Juniper - Review - Nob Hill - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"Juniper, opened by the owners of Saint Frank Coffee, is a Nob Hill bakery serving some of the city’s greatest croissants. Ask any of the staff members and they’ll tell everyone in their long lines to get the cubano croissant—it’s stowing away a mound of mojo pork, ham, pickles, gruyère, and french mustard under its crispy exterior. While it’s solid, the flavors can get muddled, especially if it’s not fresh out of the oven, which requires getting there right as the doors open. Nowhere else in the city has a croissant like this, so get it if you’re curious. Otherwise, we suggest going sweet and getting the twice-baked raspberry and almond croissant, which is just as airy, crisp, and chewy as the cubano, but more balanced. But the best thing on their menu is not a croissant at all—it’s the black sesame kouign-amann. The spiral layers shatter into translucent shards after each bite, and every crevice is smeared with black sesame." - Patrick Wong