Croissants – Page 2

Road Trip – Queen Cup Coffee, The Baker’s Table (Santa Ynez), and a revisit to Industrial Eats (Buellton)

April 13, 2025 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Road Trip, Santa Barbara County, Travel

Even though we were staying in Solvang, we decided to head on out during the day and drive around a bit. Santa Ynez is less than ten minutes from Solvang by car. We'd driven thru and made a quick stop in the town on a previous visit, but this time we waned to take JJ for a walk and explore a bit.

I recalled a coffee shop in the little corner off Meadowlark Road where we stopped to do some window shopping last time. So, we decided to stop there.

While the Missus took JJ to stretch his legs, I went in and ordered us some coffee.

The menu cracked me up……and no, I didn't get anything off the "Fancy AF" menu; just a latte for the Missus and an Americano for me.

There's something quite charming about this shop and Santa Ynez as a whole. The young man working was friendly and effcient.

The Missus enjoyed Her latte and my Americano was fairly smooth and woke me up gently.

Queen Cup Coffee
1095 Meadowvale Rd.
Santa Ynez, CA 93460

After our caffeine fix we decided to take a walk thru downtown Santa Ynez, which has an "Old West" flavor to it. It's the second oldest town in the Santa Ynez Valley, established in 1882.

I cracked up when I saw that the Maverick Saloon has a free shuttle! You gotta love it!

There's a tiny library in town, which I later read, claims to be the Oldest Branch Library in California. The little 12 by 14 structure was built in 1912.

It's only open on Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm.

And of course JJ had to get into the act…..

It was a quiet morning in the town, though we saw two guys with some major photography gear walking up and down the street taking photos.

I had read about a bakery in town named The Baker's Table that was supposed to be pretty good. When doing the "Google thing" I aw several bakeries with that name across the country, so I thought it was a chain. Though on later searches, I found that there are several businesses in different cities that share the same name, but are not affiliated.

I thought it would be a nice morning for a croissant, so while the Missus took JJ around for photos, I dropped on in.

The place was fairly busy. I saw this pup in the courtyard to the side of the bakery. I guess the pooch belongs to one of the employees?

And while the croissant didn't look very impressive; it was pretty good!

While the exterior could have been a bit more flaky and crisp; there was a nice balance of butter and salt flavor. The interior was light, fluffy, and nicely honeycombed. This was a pretty good croissant; and would probably be in the "top 3" here in San Diego.

Needless to say, I was quite happy with this! In Santa Ynez! We'll definitely be back!

The Baker's Table
3570 Sagunto St.
Santa Ynez, CA 93460

We went back to the shop we had visited the last time we were in the area. They welcomed JJ in and gave him "some pets" as well.

We might consider staying in Santa Ynez next time if we can find pet friendly accommodations.

We next drove over to Los Olivos. We love exploring Los Olivos, though it seems more boujie on every visit.

This time around we noticed the little library here as well.

This one is only open on Saturday as well; from 10am to 1pm. I cracked up as I asked the Missus if there's only one librarian in Santa Ynez who worked one day a week shuttling from the Los Olivos library from 10am to 1pm and then going to the Santa Ynez location from 1pm to 4pm?

We then drove back to Solvang and took JJ on the Hans Christian Andersen Park Trail.

A quick mile-and-a-half trail which took a bit over a half hour.

The loud woodpecker got JJ's attention.

And I got JJ to pose for a photo I named A "Shrimp on the barbie".

Poor JJ has to put up with all the dad jokes…..

Even though it seemed like we'd done a lot; it was just getting to close to lunch time. There was a place that we had really enjoyed and had been wanting to return to since our last visit. So, we headed down Highway 246 to Buellton and back to Industrial Eats. We arrived at a quarter to 12 and found parking in one of the few spaces in front of the converted warehouse.

We times things well because by the time Industrial Eats opened a line had formed behind us!

We ordered two item we'd had before and the Missus surprised me by telling me to order another item!

The two "repeats" were the Smoked Duck Salad ($18) and the White Shrimp, Pancetta Garlic Toast ($18).

We enjoyed the Smoked Duck Salad even more this time around; the duck was more tender, had a nice gamey-smokiness. The dressing had a nice acidity and the Missus enjoyed the tart-sweetness of the apples….She usually does not like the addition of fruit to salads, but this changed Her mind. A nice refreshing salad.

