Paul French Bakery and Café
First off, OMG! The Napoleon – is so good it almost makes you cry – yes, it was that good. (In my defense I was also hungry and had been trying not eat dessert in preparation for the holiday season). The Napoleon is both flaky with this delicious rich vanilla crème and a light sweet icing on top. The is one of the best dessert pastries ever! The Strawberry tartlet is really good too. What helps it stand out is they actually used some salt in the pastry shell/cookie so it has a balanced not flat taste. The strawberries retain a smidge of tartness so it is a very balanced and tasty dessert.
I unfortunately didn’t care for the pistachio flavored large Macaron. The color is a bit grinchy and the taste is a bit bland and the macaron is a bit too chewy. That said, I have not tried any of their other flavors. I do like macarons so could be an off day or just not my cup of tea. Basically, all of the Croissants (Plain, Almond, Chocolate Almond and Cheese filled Croissant) were great. The Apple Lattice was really good. The Gourmandise is super good with its flaky pastry and mix of vanilla crème and chocolate! If you like a nice flaky pastry and a very luscious vanilla crème; Paul is your place. In the future, I will have to do a follow-up on the lunch menu and try their French bread!
