It’s not easy to resist a bakery that displays cakes, tarts and croissants like jewels in a box, tipped forward in a glass case, each as pristine as a gem in a society doyenne’s personal collection.
Sure, there is an awful lot of good-looking food out there, but the offerings on this continent tend to lag far behind their counterparts in Europe and other areas where the appearance of food is just as important as the taste.
At L’Artisan French Bakery Cafe near Silver Lake, eye candy shines for all the senses.
The cafe is tucked away at the back of the mall. With no storefront and just a small sign visible only to one direction of passing traffic, it’s easy to miss. Visitors must find the door and traverse a long, windowless hallway. It’s a pleasant surprise to emerge in a small, bright area with twin display cases and a glass wall that offers a view of a courtyard.
The clerks behind the counter aren’t surprised to see customers overcome. They smile politely and suggest that the take-away brioche loaf makes exceptional French toast. If you happen to order more desserts than there are people in your group, they don’t even blink.
They’ve been through this before.
Jacky Lichtenthaler, originally of Strasbourg, France, is the man behind this miracle. He learned his craft in his home country, then hopped around the U.S. before opening L’Artisan in 2004.
He’s been around long enough to know where to spend his energy. There are no soups or salads on his lunch menu. Instead, he offers heavenly knobs of bread with just enough filling to call it a sandwich. There are just four options, each $6.95, or $9.95 when paired with a beverage and dessert.
In a world of meat + sprouts + spreads + vegetables, L’Artisan’s sandwiches are delightfully restrained. The brie sandwich, just slices of the creamy cheese layered with the standard extras, is as indulgent as a platter served at a Parisian restaurant, without the protocol of politely trimming edges with a precious little knife. The bread is soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, but doesn’t flake away into a pile of crumbs. The sandwiches are served alone and are large enough for the heartiest appetites.
A chicken sandwich is made from sliced breast and layered with avocado. It’s one of the few items at the cafe that is not stereotypically French. Other options are ham with Swiss cheese, and turkey with havarti.
From there, expect an orgy of cream-stuffed choux, custard-filled pate sucre and flaky croissant shot through with chocolate.
Chocolate-glazed cream puffs and eclairs are large — each more than enough for two people to share, but it’s doubtful that happens often, if ever. The kitchen knows how to handle choux, and turns it out crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The impossibly smooth cream filling is practically unnecessary.
Lemon curd, more tart than sweet, is spooned into a thin pastry crust and topped with a curl of dark chocolate.
The only falter was the towering cherry cake, which layered dry chocolate cake with a cherry-jam-like filling and thick ganache. For all its complexity (an extra layer of smooth chocolate as a base, and more layers than seem possible), the cake loses out on taste.
The baked goods — croissants, loaves, rolls, brioche — are the best the cafe offers. The almond croissants are stuffed with a layer of marzipan. Brioche loaves, sliced thick and stored at home, make divine toast with butter and jam for days on end — just long enough to plan another visit.
Paris? Pfft. For pastries fit for a prince, airline tickets are no longer necessary.
Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.
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