The White Shrimp was not as good as we recalled however.

The shrimp tasted fishy and were severely overcooked; the "sauce" was thin and watery. I did enjoy the garlic bread and the chilies though.

I was surprised that the Missus ordered the Miso Cod ($18), something that we usually only make at home. The cod was really delicious.

Man, that cod was so tender. moist, and buttery! The miso glaze was full of sweet-umami. The greens were a nice bitter counterpoint. Though we're not sure about the addition of avocado and the water-salty sauce really didn't add much. Still, the Missus wants to return for this dish!

I always think of our good friend Candice who first recommended Industrial Eats to us! We are so thankful and can't wait to return!

Industrial Eats
181 Industrial Way
Buellton, CA 93427

There's also a market next to Industrial Eats that we had never noticed before named Sunrise Organic Farm. Not sure if it's affiliated with the restaurants.

We picked up some cold pressed juice for breakfast and then headed back to our room.

It had been a fun morning, but now it was time for a serious nap before dinner!

Road Trip – Helena Avenue Bakery (Santa Barbara), Good Seed Coffee Boutique (Solvang), and a Revisit to Bell’s (Los Alamos)

April 6, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, French Restaurants, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Santa Barbara County, Travel

After a surprisingly good dinner at Shalhoob's and a nightcap at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, I thought I would have a nice night's sleep. Well, that was not to be. I did anticipate JJ's 4am morning "puppy potty", but I had a hard time sleeping because of the traffic noise from the 101. I really enjoyed the Moxy Hotel, but it was right on the 101 and the traffic noise kept me up for most of the night. Oh well, cant win 'em all.

When morning arose, the Missus and I made some quick plans. We had lunch reservations at our favorite restaurant in the area and added in what we thought would be a fun visit for JJ.

But before all of this, we decided to head down the block. I had noted that right across the way from Figueroa Mountain Brewing was Helena Avenue Bakery. I decided to get my croissant fix, since they supposedly made everything inhouse.

It's quite a charming spot, the bakery shares the space with a wine tasting room. It also shares the address with a place we had really looked forward to eating at that kind of disappointed us on our previous visit to the area.

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You order at the counter and are given a number. We had a seat at one of the lovely outdoor tables.

Soon enough my Americano and Croissant was ready.

The Americano was fairly smooth, with a nice kick.

Seeing that the ridges were falling off the viennoiserie made me somewhat concerned, but the pastry did not shatter into crumbs upon consuming. The exterior was light and crisp, the interior fairly fluffy and "honeycombed". It was sorely lacking in butter and even salt for that matter. Quite bland overall.

A "halfway there" croissant if I've ever had one. Liked the vibe of the place, though I'm not sure what it would be like if busy.

Helena Avenue Bakery
131 Anacapa St. Suite C
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Since we had lunch reservations in Los Alamos, we decided to head on up to Solvang which is sort of on the way. We thought that JJ might enjoy the place and since it was a Monday during the slow season, things wouldn't be too hectic.

And we were right. It was calm and relaxed, we enjoyed strolling around. And JJ kinda enjoyed his "photo-ops".

This was when we thought it would be fun staying in Solvang with JJ, which would be our next "road trip".

We took a short break at this little coffee shop.

Where I had my second Americano of the day. This one was smooth and easy to drink. We just had a seat on the porch and enjoyed things.

It was a nice break in the action for us.

Good Seed Coffee Boutique
1607 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463

We did a bit more walking; then it was time to head off for lunch. Which was going to be at our favorite restaurant in the area; Bell's in Los Alamos. Over time we've come to conclusion that we enjoy lunches at Bell's more than the prefix dinner. It's much more classically French, with local produce and such. And since this is my fourth post on the place; I'm just going to mainly do photos. You can click on the preceding links for more info on our previous visits.

Perhaps because it was 11am on a Monday, we had the place to ourselves for a while. The back patio is dog friendly and the chef even came out and spent some time with JJ!

We ordered what we usually do at Bell's. They still make one of my favorite versions of Beef Tartare.

Love the cut of beef, with a wonderful texture, perfect ratio of capers and pungency, so rich and decadent.

Of course the Missus had to have Escargot.

The Country Terrine is nice and porky, with hints of winey-sweetness. It goes well with the cornichons and grainy-pungent Dijon.

