Bouchon Bakery
Almond Croissant
Raspberry Vanilla Éclair
Coconut Macaron, Strawberry Rhubarb Macaron
Between New York, Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, Yountville, and the second New York location I’ve probably been to Bouchon Bakery twenty times and having sampled through the majority of the menu while also tackling some of the recipes from the book I was glad to find a few novel options on my most recent visit, a stop predicated on taking some gifts back to my house-host who was kind enough to share with me. Beginning first with a pair of the bigger-than-necessary but decidedly excellent macarons both selections were crisp on the exterior, soft within, and dense with filling – the coconut smooth and mild while the rhubarb was a dead ringer for the classic pie filling. Unfortunately suffering from nearly a full day of transportation from Yountville at 10am through Oakland and arriving back in Mission Bay around 9pm the croissant had become a bit flaccid, though the flavor was still excellent with natural almond tones shining and minimal frangipane to be found while the éclair’s crisp choux held up admirably to light pastry cream as plump raspberries from The French Laundry culinary garden burst with flavor.
http://bouchonbakery.com/