Bakery Nouveau

Bakery Nouveau is another local bakery that specializes in French pastries and baked goods.  Located in the West Seattle neighborhood, Nouveau offers many of the same items as Honoré Artisan Bakery.  Much of what I could find online about Nouveau compares it to other french bakeries in Seattle, such as Honoré and Café Besalu.  So, of course, I used that as an excuse to venture out to West Seattle to do my own comparison :p

With it's warm colors, wood paneling and mood lighting, Nouveau seems to be a great, cozy spot to enjoy a cup of coffee and a sweet treat.  However, after waiting in line for a few minutes, I began to realize that things weren't what they seemed.  It was actually a bit chaotic...almost like a beehive.  Behind the counter are employees scrambling back and forth, filling orders.  Meanwhile, the customers are trying to keep up with the employees as they yell out more items to add to their order.   This store might be a bit too busy for its own good.  Either that, or they could use some restructuring of the way customers are assisted and how they line up.  They're also hindered in that they only have one espresso machine.  So, many customers are subjected to two waits-- one for the pastries, and the other, for their caffeine fix.  These long waits led to people pooling around the espresso machine and grabbing other people's drinks in error.

Personally, I had a couple of things go wrong.  First, we were charged for an extra item.  This was immediately corrected after we brought it to their attention.  Plus, we ordered quite a few items, so it greatly increased the chance that we would not be rung up correctly.  The second mishap was on our drink order.  We ordered an iced Chai and a drip coffee.  The Chai was ready shortly after we paid for our items.  The drip coffee, on the other hand, never made its way out.  Apparently, they ran out of drip, but we were not informed until we approached them about our missing drink.  As a substitute, they made us an Americano.

Overall, the drinks were average and the pastries tended to be on the sweeter side.  I think I'll have to give them another try on a less busy day.  I'll most likely get their baked breads, which I have now learned are what they are better known for.  For now, the upper hand goes to Honoré and Besalu.

Macarons (from top to bottom): Passion Fruit, Blood Orange, Salted Caramel

Twice-baked Hazelnut Croissant

Cherry and Pistachio Cake

Honoré Artisan Bakery

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.

Ballard Honey-poached Pear Almond Frangipane



Macarons (clockwise from top left): salted caramel, hazelnut, pistachio, lavender, passion fruit, and spicy chocolate