We also enjoy the slightly offally, mildly sweet Chicken Liver Mousse.

The strawberry jam works as a nice sweet "foil", with the cornichons sour-acidity clearing the palate. Our only issue is with the crostini which were hard rather than crisp.

As with our previous we enjoyed our lunch at Bell's and would return again in a few weeks.

JJ enjoyed his first visit to a Michelin Star restaurant and got treated so nicely!

Bell's
406 Bell St.
Los Alamos, CA 93440

Now it was time to head back to the hotel and get a much needed nap…..if I could block out the freeway noise; before dinner!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you had a great weekend!

Croissant Files – 102 Scone Company

March 18, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Desserts

So, recently the wonderful Madam "LL" sent me a text asking me if I'd been to the 102 Scone Company. Huh? Well, I'd never heard of the place. She explained that it used to be named Canele Bakery, but then changed their name and main product to scones and rebranding as the 102 Scone Company. Funny thing is; they no longer make scones! And they do make Canele again; though supposedly only on Fridays. She did tell me that they make croissants….so you know I had to visit, right?

Looking up the address I cracked up……

102 Scone Co 01

This is the place with the simple "Bakery" sign next to Rubicon Deli! Man, I am so not with things these days!

I had arrived at 10 minutes to nine (opening time) on a Friday. Check out the line!

102 Scone Co 02

And it got even longer stretching all the way past Rubicon by the time the place opened. Things did move pretty quickly once the doors opened.

It's a simple counter displaying various Viennoiseries and pastries, though no Caneles, even though this was Friday.

102 Scone Co 03

102 Scone Co 04

I bought myself a croissant (of course) and got a couple of items for the Missus. The prices weren't bad; a tad cheaper than ASA Bakery. The owners, a Korean Husband and Wife team were very ncie and actually seemed to know some of their customers…..must have a good number of regulars I guess.

102 Scone Co 04b

So, this is what I ended up getting.

102 Scone Co 05a

Looking at the croissant; I knew this was going to be interesting. Notice how the laminated ridges had fallen off. And I had just removed the cover of the box!

102 Scone Co 06

Even more fell off as I gingerly moved it to a plate.

102 Scone Co 07 102 Scone Co 08 It was too delicate; a bit over baked, the laminated exterior just falling off. You know what was going to happen when I actually bit into it, right? A certain song by the Rolling Stones came to mind:

"Ohhh look at me
I been shattered
I been shattered
Look at me, I been shattered…."

I prefer not leaving a good part of the croissant on the plate. Unless 102's specific purpose is to have me lick the plate?

You can see why I used ASA Bakery as a reference point, right?

Though I will say that while the interior was much too airy; I'm looking for a slightly moist "honeycomb" of flavor, it had a decent amount of butter, thouh perhaps too much salt. I do prefer this to the version from ASA; though it's not in my top three (thus far) for San Diego.

102 Scone Co 09

Unlike what happened on our recent visit to Michi Michi (I really want to do another visit before posting), I did get a chance to taste the Cranberry Chocolate Monkey Bread – decently light, not too sweet and the Lime Croissant – didn't care for the overly bready texture and the glaze; though enjoyed that it wasn't too sweet and the lime flavor wasn't overpowering. The Missus took the Matcha Crookie to work, but told me it was a bit too much.

102 Scone Co 10

I'm glad I got to try this place out and would like to thank LL for thinking of me!

102 Scone Co 00

102 Scone Company (Which doesn't currently do scones)
4130 La Jolla Village Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037

Croissant Files – ASA Bakery Revisited

February 23, 2025 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Desserts

Waaaay back in November of 2023 I did a post on ASA Bakery after the Missus requested I pick up some pastries after scrolling thru Instagram. The Missus was less than thrilled with what we got , which I mentioned in my post, along with the crazy long wait. In the comments of that post; the owner of ASA (along with BeShock Ramen, etc) left some thoughtful comments, which I really appreciated.

"This is Ayaka from Asa bakery, thank you for visiting us during soft opening! I feel terribly bad about your experience. Our baker just arrived from Japan end of September. As you can imagine baking or any type of cooking is very different in every country, he needs to make adjustment from ingredients(Japanese flower vs US) water source(Soft water vs very hard water in SD) cultivating yeast, humidity, even measurements are all different (oz vs ml, ℉ vs ℃, lb vs grams). We bake everything in house and that requires high baking skill sets. Training new staffs, hiring experienced bakers also takes time as a brand new business."

