Essence Bakery Cafe

"Eugenia Theodosopoulous’s quaint European cafe excels in preparing breakfasts and baked goods, including baguettes, brioche, and sourdough made with local grains. Her baking prowess extends to viennoiserie. Seasonal croissants come in a range of flavors from hatch chile-cheese to Meyer lemon and honey apple. Theodosopoulous also serves egg sandwiches on toasted brioche, slow-scrambled eggs, and huevos “Frenchos.”" - jamiekillin, Chris Malloy

"Arizona Hall of Fame inductee and French-trained chef, Eugenia Theodosopoulos, a.k.a. Chef Theo, is the force behind Essence. The destination serves breakfast and lunch along with breads, pastries, cookies, and seasonal jams. Some of her noteworthy items are her pain au chocolat, macarons, pecan sandies, and the Mexican wedding cookie, which she makes with a hint of orange. For chocolate fans, the Valrhona Dulcey cookies are a cross between a cookie and a brownie." - Asonta Benetti, Bahar Anooshahr

"Owned and operated by French-trained pastry chef Eugenia Theodosopoulos and her French husband Gilles Combes (the friendly GM), this busy, minimalist cafe offers the city’s best croissants, pain au chocolat, and macarons, as well as wonderful brioche, tarts, cookies, and kouign amann (the latter, weekends only), Savory breakfast and lunch options include excellent scrambled eggs (enriched with cream, Dijon, and Parmesan), quiche Lorraine, luscious lemon-basil chicken salad, and (because Theodosopoulos is Greek) spanakopita." - Nikki Buchanan, Chris Malloy

"Chef and owner Eugenia Theodosopoulos was the first person to introduce French macarons to Phoenix nearly 30 years ago, and no matter how many competitors enter the ring, her macarons invariably take the prize . . . literally. They’ve won countless awards, which is not surprising considering that Theodosopoulos went to culinary school in France, then worked there for years before coming to Phoenix to open a bakery and cafe that also turns out beautiful pastries and faultless croissants. Her pretty macarons, offered in two sizes, are delicately crisp yet moist and a little chewy (never dry or crumbly), and they come in a rainbow of colors and flavors, including raspberry rose, pistachio, key lime, Meyer lemon, pink grapefruit, espresso, French chocolate, and caramel cream." - Nikki Buchanan, Chris Malloy

"Eugenia Theodosopoulous’s European cafe excels in preparing breakfasts and baked goods, including baguettes, brioche, and sourdough made with local grains. Her baking prowess extends to Viennoiserie. Croissants, naturally leavened, come in a range of flavors from olive and rosemary butter to passion fruit and chocolate. Theodosopoulous also serves egg sandwiches on toasted brioche, slow-scrambled eggs, and huevos “Frenchos.”" - Chris Malloy