The Definitive Guide to Celebrating National Croissant Day with America's Best Bakeries
Image Credit - nationaldaycalendar.com
by Albert Danilov | January 15, 2025

The Definitive Guide to Celebrating National Croissant Day with America's Best Bakeries

National Croissant Day, celebrated annually on January 30th, honors one of the most beloved French pastries. The croissant's story began in Austria as the "kipferl" before evolving into its current crescent shape in France. Today, this flaky, buttery pastry has become a global breakfast staple, with artisanal bakeries across the United States perfecting the time-intensive lamination process.
Creating the perfect croissant is a meticulous process that typically takes 2-3 days. The key lies in the lamination - alternating layers of butter and dough that create the signature flaky texture. The finest bakeries focus on quality ingredients, particularly the butter content and flour type, while maintaining precise temperature control throughout the process.
Here are some of America's most exceptional bakeries known for their croissants, where skilled bakers combine traditional French techniques with local influences.

Flour Bakery in Boston, MA

Flour Bakery opened in 2000 in Boston's Fort Point area. They specialize in French pastries and fresh-baked goods made daily. The bakery is known for its croissant-making process that takes three days from start to finish.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Traditional French-style with European butter
Pain au Chocolat: Dark chocolate-filled croissant
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with almond cream filling
Ham & Cheese Croissant: Made with local ham and gruyere
Morning Bun: Cinnamon-sugar rolled croissant dough
Pistachio Croissant: Filled with pistachio cream and topped with nuts

 

Recommendations: Best time to visit is before 10am for full selection. Croissants pair well with their homemade jam and coffee. For a complete breakfast, add their egg sandwich or quiche. In warmer months, enjoy the outdoor seating area. Pre-orders available for large quantities.

La Boulangerie & Co Logan in Chicago, IL

La Boulangerie has been serving authentic French pastries in Chicago's Logan Square since 2010. The bakery uses imported French butter and flour for their croissants, following traditional recipes and techniques developed by owner Vincent Colombet during his training in France.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Made with French butter and organic flour
Chocolate Croissant: Filled with Belgian chocolate
Almond Croissant: Topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar
Ham & Cheese: Layered with French ham and Emmental cheese
Spinach & Feta Croissant: Savory option with fresh spinach
Raspberry Croissant: Filled with house-made raspberry preserve
Nutella Croissant: Generously filled with Nutella

 

Recommendations: Visit early for the best selection, especially on weekends. Try their French breakfast combo - croissant with café au lait. They also offer croissant boxes for meetings or events. Limited seating available inside. Street parking can be challenging during peak hours.

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Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, CA

Tartine Bakery, established in 2002 by Chad Robertson and Elisabeth Prueitt, is a San Francisco landmark known for their artisanal bread and pastries. The bakery gained international recognition for their croissant-making technique, which involves a 3-day fermentation process using a natural sourdough starter. They mill some of their own flour and source organic ingredients from local farms. Each morning, lines form around the block as locals and tourists wait for fresh batches of pastries coming out of the ovens throughout the day.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Sourdough-based with organic butter
Pain au Chocolat: Filled with TCHO chocolate
Morning Bun: Orange-scented croissant dough with cinnamon sugar
Ham & Cheese Croissant: Made with Niman Ranch ham
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with house-made frangipane
Cheese Danish: Made with Cowgirl Creamery fromage blanc
Chocolate Almond Croissant: Combines both chocolate and almond filling

 

Recommendations: Join the line before opening (7:30am) for the full selection. Download their app to pre-order and skip the wait. Try their famed morning bun alongside your croissant - it's their unique take on the classic pastry. For lunch, get a croissant sandwich made with their house-preserved vegetables. The outdoor parklet offers great people-watching with your pastries.

Patisserie Poupon in Washington, DC

Patisserie Poupon stands out for its extensive selection of French desserts beyond pastries. The bakery is known for its rotating seasonal menu of macarons and classic French cakes, while maintaining one of DC's finest croissant programs. Their glass-fronted kitchen allows customers to watch the pastry chefs at work throughout the day.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: French butter and traditional lamination
Pain au Chocolat: Dark chocolate-filled croissant
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with almond cream
Pain aux Raisins: Spiral pastry with vanilla custard and raisins
Ham and Gruyere Croissant: French ham and cheese filling
Chocolate Almond Croissant: Combined chocolate and almond filling
Pain au Jambon: Rolled with French ham

 

Recommendations: Their éclairs and Opera cake make perfect companions to any croissant order. For a full French breakfast experience, add their quiche Lorraine or croque monsieur. Their coffee program features French roasts specifically chosen to pair with pastries. The fruit tarts change seasonally and are worth trying alongside your croissant selection.

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La Colombe's Fishtown in Philadelphia, PA

La Colombe's Fishtown location is their flagship café and roastery, housed in a renovated former storage facility. While primarily known for their coffee, they've developed a notable pastry program focusing on French-style croissants. They bake throughout the day in their open-concept space where customers can watch the baking process through large glass windows.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Made with European-style butter
Chocolate Croissant: Belgian chocolate filling
Ham & Swiss Croissant: Local ham with imported cheese
Everything Croissant: Savory option with everything bagel seasoning
Almond Croissant: Filled with house-made almond paste
Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissant: Extra crispy with double chocolate

 

Recommendations: Pair the classic butter croissant with their Monaco medium roast for balanced flavors. The chocolate croissant works best with their Workshop espresso, especially in cappuccino form. For savory croissants, try their Single-Origin Ethiopian as pour-over. Their signature Draft Latte complements the almond croissant really well. The Pure Black cold brew pairs nicely with the twice-baked chocolate croissant for a more intense flavor combination.

