Jocteur
Galettte Praline
Vanilla Choux
Cafe Eclair
Parisienne Pistache
Blueberry Financier
Praline Cake
Butter Croissant
Chocolate Brioche
Happily sated at La Boulangerie, but with a long drive back to Bilbao due after lunch, it was to Jocteur that the GPS was pointed to gather provisions, a pleasant staff fluent in English guiding me to an eight-part order that turned out to be unequivocally great.
Long and narrow like a shotgun, the pastries glistening up front as small tables lined the walkway to a bakery in back, Jocteur is parenthetically noted as Le Boulanger de l’Hotel de Ville and with a location near Le Musee des Beaux Arts and opening hours till 20h00 the options run the gamut from viennoisier to tartines and sandwiches, the baking ongoing with new items yielded throughout the day.
Taking a pass on savories, the brie + walnut + fig jam tartine admittedly tempting me to order more, it was instead in a butter croissant with soft arches that first bites were invested, the air pocketed interior as light as a feather with yeasty notes dissolving early and a finish that was pleasantly sweet.
Having not seen Pralines Roses since leaving Lyon, the sugar coated nuts a regional specialty to the North, it was with great surprise that Jocteur offered several items featuring the pink candies and although a small cupcake was difficult to yield from wax paper the toothsome texture was a great compliment to the crunchy exposed surface, a similar balance noted in a “gallette” that ate more like brioche.
Turning next to choux, the pastry cream-filled puff still structurally sound even after a four hour journey Southwest, those who fancy eclairs are encouraged to visit l’Hotel de Ville’s Boulanger for the bitter-sweet espresso version, each bite breaking from crisp to soft to creamy with coffee flavor quite pronounced.
Finding the dark-chocolate studded brioche every bit as soft and eggy as the praline version from before it was with some regret that I’d waited so long to taste both the almond rich financier and pistachio laced Parisienne, both so good that another day in Bordeaux would have seen me return to order more.
http://www.boulangeriejocteur.com/bordeaux.html