Which I totally understood. There's a reason why we enjoy Nagoya so much! And I made up my mind to eventually revisit as Ayaka also stated "Our classic croissant is head baker’s favorite". Croissants you say? The eventuality came to play as the Missus recently asked me to check out ASA again. Of course, I was going to head on down again myself!

I arrived a bit before opening and found parking near Island Avenue.

Asa Rev 01

One of the first things I noticed was this guy lying down at the street corner yelling at people.

Asa Rev 00

And crossing on Market there was this going on right down the street.

Asa Rev 04

But all of that didn't seem to deter the customers waiting for the place to open as there was a good sized line. Though it wasn't as bad as when ASA first opened.

Asa Rev 02

The line moved quite quickly and of course there was always something to catch your attention while waiting.

Asa Rev 03

I was in the shop in about 20 minutes.

Asa Rev 04a

And there was a nice selection of items. The staff were really friendly and efficient. It seems like everything is priced at $5.95. I got a Chocolate Danish and an Earl Grey Melon Pan for the Missus.

Asa Rev 04b

She preferred the Chocolate Danish to the Melon Pan which She said was too bready, had no Earl Grey Flavor, but at least wasn't overly sweet. She did say the Chocolate Danish was much better than what She had before. But it's not something She craves. I guess it's still Desserts by Clement for Her.

As for the Croissant.

Asa Rev 05 Asa Rev 07b Well, in her comments Ayaka describes it as "perfect flaky crust outside, right amount of butter to have moist and chewy texture with light and airy layers." Almost sounds like our favorite croissant in Paris, right? Well, hold on there pilgrim! The croissant was not bad, decent butter, but definitely use more. As for flakey, I'd say it was way too crumbly, the crust "exploding" into a crumby shrapnel. It was definitely light, too airy, without "body" and was quite dry to boot.

Asa Rev 06

This was not bad, though I prefer what Wayfarer, Izola (though based on DavidG's comment about their business practices I may refrain from visiting), and even La Clochette to this. And based on the location, we would have to enjoy what ASA makes, like we enjoy the food at Sovereign in the area to revisit. Though if I can get someone to tell me that their "Sandos" are outstanding, it might be worth a lunchtime visit!

Asa Rev 08

Still, the service and selection was much improved since my last visit. Also of note, ASA does not accept cash; only electronic payments.

ASA Cafe & Bakery
634 14th St. Suite 110
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Wed – Mon 9am – 9pm
Closed on Tuesdays

On an interesting note; man, this is my 48th post on Croissants….that's a lot of "beurre under the bridge". I hope you're not getting tired of my croissant posts!

Cinque Terre – Castello Doria (Vernazza), Corniglia, and Caffè Matteo (Corniglia)

January 31, 2025 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Cinque Terre/Genoa, Liguria - Italy, Croissants, Italy, Travel

It was our third full day in the Cinque Terre, but it for some reason, it felt like we'd been here for a while. We kept running into a very friendly Aussie couple, like 2-3 times a day. They were staying in a flat we could see from our window with a patio overlooking the sea. We'd see them having wine every evening. We gotta stay there next time!

By now, our morning coffee routine was a visit to Ananasso Bar.

Where the views from one of the tables overlooking the harbor is wonderful.

The wind and the rain from the night before had made for fairly clear skies and the winter air was crisp.

This seemed like a perfect time to visit Castello Doria (Doria Castle) and the tower of the ruins which stands on the edge of a ridge overlooking the village and the sea. Of course, there were a good number of stairs to climb!

The views from the tower are fantastic; especially on a clear day like this was.

From one side you could see the south shoreline.

From the other the North.

And of course a postcard view of Vernazza below.

While admiring the views, the Missus and I discussed our plans for the day. Well, it ended up being pretty easy; we'd been to four of the five villages f the Cinque Terre. There was just one left, Corniglia. We decided we needed to complete the "set".

So, it was back to the apartment to get our stuffs….yes, more stairs…..

On the way up to the train station, we decided to take a peek at the tiny chapel on the main street, Via Roma.

This lovely little temple is the Chapel of Santa Marta.

