I found the best pain au chocolat when I first got here when I went to Paul's bakery. It's a chain so you can find them all over the country. It is now average on my palate scale but because it is more expensive, it's low on the average. I noticed that the pain au chocolats were always cheaper than the plain croissants, and as a north american, you are taken aback because in our eyes, the croissant has less in it than the pain au chocolat, so this makes no logical sense. And then I realize that the croissant is truly a more delicate, complicated flavour and the pastry much flakier and probably harder to make. And then, the almond croissant mystery...it's more expensive than the plain croissant. And when I say more, the difference in prices between the pain au chocolat to the almond croissant is 10 cents. But again, curiosity won and I did my first taste test: pain au chocolat vs plain croissant vs almond croissant. Now I pay for the 10 cent difference, because the almond croissant is truly the best tasting croissant out there.

Once I evolved from Paul's I started to seek out the best in the city. I figured out that the best baguette is from Salees et Sucrees, near the cathedral (this is another blog entry adventure). But their croissants were so-so. And then I went to Kirn. And that's when I realized that Paul's is just "the people's croissanterie". There is better. Kirn's is a Strasbourg bakery. There are 3 locations, but each location has its own baker. Their baguette is on par with Salees but since Salees is near the source for gluten-free items, I buy my baguette from there.

I noticed a bio bakery (organic) a little further (about 40 steps) but always a lineup. So I went one day and got an almond croissant. WAY better than Paul's and at par with Kirn. I thought I found it.

And then the croissant clouds parted. While Ax and I were dealing with more french paperwork (which I now know will never end), I decided to stop at a tiny bakery on the way home to get a loaf of bread. Since baguettes are usually too big for 1, baguettes are a rarity in the house unless we have guests. I needed a little snack so I got an almond croissant. It was still warm. I bit into it and I knew I found it. It's the one. The croissant that is on my mind when I wake up. The pastry of all time. I went back for two more. The ultimate test for me is the taste after an overnight lag period. Well, it didn't fail me. Even after 24 full hours, 3 minutes in the toaster oven and it was heaven all over again.

I want to tell you where this is...but today I went to get some for my NYC trip and I got there and they were all gone. Not even 1. So I fear that once I post this, I will never make it on time to get more. I may post it one day, once I get the timing of the bakery. Maybe.