This is by far my favorite bakery/pastry shop in the Seattle area. Looking at the Yelp reviews, I'm not the only one with this sentiment. Tucked away in the Ballard neighborhood, most people only know of this delightful place because of the word-of-mouth raves or by happening upon it by chance. I've only been here a few times, but I must say that I am further impressed by them each time I go. I think I've been lucky in that I've never had to wait in line (others have noted that the line can be extremely long), but they do have a constant flow of customers. Never have the display cases been empty, nor have I experienced any sort of bad customer service. Instead, I've noticed that the kitchen is constantly at work, rolling out new pastries and baked goods for the display cases. It's a good thing their kitchen is so efficient because I've witnessed them put out a new item, only for it to be sold out within 20-30 minutes. Also, the cashier is extremely courteous, inviting, and helpful. She never rushes you to order and has a great knack for keeping a good flow of conversation and suggestions so that those in line behind you don't get peeved that you're taking more time than the regulars would to complete a transaction. I also have to mention that everything they serve looks insanely delicious. I have trouble picking out what I want each time! Macarons, tarts, pies, croissants, quiches...the list goes on :) My favorite thing to get there is their Kouign-amann (a sweet, buttery roll with flaky layers and a salted caramel glaze). Their macarons are also the best I've had in Seattle! Their honey-poached pear almond frangipane is also really good and it has inspired to me to make some of my own in the very near future ;)
This is definitely a bakery I would not mind working at or having the opportunity to shadow their chefs/bakers. Humble and comfortable, they offer high-quality goods without the pretentious atmosphere or high costs.
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| Ballard Honey-poached Pear Almond Frangipane |
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| Macarons (clockwise from top left): salted caramel, hazelnut, pistachio, lavender, passion fruit, and spicy chocolate |
This is by far my favorite bakery/pastry shop in the Seattle area. Looking at the Yelp reviews, I'm not the only one with this sentiment. Tucked away in the Ballard neighborhood, most people only know of this delightful place because of the word-of-mouth raves or by happening upon it by chance. I've only been here a few times, but I must say that I am further impressed by them each time I go. I think I've been lucky in that I've never had to wait in line (others have noted that the line can be extremely long), but they do have a constant flow of customers. Never have the display cases been empty, nor have I experienced any sort of bad customer service. Instead, I've noticed that the kitchen is constantly at work, rolling out new pastries and baked goods for the display cases. It's a good thing their kitchen is so efficient because I've witnessed them put out a new item, only for it to be sold out within 20-30 minutes. Also, the cashier is extremely courteous, inviting, and helpful. She never rushes you to order and has a great knack for keeping a good flow of conversation and suggestions so that those in line behind you don't get peeved that you're taking more time than the regulars would to complete a transaction. I also have to mention that everything they serve looks insanely delicious. I have trouble picking out what I want each time! Macarons, tarts, pies, croissants, quiches...the list goes on :) My favorite thing to get there is their Kouign-amann (a sweet, buttery roll with flaky layers and a salted caramel glaze). Their macarons are also the best I've had in Seattle! Their honey-poached pear almond frangipane is also really good and it has inspired to me to make some of my own in the very near future ;)
Thank you for posting about this! I had no idea there was such a place in Seattle. I finally was able to try it out this weekend and everything there was very good!
ReplyDeleteGlad you found it useful, Jade! What did you have? Did you have a favorite?
ReplyDelete