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And then we were off to Corniglia; the train there takes only 4 minutes! Corniglia has the distinction of being the only one of the five villages not on the ocean; instead it is perched on a hill above the water. Though the train station is at the bottom of the hill.

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So, to get up to this village of 150, you need to catch the shuttle……or…..

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Yep, you guessed it; take the stairs, all 382 of them! Guess which option the Missus picked?

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No, I didn't count them. It actually wasn't too bad because they were nicely maintained and quite even.

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Once near the top, you simply walk thru some narrow streets and end up where the shuttle buses actually stop.

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We strolled along Via Stazione into the charming little village. And ended up at a lovely little square in front of a church.

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This is the lovely Chiesa Di San Pietro.

Which was built way back in 1334!

While enjoying the white marble interior, we quickly noticed a pooch walking thru the church. The dog had a harness on and we thought he was with the nice gentleman and his son. However, when they left the church, the pup did not!

He just hung around and greeted people.

And when folks started coming in for what appeared to be services, he took his leave! Such a well mannered pooch!

You'd weave your way between buildings.

And then suddenly find yourself on the edge with a view.

Crossing over we entered what looked like the "downtown" of Corniglia, there were some cafes and restaurants and a nice little square. And an interesting chapel.

With an even more interesting…and kinda gory statue in the front.

Later on, I did a search in Google maps and found that this is the Cappella dei Flagellati Corniglia, the "Chapel of the Flagellants". Which explains the statue; because you know what Flagellants are, right?

It's quite a lovely area.

Following the instructions of Rick Steves Cinque Terre guide we walked down the little street named Via Fieschi.

Which led us to a lovely terrace known as Santa Maria Belvedere, which had beautiful 180 degree views of the Ligurian Coast.

Corniglia was so chill!

We decided to get a very light brunch and some espresso and headed back to the square, Largo Taragio. Where the Caffè Matteo was doing some good business! This was the most folks we saw in Corniglia.

And they had a bunch of breakfast deals going.

The Missus got a croissant and coffee for 3 Euros; I got the croissant, coffee, and OJ for 5 Euros. The prices were indeed quite fair; even though the croissant, as expected was not very good.

The exterior hard, the interior too brady and doughy, not enough butter…but of course, we expected that.

Between the carbs and the coffee; well, that was enough to keep us until later in the day.

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And at 8 Euros for two?

Caffè Matteo
Via Fieschi 157
Corniglia, Italy

And carbs were good, because well, remember those 382 steps???

I also loved this sign that was in the cafe…..

As the Missus and I waited for the train; we made a decision on where we'd be going to next….since we'd been to all five villages in the Cinque Terre; we thought we'd visit one to the North where the local train ended.

Stay Tuned!

London – Le Deli Robuchon and a Walk Around “the Mall”

November 1, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Desserts, London, Travel

One of the main reasons the Missus wanted to stay in the Piccadilly area was to check out Le Deli Robuchon. She had been following a ton of influencer/social media posts hyping up the "Cube Croissants". I really don't follow those, but the Missus really wanted to try them. Which is why I went and booked the Dilly for our initial stay in London….though I'm fairly certain the Missus would have preferred the Ritz.

On weekdays this location of Le Deli Robuchon opens at 7. We walked on over and arrived at about 730am. The place was fairly busy, but not crowded.

Ordering is via a line, first past the regular pastries; I decided on some Gougeres and Coffee, Double Espresso for the both of us. You then go to a separate counter for the "cubes".

The Missus decided on the Pistachio version of the Cube which went for 9£; about $12/US at the time. We took our pastries to the table and soon after our espresso were delivered.

The espresso was a nice "jolt" to the system. The gougere were too doughy and sweet for my taste.

As for the "beast"…..

Well, I wasn't a fan, it was too sweet and doughy for me. I'm for lighter, flakier, less sweet desserts. The missus agreed as well.

On the table next to us, the woman, exclaimed in the finest British accent, "My god! This is terrible!" So, I'm guessing we weren't alone in not caring for this. At least on this morning.

In case you're wondering what story is behind the "cube", you can read this article. We would go to several places hyped up by the "gram" and the "tok" during this trip and not enjoy any of those meals. Since then, the Missus has double checked places hyped up on these sites.

Le Deli Robuchon Piccadilly
82 Piccadilly
London, United Kingdom

This being our first full day in London, we decided to just enjoy and explore before our reservation for high tea.

