Patisserie 46 - Croissants | Champagne Sunday

Ever since we came back from our honeymoon in Provence, hubz and I have been on a quest to find a suitable replacement for authentic French croissants, the best that we ever had being in a modest boulangerie in Gordes, in the Luberon. Over the past two years, we've tried several places in the twin cities, none of them worth mentioning, until we discovered Patisserie 46 in south Minneapolis. To the best of my abilities, it is the most verifiably authentic French croissant that I have had outside of France. I am not the only one who believes this, seeing as the chef has won numerous awards, but let me describe just how perfect these croissants are.

The sign of a good croissant is quite simple - flaky buttery crust, with a slightly chewy, soft, multi-layered center. You would think it would be easy for most places to achieve this - but perhaps the simplest of things is the hardest to achieve. Patisserie 46 croissants are excellent - no matter what time of day you get them. I would prefer a warm croissant but it would be impossible to be up and ready at 6am, much less 8am. This particular day, we made it to the Patisserie at 9:30am - a little late, but croissants were perfect as always.