Francey Feast

Lately, I’ve been getting a flurry of animated messages from my friends in San Francisco alerting me to their neighborhood sensation…which would be a daily staple if I still lived there. Lucky for me I don’t. No, this isn’t a chic boutique or a new blow dry guru, this appeals to the sugar addict in me. b. patisserie is an airy, light-filled cafe featuring French-style pastries and savory fare such as salted caramel and chocolate eclairs, sugar brioche tarts, rustic baguettes, chocolate banana-almond croissants, macarons, and black forest ham and gruyere cheese tartines that are displayed artfully on a beautiful marble counter. The refined, yet modern salon de the has an open pastry kitchen, showcasing the talents of renowned pastry chef Belinda Leong, and the knowledge and expertise of French baker Michel Suas, as he is a leader of artisan bread and pastry education having founded the San Francisco Baking Institute.

Leong is known for her impressive pedigree as the former pasty chef for 9 years at SF’s swank Gary Danko. Additionally, she trained in Paris with Pierre Herme, as well as having worked at Noma- considered to be the best restaurant in the world- and gained a cult following back in SF with her Ferry Building pop-up- just prior to opening b. patisserie. Her creamy, buttery, sugary, creations pay homage to Paris, sharing simple recipes that re-create her life in France. The menu is composed of modern French style pastries along with American flavors and local influences, and her croissants rival the best in France. Leong’s signature kouign amann- pronounced queen-ya-mahn- is a caramelized pastry from France’s Brittany region and consistently sells out… which is probably why she snagged Zagat’s best pastry chef award in 2012, and the Eater awards chef of the year in 2013. Having just celebrated its first year, b. patisserie plans to roll out some new goodies including wine. Cheers. www.bpatisserie.com