We headed down St James Street to Pall Mall……

Then headed toward Buckingham Palace, making a stop at the Queen Victoria Memorial.

And taking a quick look at the Royal Residence; Buckingham Palace.

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We then turned around and decided to head down The Mall, the ceremonial route to Buckingham Palace. This is where you'll see all the royal processions on television.

Lots of lovely ornate gates and a wide tree lined road.

And on this morning; not only were the police marching down the avenue….but it seemed like the ducks were as well!

Down the street we noticed this column.

This is the Duke of York Column, a monument to Prince Frederick the Duke of York, the second son of King George III. It is said that Prince Frederick was King George's favorite son and did much to reform and modernize the Army.

In fact, shortly after Prince Frederick's death, in 1827 all British soldiers donated one day’s wage for the building of this monument which was completed in 1831.

We took a right on Northumberland Avenue and headed toward the River Thames. There's just so much to see in London! From the Golden Jubilee Bridge we had an awesome view of the London Eye.

We then walked along the East side of the Thames to the Westminster Bridge where we proceeded to cross back over the Thames taking in a classic view!

Crossing over, I noticed that we still had a good amount of time before our reservations for Afternoon Tea, so we decided on making one more stop.

At a place I had always wanted to check out!

Stay Tuned!

The Croissant Files – La Clochette Cafe & Bakery (Mission Valley)

September 26, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

In one of my recent Croissant posts, "FOY" Kathy mentioned La Clochette du Coin on Cass. I had actually tried to visit once, but there was a huge line and they ere out of Butter Croissants by the time I got into the shop. Still, I had been planning to try and visit again; but then faith…or something intervened. I had heard that La Chlochette opened a shop in Mission Valley, in the newish enclave of Civita. Since I had to make a TJ's run, I thought I should try and see if the shop was open. I hadn't been in this area of Mission Valley in ages. Man has it changed; with a large park, they now have a Saturday Farmers Market and food trucks on Tuesdays. It's a far cry from what MV was when we first moved to San Diego in 2001 and lived off Friars Road for a couple of years!

And while there seemed to be a good amount of traffic I found some parking on Civita Boulevard and walked around the corner to see that the bakery was open.

La Clochette MV 01

This was a fairly early Sunday visit and the place was quite empty. I walked on in and took a look at the offerings.

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While there wasn't anything the Missus was keen on trying; I zeroed in on the Butter Croissant (of course).

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So, I simply got one Butter Croissant ($5.25), then headed over to Trader Joe's to get some shopping done.

Once home, I put everything away, then it was Croissant Time. The color of the croissant was fairly dark, though it had a nice "rise" and good layering.

La Clochette MV 04 La Clochette MV 05 The pastry was quite flakey and crisp. The interior a bit wet and on the doughy side, but acceptable. The amount of salt was good, but it was sorely lacking in butter.

Too bad, because this definitely had potential.

Still, this location is still in the soft opening phase. The Grand Opening isn't until October 5th. So, I'll probably visit some time after that to see how things are. La Clochette MV 06

I want to thank KathyH for the reminder on La Clochette and if she is reading this; does the croissant look the same as the version in PB?

La Clochette Cafe & Bakery (Mission Valley)
7995 Civita Blvd. Suite 11
San Diego, CA 92108

The Croissant Files – Bonjour Patisserie and Cafe de l’Opera

September 11, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Caffeine Fix, Croissants, Desserts

Here are a couple of more croissant visits.

Bonjour Patisserie:

I had read that one of the pastry booths in the Little Italy Mercato had opened a brick and mortar shop on Cedar street. I had tried the croissants from Bonjour Patisserie's stand at the farmer's markets and wasn't very impressed, but since the Missus wanted to try the Spiral Croissant to compare against the version Desserts by Clement. So, after doing my typical Saturday Farmer's Market stop, I headed on over to Cedar to the newly opened shop.

Bon Jour 01

Walking in I was greeted by the nice young lady working. And there was the Pistachio Spiral Croissant that the Missus wanted.

Bon Jour 02

I got one butter croissant and the spiral croissant and headed back to the car and then home.

Once home I went and tried the butter croissant.

Bon Jour 03 Bon Jour 04 Though it looked over-baked, the exterior wasn't flakey and crisp. The interior was on the doughy-bready-chewy side and the croissant, in my opinion really lacked butteriness. This was mediocre at best and was the same as what I'd had before from their stand. Well, at least they're consistent, right?

