Let's get in there

Is there anything better than an almond croissant, enjoyed in Paris??

Bathazar for Breakfast

There's no better sight, walking into the office, than seeing a stack of pastry boxes from Balthazar.

What lies inside? Pain au chocolat.

 Plain croissants.

And, le mieux, almond croissants.

Admittedly not my favorites in the city. But a little taste of Paris goes a long way.

80 Spring St, NYC
212.965.1413

Oh you, almond croissant

Lafayette. Have you been? It's pretty awesome. As buzzy as it is for dinner, go for breakfast. Jen Yee's pastries are divine.

There is no shortage to choose from.

But I can never neglect an almond croissant.

I cannot convey to you how soft, moist, sweet and almondy delicious and perfect it is. Go now.

French breakfast club at Lafayette

This is a sign that I like to see:

Because, inside, French pastries abound.

Almond croissants...

Pain au chocolat...

Plain croissants...

Frangiopane tart...

All these pastries are pitch-perfect, grace à pastry chef Jen Yee.

Ben and I met there for Breakfast Club and strategically selected our petite dejeuner pour deux.

We even let a slice of savoriness slide by. (The garden quiche. It was delicious.)

And added a butterscotch coffee éclair. For breakfast. It was insanely delicious.

But maybe my favorite thing was the pistachio pound cake.

 I swear, it was the taste that transported me back to Paris.

À la prochaine, Lafayette!

Beautiful at Runner & Stone

Gowanus is cleaning up real well.

Four months in, Runner & Stone is already renowned for its bread.

 

But its French pastries by Amy's Bread alum Peter Endriss deserve a look, and taste, too.

Runner & Stone
285 Third Avenue
Brooklyn

Breakfast in Paris

There's nothing more promising than a little parcel expertly wrapped up like this:

And what lies inside... heaven...

So wonderful I had to do it again.

Heaven help me Hope's Cookies

I’m often asked what my favorite dessert is. Which is next to impossible to answer. There are just so many amazing possibilities. It depends on my mood, my company, the time of the day, the season… it’s complicated business, this sweets obsession.

Unless we’re talking about cookies. Then it’s frighteningly easy and clear. Cookies are my favorite.

But then the question becomes, what kind?

You can never go wrong with a classic chocolate chip cookie, but then sometimes you’re confronted with an amazing selection of omigod options.

Like I was at Hope’s Cookies inside Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market.

From chocolate raspberry to caramel pecan…

Oatmeal raisin to apricot almond….

Peanut butter to snickerdoodles…

I have to say, they looked so over-the-top ridiculous that I had low expectations. But I was blown away.

Each cookie was moist, sugary and buttery.



Every flavor was unique.


They were generously sized but not obscene.


And, well, I’m in trouble. Because I now know that Hope’s delivers.