"Cross a croissant, a pretzel, and a croque monsieur, and you get Lâm’s croque-croissant stuffed with mushrooms and mornay sauce and garnished with sesame seeds and sea salt flakes. It’s a prime example—alongside za’atar and feta swirl buns and tahini-chocolate loaf cakes—of the innovative mashup of French techniques and Middle Eastern flavors at this spacious bakery with a handful of tables both inside and out. The pistachio-orange blossom tourte marries the light nuttiness of the perfect macaron with the richness of flourless cake, topped with a blob of cheesecake-y icing. If your blood sugar can take it, go for the pistachio croissant, which is basically like eating baklava for breakfast. Creativity aside, the bakers here have the basics on lock, especially when it comes to the quiches. Fillings like onion, tamarind, and goat cheese or roasted cauliflower and sumac are piled into some of the butteriest pastry cases in town." - Emily Monaco
