Bouchon Bakery

Need I say more? Yesterday morning, we awoke to a beautiful day in Napa. After lolling around for a bit, having coffee on the hotel’s terrace, and checking out, we headed up to Yountville for a little breakfast, Thomas Keller style.

Our second trip to the Bouchon Bakery, we were already familiar with it’s tantalizing array of treats, and unlike the last time, we were there on a weekday morning. It was perfectly quiet and warm and sunny enough outside for a handful of people to be sitting in it’s outdoor area.

Can my new job be driving the Bouchon Bakery bicycle? Please?

While the Bouchon Bakery wasn’t packed, it did have a line, so we looked around while we waited. A sign advertising a prix fixe dinner at Bouchon drew us in. Unfortunately, the dinner special had ended the day before.

We watched as the Bouchon bakers put in trays and trays of baguettes.

And then it was our turn to order. Ordering at Bouchon is pretty overwhelming, but we decided on a vanilla macaron and a chocolate croissant. In hindsight, I am wondering why I chose vanilla with all of the other flavors, but I think it is a good, classic flavor and gives a good indication of a bakery’s talent. The lemon looks really good to me now. . .

The macarons and other baked goods seemed almost too good to eat.

And I wanted to try everything. That is the problem with only being able to visit places once in awhile.

We decided to join our fellow pastry-eaters outside for some sunshine. It was a little breezy but warm enough for me to be wearing a dress and spring jacket without tights. It felt strange after a winter of being bundled up!

The macaron ended up a good choice, light, chewy with an almost marshmallow-like filling.

Obviously I would recommend heading to Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery if you are ever in the Napa Valley area. It’s certainly worth a drive to Yountville to check out the famed Thomas Keller’s hotspots. I only wish we could have stayed forever. . .

What’s your favorite baked good of all time?