Bakery Nouveau in Seattle, WA

Bakery Nouveau, 137 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112, is known for its croissants, crafted using techniques brought to Seattle by the bakery's owner, William Lepry, a Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (World Baking Cup) winner. The bakery specializes in long fermentation methods, which give the croissants a rich flavor and delicate texture. It also uses custom refrigeration systems to maintain precise temperature control during dough lamination.

 

Highlights:

Classic Croissant: A multi-layered pastry made with French butter.
Almond Croissant: Filled with cream made from California almonds and topped with almond slices.
Chocolate Croissant: Features Valrhona chocolate for a deep, rich flavor.
Ham and Cheese Croissant: Made with locally sourced ham and Gruyère cheese.
Twice-Baked Almond Croissant: A signature item, created by baking the classic croissant a second time with almond cream.

 

Recommendations: Try the Twice-Baked Almond Croissant, considered the bakery’s signature item. If you prefer savory options, go for the Ham and Cheese Croissant, best enjoyed with a hot cappuccino. For a classic choice, the Chocolate Croissant offers a premium flavor thanks to high-quality Valrhona chocolate.

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La Boulangerie in New Orleans, LA

La Boulangerie on Magazine Street is considered one of the best spots for authentic French croissants in New Orleans. This bakery is run by French-trained pastry chefs who follow traditional Parisian baking methods. Their kitchen starts preparing fresh batches of croissants at 3 AM each morning.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Made with French butter and 27 layers of lamination
Almond Croissant: Double-baked and filled with house-made frangipane
Chocolate Croissant: Filled with Valrhona chocolate
Ham & Cheese: Made with French ham and Gruyère
Praline Croissant: Local twist with New Orleans praline filling
Seasonal Fruit Croissant: Changes based on local availability
Cajun Croissant: Filled with andouille sausage and local cheese

 

Recommendations: Arrive before 9 AM for the best selection, especially on weekends. Their French press coffee pairs perfectly with the classic butter croissant. For a New Orleans twist, try their praline croissant with their café au lait. They also make excellent croissant bread pudding in the afternoons if any pastries remain. The bakery can get busy during weekend brunch hours, so weekday mornings are ideal for a quieter experience.

Arsicault Bakery in San Francisco, CA

Arsicault Bakery in San Francisco's Inner Richmond district is widely recognized as one of the city's premier croissant destinations - they were even named "Best Croissant in America" by Bon Appétit in 2016. Their head baker trained in France and maintains strict traditional methods, including a three-day fermentation process and using specific butter imported from Normandy.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Traditional French lamination with Normandy butter
Chocolate Croissant: Filled with Valrhona dark chocolate
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with house-made almond cream
Ham & Cheese: Made with French ham and Gruyère
Blackberry Croissant: Seasonal with fresh local berries
Kouign Amann: Croissant dough with caramelized sugar layers
Chocolate Almond: Combination of their two popular flavors

 

Recommendations: Lines form before their 7AM opening, especially on weekends. Their plain croissant is a must-try to appreciate their technique. Coffee service is basic - consider grabbing specialty coffee from nearby Blue Bottle or Andytown. They often sell out by early afternoon, so morning visits are essential. No seating inside, but there are benches nearby in the neighborhood.

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St. Honoré Bakery Thurman in Portland, OR

St. Honoré Bakery Thurman sets itself apart with a unique water filtration system that mimics the mineral content of French water - a detail they claim is crucial for authentic pastry texture. The bakery also operates its own butter-making program, controlling the exact fat content and culturing process specifically for their croissants.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: House-cultured butter, traditional lamination
Pain au Chocolat: Valrhona chocolate filled
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with frangipane
Ham and Cheese: French ham and Gruyère
Hazelnut Praline: Oregon hazelnuts, house-made praline
Wild Mushroom: Seasonal with local foraged mushrooms
Apple Croissant: Local apples, cardamom cream

 

Recommendations: Their croissants are best experienced with their house-made cultured butter and local honey. For coffee pairings, opt for their medium roast with classic croissants and dark roast with chocolate varieties. The wild mushroom croissant pairs exceptionally well with their French onion soup. They offer a "baker's choice" box that includes experimental flavors not on the regular menu. Afternoon visitors should check out their twice-baked croissant variations - a creative way they repurpose morning pastries.

Eva's Bakery in Salt Lake City, UT

Eva's Bakery in downtown Salt Lake City is known for their French-style baking program. The bakery has a distinct blue exterior inspired by Parisian cafés and features a large open kitchen where customers can watch the lamination process. They mill some of their own flour in-house, working with local wheat farmers.


Highlights:

Classic Butter Croissant: Made with European-style butter
Chocolate Croissant: Filled with Callebaut chocolate
Almond Croissant: Double-baked with almond cream
Utah Honey Croissant: Glazed with local honey
Ham and Gruyere: Savory option with French ham
Herb and Sea Salt: Made with fresh herbs
Chocolate Hazelnut: Filled with house-made praline

 

Recommendations: Try their signature honey croissant with their cardamom latte - it's a local favorite combination. For savory options, the herb croissant pairs well with their house-made tomato soup. They serve La Barba coffee, specifically selected to complement their pastries. Early birds can watch the baking process between 6-7am through the kitchen windows. They also make excellent croissant bread pudding with unsold pastries in the afternoon.

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by Albert Danilov | January 15, 2025 | SHARE

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