The Missus also dug into Her spiral croissant. Which looked pretty good.

Bon Jour 05 Bon Jour 06 But the Missus cut into it and took a bite and made a face. She made me have a taste. The crust was doughy, gummy, and lacking in crispness. It was on the thick side. The filling was too sweet for my taste as well.

So guess who was sent back to Desserts by Clement as few days later?

Well, another croissant tried and marked off…….

Bonjour Patisserie
320 W Cedar St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 8am – 4pm
Closed on Mondays

Cafe de l'Opera:

During my visit to Izola's new location, while walking back to where I had parked my car, I passed a newish looking cafe. I took a quick look inside and saw that they had various patisseries, including croissants. The friendly young lady noticed that I had the Izola box and we had a short chat; the gist of it being that Cafe de l'Opera made their own croissants. I promised to drop by for some coffee and to try their croissants.

A few Sundays later, I decided to get a bit of walking in; so I headed down the hill and caught the Blue Line to the Park & Market stop and then hoofed it over to the Diamond Terrace Condo building where the cafe is located.

Cafe De L Opera 01

The same very nice young lady was working. I placed my order and had a seat in the nice looking cafe.

Cafe De L Opera 02

I had ordered a Cold Brew along with my croissant.

Cafe De L Opera 03

Man, this was a pretty stiff cold brew! It pretty strong and really woke me up! Not bad at all.

As for the Butter Croissant.

Cafe De L Opera 04 Cafe De L Opera 05 It was soft and doughy, lacking in that flaky-crispness that I enjoy. I'm not sure why they call this a "Butter Croissant" as sorely needed more butter flavor. The interior was a bit too "moist" for my taste as well.

Too bad, because I liked the cold brew and the young lady working here.

Cafe De L Opera 06

Cafe de l'Opera
910 J St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Mon – Fri 7am – 3pm
Saturday 7am – 2pm
Sunday 730am – 2pm

And so my exploration of croissants in San Diego continues…….

The Croissant Files – Revisits to Izola (at their new location) and Wayfarer Bread & Pastry

August 18, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants

Here's a couple of croissant revisits to old favorites.

Izola's New Location:

I was happy to read about Izola reopening at Faultline Park. I remember visiting Izola during the pandemic when they would lower a basket of pastries from their third floor bakery, which had been converted from a photography studio on 13th street in East Village.

Here are some photos to jog your memory.

Izola 13

I really enjoyed the croissants and even revisited twice more, though I never posted on those revisits.

Sometimes, a business can be a victim of their own success. Izola closed to do renovations on their kitchen. While in the process, they discovered that they would not be able to meet 2024 food permit standards and had to find a new location. They finally did find a new location, relatively close by; in fact I had walked past the location on Faultline Park while waiting for takeout from Sovereign Thai. Due to Izola's previous popularity, I decided to wait a month or so before finally making the drive down to the area and paying the new location a visit. I found parking and strolled on over. It was interesting to note that I saw less homeless than on my previous visits to this location.

Izola Rev 01

This locale has been several different businesses over the last couple of years, I recall it being Amplified Ale and then some kind of BBQ spot?

Izola Rev 02

I strolled on in and stood in line at the counter, which also displays the various breads and pastries for sale on this day.

Izola Rev 03

I decided on a Butter Croissant (of course) and also got an Almond Croissant for the Missus. There weren't prices listed and my total came out to $17, yikes!

Anyway, I had a seat in the spacious dining area to wait for my croissants.

Izola Rev 04

The really nice guy working the dining area asked me if I'd like some water while I waited, but I was fine.

Izola Rev 05

In a few minutes the gentleman brought out my order packed, just like before in a nice little box.

Izola Rev 06

I took my box and headed back to the car and skedaddled home.

Opening things up, I noticed that the croissant was still warm as I removed it from the box. I also noticed that it was much darker than what I'd had from Izola previously.

Izola Rev 07

I tore off a piece whereupon I noticed how rubbery it seemed. I took a bite, and sigh……man, this was fairly "hard", not flaky, not crisp, but hard and kind of chewy. The interior was fairly fluffy, but it still lacks the butter to salt ratio that I prefer.

The Missus had a bite and also noted the same thing.

Izola Rev 08

She did say that the Almond Croissant was much better though.

