The Croissant Diaries

NYC: ozzie's coffee and tea

2009-06-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

I went to Ozzie's early this morning because they only make a handful of plain croissants each day and I have never made it in time for one. Still warm from the oven, this croissant completely surpassed my expectations. It had a perfect balance of butter and yeast, fluffy and dense, crispy and silky soft. Every bite was heaven. I feel uncomfortable about giving it a 10, never having been to France, but it couldn't imagine wanting any more from a croissant.

Rating: 10 out of 10
Ozzie's Coffee and Tea
57 7th Avenue (at Lincoln Place)
Brooklyn, NY

NYC: patisserie claude

2009-06-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

This croissant had a quality to it that I couldn't put my finger on, but I think was staleness. It was very dense, and difficult to break apart into bite sized pieces. But interestingly enough, the flavor was very good, and I'm a little worried I hit up this place at the wrong moment (late afternoon on a very humid day). Despite its many flaws, I tasted potential in this croissant -- and I can't help but think that fresh out of the oven it could be an (overly dense but still delicious) favorite.

Rating: 3 out of 10
Patisserie Claude
187 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10014

NYC: balthazar bakery

2009-05-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

Delightful start to one of the first real days of spring in new york city. This was my first visit to the well-known Balthazar Bakery and it didn't let me down. The bakery was beautiful: quaint, full of artistically presented baked goods, and accompanied by classic benches out front to enjoy the Soho scene. As for the croissant: the layers were well defined, the buttery flavor was right on and the inside was airy, porous and velvety. The outside was crispy (a little too crispy for me, and the only detraction really). The buttery bottom of the croissant was just the right density, without being overly decadent. Scrumptious!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Balthazar Bakery
80 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012

NYC: blue sky bakery

2009-05-16T14:28:00.001-07:00

Filling and enjoyable, but far from perfection. My croissant wasn't near crispy on the outside, and lacked a true buttery flavor. It tasted sweet, almost like a light challah bread, and was a little too dense -- although i think that was a symptom of the problem, not the problem itself. I must say that the muffins looked and tasted amazing (i got a carrot blueberry cream cheese muffin to go). I'll be back, just not for a croissant.

Rating: 4 out of 10
Blue Sky Bakery
53 Fifth Ave (at Bergen)
Brooklyn, NY 11217

LA: hollywood farmer's market

2009-02-01T12:50:00.000-08:00

this was an un-rated croissant that i got from an unidentified vendor at the hollywood farmer's market. as far as i remember, the croissant was just average--but at the market, even just average is extra enjoyable. i will have to go back for a second tasting...

hollywood farmer's market
ivar & selma avenue
hollywood, ca
every sunday from 8:00am to 1:30pm

NYC+LA: lil's homemade croissant

2008-12-25T13:07:00.000-08:00

unfortunately, we did not get to bake our homemade croissants together. but we split the dough, and each baked/tested in our respective kitchens. above is one of my (mini!) croissant creations. they were all very buttery--but still delicious with jam.

making croissants is not easy.

NYC+LA: croissant making!

2008-12-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

nicole & i reunited in massachusetts and decided to make a batch of our own croissants! our recipe of choice came from the joy of cooking (pdf).

here's our dough just before we folded in 1 heaping cup of cold, shredded butter. making croissants is a very labor intensive process and involves 10+ hours of warming/chilling/waiting.

NYC: almondine bakery

2008-11-09T13:21:00.000-08:00

Satisfying croissant for a blistery fall day in NYC. Insides were light and soft, and the whole croissant had great flavor. Downsides: a little too flaky and no unravel factor (not even the first bite). The chocolate croissant (I couldn't help myself) was even better.

Rating: 7 out of 10

Almondine Bakery
85 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

NYC: lonelyville coffee

2008-11-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

A serious disappointment, sadly. The croissant was very much like a roll -- not nearly flaky, soft or buttery enough for me. It was incapable of being unraveled (besides the first, unsatisfying chunk). Perhaps if I had toasted it I would have enjoyed it more.

Rating: 2.5 of 10

Lonelyville Coffee
154 Prospect Park SW
Brooklyn, NY 11218

LA: Amandine Patisserie

2008-11-02T22:29:00.000-08:00

This is love at first bite. An ideal croissant: flaky and crisp on the outside while still soft and buttery on the inside. And the flavor, oh the flavor. I'm having trouble putting into words how good this was. Seriously delicious. I may have to go back for a second bite.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Amandine Patisserie
12225 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA

LA : la dijonaise

2008-10-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

A tasty, if imperfect, croissant to start the day. The layers & form have a nice shape, but get a bit mutated with huge body versus sad little arms. Surprisingly too flaky on the exterior--but soft, buttery interior. (The flakiness is an unusual problem for this cafe where croissants usually need to be toasted to bring them back to life.) This croissant did not pass the unraveling test.

Rating: 6 of 10

La Dijonaise Bakery & Cafe
8703 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA

Disclaimer: This croissant was eaten in my kitchen, not at the cafe.

NYC: colson patisserie

2008-10-11T13:54:00.001-07:00

My croissant this morning was disappointment at first sight. I think the baker's heart was in the right place (the inside was buttery deliciousness) but it was definitely overcooked. Overly flaky, I felt like I lost a third of the croissant to the wind, and the wings (tails?) were brittle all the way through. And sadly, I was unable to unravel it as I ate, as I so love to do.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Colson Patisserie
374 9th Street
Brooklyn, NY

LA: the coffee conservatory

2008-09-15T23:49:00.000-07:00

A beautifully formed croissant with excellent visible layering. Baked to a buttery golden brown, I think this would be a great, light, flaky pastry when it's fresh from the oven. But a few hours after baking, its inside layers have begun to collapse a bit, and the exterior has lost its crisp. (A flaky, crisp exterior is a major selling point for me.) However, alongside some good hot coffee, it passes the test.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

The Coffee & Tea Conservatory
10117 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA

NYC: parco

2008-09-13T23:55:00.000-07:00

Just the right combination of flaky, crispy outer level and buttery, doughy inside (with enough density to fill me up a little bit). The bottom is that beautiful shade of yellowy brown, tougher than the rest of the pastry and possibly my favorite bite. The innards of today's croissant were a little bit too yeasty and roll-like, but that hasn't happened before--and I expect it won't again.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Parco
427 7th Ave #A
Brooklyn, NY