Bakery in the City - Tartine Bakery

On Friday morning, Mijo and I decided it was time to give Tartine a visit.  We usually go to our favorite neighborhood Destination Baking Company on Fridays but we realized we haven't been back to Tartine for a while now. 


Since we had extra time to spare on Friday morning before going to work, Tartine was the logical choice.  Mijo and I both enjoyed a slow and carefree 30 minute breakfast of Morning Bun, Fragipane Croissant, Gougère and cups of coffee. Delicioso!


Here are my favorites that I've enjoyed through the years of going to Tartine. What are your favorites?

Morning Buns. We've been going to Tartine for years and I as far as I can remember we always order a Morning Bun - whether to eat it there or to take with us. These delicious flaky breads are sweet and have hints of orange and cinnamon. Maybe some more hints of cloves? The outside is crunchy because of the lightly browned sugar and orange glaze. Cinnamon sugar is also sprinkled all over the bread. The Morning Buns go very well with coffee because the orangy flavor hightens the caramel taste of coffee - or the other way around. These breads are big enough to be shared by two people. At least, Mijo and I usually do. 

Frangipane Croissant. Only a few bakery in the city can make very good almond croissants. Tartine is one of them. These breads are very fragrant. Imagine the smell of creamy butter and freshly toasted almonds. Be sure to use your hands when you eat one of these and be ready to make a mess on the table because they are very flaky. Among my favorite bakeries in the city that bake these heavenly almond croissants, Tartine's is the biggest in terms of serving size. Their almont croissants are also filled with a generous amount of almond creme filling. Mijo and I always split this bread into half and just share one half between the two of us. The other half of the croissant, when I take it home, is still good the next day. It is almost comical when you see us at Tartine because we finish this bread to the last morsel of flake on our plate. This too, is perfect with coffee. This is almond croissant heaven, if there is such a place.

Gougère. I think I can sit on one corner of Tartine and eat five of these in one sitting. That's how good these cheesy, airy, flaky, puffy, with hints of garlic and herbs. I almost always order this bread with Frangipane Croissants and Monring Bun. I also like these breads because they are on the savory side and sort of break the monotony of the buttery and the sweet taste of the Frangipane Croissant and Morning Bun. I am also imagining these breads are great when paired with vino. Maybe one of these days, I'll get several of these amazing breads and open a bottle of Pinot Noir.


We like going on Friday mornings because the line is manageable plus the crowd is mostly neighborhood folks, locals like us and office workers. You can also linger a bit longer on Friday mornings unlike on weekends. There is this large table in their dining area where you can sit with strangers. Go there on a regular weekend and the line usually snakes around the block and the crowd totally changes because of the out of towners and tourists joining in. There was one time when Dinah, Karen and I went there for a Saturday breakfast. I think we might have waited for an hour. I am not kidding! However long the wait may be, it is totally worth it.
 
I've noticed a non-written rule when going to Tartine or to the crowded cafes and popular restaurants in the city. Locals do not just grab an empty table and they usually let the ones who already ordered take their turn first. Here's how to spot a non-local - if you see someone who is grabbing an empty table while still in line. :)







Enjoy!

 ~rl


P.S. Here are a couple more favorites. 

<----  The super moist but not sweet at all Brioche Bread Pudding topped with fresh berries.


And the openfaced sandwich Croque Monsieur. -->