Croissant Run
Exhausted and cold after a run, you hear the beckoning call of flaky, golden crust and a dough that melts in the mouth. Surrounded by a halo of the brightest light and sitting on an immaculate white countertop is the subject of your affection: a croissant - the pinnacle of French baked goods. Refueled by the thought of a post-run treat, you rush off to find one, but where?
Fortunately for you, your blog correspondents have pulled information from their resources and once again took a running tour to the best croissant spots around town. We started our tour on a Saturday at noon in mid-November.
La Bicyclette | chocolate croissant
Flake factor: 8/10
Aesthetics: 6/10
Moisture: Dry on top, moist in the middle
R: Nestled on a corner in Williamsburg, La Bicyclette is a cute little bakery with a couple of tables and benches outside for lingering during warmer months.
J: They only had chocolate croissants when we arrived, but the shop was still alight with the smell of fresh-baked bread. It was incredibly difficult to not just buy one of their giant baguettes so we’d have something to gnaw on throughout the run.
R: The croissant itself was good, but not life-changing. A sturdy croissant. It won’t disappoint but may not wow.
J: Plus, the chocolate seemed sort of placed into the croissant vs. meaningfully integrated into its contours. I could have just BYO’d my own Hershey bar and sandwiched it into a regular croissant (if they’d had any) and it would have been the same thing.
Nick + Sons | chocolate chip cookie
Flake Factor: What is a flake on a cookie? A crumb? 2/10
Aesthetics: Okay, that was a pretty cookie 7/10
Moisture: It was a chewy cookie, not crunchy so 6/10
R: A word to the wise: If you are looking to get baked goods on a Saturday do not go out at noon. The selections slim the longer your day goes on and only 3/6 locations had croissants available. We arrived to Nick + Sons just before they shuttered their doors for the day and therefore many of their treats–including their croissants!!–were sold out. We subbed in a cookie.
J: Tucked right off Grand St, Nick + Sons is definitely the most aw-shucks charming place on this list– sympathetic to no one save the early risers. Getting there ~1pm was a bit reckless, and we were punished with a limited selection and a not unsubtle “you should know better” look by the staff.
R: The cookie was decent, it was sprinkled with sea salt and the perfect amount of chocolate chips. Plus, they managed to hit the sweet spot between crunchy and chewy, which is not an easy feat. If their cookies are any indication of how their croissants are, I’d say you’ll be pleased with a Nick + Sons croissant.
J: Playing the “what’s left at the end of the day” game at least exposes you to things you hadn’t considered getting before. I’d venture out to Nick + Sons in a heartbeat for their croissants, but maybe their cookies are worth a look as well.
R: The cookie did NOT sit well during the run. I do not recommend it as a mid-run fuel, in case you were wondering.
J: Yeah, lots of chocolate getting jostled around in the stomach for those keeping track at home.
L’imprimerie | plain croissant - finally!
Flake factor: 6/10
Aesthetics: 8/10
Moisture: 6/10 - soft on the inside, not moist or buttery
R: L’imprimerie was my favorite. They have a wide range of croissants to choose from and a storefront with character including embossed tin ceiling and wall tiles, and colorful ceramic animal fixtures.
J: We ended up finally getting a…
R: I’m still not done talking about the place! My favorite part had nothing to do with their baked goods. I fell in love with their antique printing press machine, which they kindly turned on for me as I drooled over it. They told me that L’imprimerie had been a printing shop until they bought it in 2013. COOL.
J: Luckily, the printing press wasn’t the only thing that was drool-worthy here. All their myriad pastries were out on display on these fancy little plates that gave the whole experience a very personalized feel. There was also a backyard garden area which, when sitting out there with a croissant and espresso, is probably the most French-esque experience you can find in Bushwick.
R: Okay, the croissant was beautiful. To look at and to eat. My judgment may be clouded.
Editor’s Note: According to 2x PPTC bake-off winner, Evy Barnett (she/her) “An exceptional croissant will have an unmatched shape and texture with a flaky crust that crunches with each bite. A great crust results in lots of crumbs (A little chocolate never hurts either)”. The croissants at L’imprimerie more than satisfied these criteria so we can forgive Rachael for her lack of objectivity here.
Evy Barnett with her Top Banana prize for the best banana bread at the PPTC picnic this summer.
Photo by: Marek Stępniowski
Saraghina Bakery | Focaccia- you were wondering when it’d show up, huh?
Flake Factor: 0/10
Aesthetics: 9/10 - I’m sorry but oily bread dimples are a thing of beauty
Moisture: 6/10
R: YUM. Maybe I realized that I’m more of a focaccia person than a croissant one? Let’s not twist my words, I love croissants but I think I LOVE focaccia.
J: At this point, our stomachs were full of butter and chocolate so a plain hunk of focaccia was warmly welcomed and assuaged my FOMO of not having gotten a baguette earlier in the run.
R: This was a work of perfection: oily, buttery, moist, and soft with a slight crispness to the outside.
J: I was a little miffed at the lack of herbs and garlic, but you can never really go wrong with anything at Saraghina (best brunch pizza in all the borough). Plus, there was enough salt topping to alleviate any electrolyte concerns you might have in the latter phases of a run (in case you focaccia Gatorade).
Mille-Feuille | plain croissant
Flake Factor: 9/10
Aesthetics: 8/10
Moisture: 6/10
R: This croissant was more difficult to break open and once you did the flakes were out of this world.
J: I don’t really trust Mille-Feuille and its endless shelves of fancy-looking pastries. At the best bakeries, you only have a 50/50 shot at getting what you want before they sell out.
R: I found the flavor of this croissant to be really fresh.
J: The little bag they put the pastries in is really nice and, generally, the croissant was pretty photogenic. If you’re around Vanderbilt, though, I think there are better pastry options (e.g. Agi's Counter, Ursula, & Fan Fan Doughnuts).
WINNER | Butternut squash sage focaccia
Flake Factor: 0/10
Aesthetics: 10/10 - maybe it was just the sun, but this baby was glowing
Moisture: 6/10
R: WINNER is the type of place you read about, where people spend their Saturday afternoon lined up for Apple Raspberry turnovers.
J: The line for WINNER is always outrageous, and it’s worth waiting in exactly once for their croissants, grilled cheese, and rye. But Southside Coffee is only half a mile away and makes way better egg sandwiches.
R: Once again, they were out of croissants so we opted for more focaccia! This time we got their butternut squash sage flavor. Their presentation was impeccable and it was delicious, but I’d argue that Saraghina’s focaccia was better. WINNER’s focaccia was a little dry. Does that speak to their respective croissants? Undetermined.
J: The butternut squash and sage made for a pretty picture, but Saraghina definitely gets the edge in the battle of the focaccias. So there you have it–the winner of the croissant run was neither WINNER nor was it an actual croissant. Rather, it was a humble slice of plain focaccia from an Italian spot in Bed-Stuy. Who’d have thought?
R: Our motto: poor planning leads to magical unexpected adventures.
Text by: John Vaghi (he/him) and Rachael DePalma (she/her)
Contribution by: Evy Barnett
Photos by: Rachael DePalma and Marek Stępniowski
Produced by: John Vaghi
PPTC is a diverse and supportive team. We want to celebrate the diversity of our club and membership. We welcome and encourage everyone to share their stories with us.