Izola Rev 09 Izola Rev 10 Overall, this was quite disappointing. I was looking forward to Izola reopening. I'm thinking I'll try the place in a couple of months and am hoping that this was just an off day. And at seven bucks a croissant….man, how would Parisians react to a six Euro croissant? I can only imagine!

Izola
1429 Island Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
Current Hours:
Tues – Sat 7am – 2pm
Closed Sunday and Monday

This had me wondering about how another of my croissant "favorites" was doing, so the week after, I headed on over to Bird Rock and stopped by….

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry:

Well, it's been a while. I'd last visited two years ago, and my last post on Wayfarer was back in September of 2020! There always seems to be a line at Wayfarer, so I make it a point to arrive before opening. On this morning, I went and got a cold brew from Birdrock Coffee and headed on over. Funny, there was only one person in line when I arrived.

Wayfarer Rev 01

Soon enough there were over a dozen people lined up behind me. Once the place opens things move fast.

Wayfarer Rev 02

Wayfarer Rev 03

I just got a plain croissant ($4.75) on this day and then drove on home.

Wayfarer Rev 04 Wayfarer Rev 05 Wayfarer tends to over bake their croissants; but this wasn't bad, quite flaky and crisp, the interior a bit on the dry side, but light and fluffy with a decent butter-salt ratio.

Still my favorite croissant in San Diego. If only Wayfarer were closer and the parking in the area wasn't such a pain! I guess I need to start up my croissant explorations again!

Wayfarer Rev 06

Wayfarer Bread & Pastry
5525 La Jolla Blvd.
La Jolla, CA 92037
Current Hours:
Sunday, Tues – Thurs 830am – 230pm
Fri – Sat 830am – 230pm, 430p, – 830pm
Closed on Mondays

So, for all you Croissant Enthusiasts out there, where have you recently had a decent croissant?

The Croissant Files – Desserts by Clement

April 24, 2024 mmm-yoso Bakery, Croissants, Desserts

Desserts by Clement was recommended by two "FOYs" (John Dowd and Stephanie) in the comments on my post on Patisserie Melanie. Seeing that the Missus has been wanting all these newfangled croissants since we visited Le Deli Robuchon in London trying the Instagram "superstar" cube croissant, which btw was a disappointment. Still, the Missus has been wanting to try these new spiral croissants. So, I decided to head into PB early on a Sunday morning, the patisserie opens at 8 and I figured I could then hit up TJ's on the way back home.

Being a Sunday; it seems that PB wakes up a bit later on that day of the week, plus the rain we had earlier in the morning, the streets were empty. Check out what Garnet looked like!

Garnet Clement

I parked on Garnet and walked on over to Desserts by Clement. The nice young lady had just unlocked the door.

Clement 01

The shop was clean and bright; the two young ladies were super friendly as well.

Clement 02

I got one croissant and asked the young ladies for something not overly sweet; they recommended the Pistachio Rolled Croissants and also said the Swiss (Pain Suisse) was very popular.

Clement 03

So, I got all three….man, three pastries, over $21….who'd have thought?

I got home and the Missus was anxiously waiting and immediately went for the Spiral Croissant, which looked quite Instagram ready.

Clement 04 Clement 05 The Missus loved this! And made me have a taste. While more bready than the flakey-crisp of a regular croissant; the exterior was nicely lacquered with a bit of a crunch, the inner layers not overly doughy. The pistachio filling was on the lighter side; with a mild nuttiness and not overly sweet. This was pretty good!

The Swiss was a bit too sweet for the Missus, so I passed.

Clement 06

As for the Croissant?

Clement 07 Clement 08 Well, this was pretty good. I prefer my croissant aux buerre a bit more crisp, but this was not bad. It was light , fairly fluffy, and not overly doughy with a nice, balanced butteriness, and a mild hint of salt. While not in the same league as our favorite in Paris, La Maison d’Isabelle, this was easily the equal of Ernest & Valentin.

I was happy with my croissant as was the Missus. Man, I need to head on back to Wayfarer and can't wait until Izola opens at their new location.

You can read about Soo's visit here.

Desserts by Clement
1380 Garnet Ave.
San Diego, CA 92109
Current Hours:
Tues – Sun 8am – 6pm
Closed on Monday

Thanks again for the recommendation John and Stephanie!