Pain au Chocolat: A Taste Test

Joanna Goddard — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:59:26 +0000

Bread + chocolate = one happy baby.

Back in 1979, my twin sister and I were born in Paris, and for our first three years, our favorite food was decidedly pain au chocolat. We were obsessed with the flaky pastry and the chocolate hidden inside. Now, thirty years later, I decided to scout out the best pain au chocolat in my new hometown, New York City. I chose three renowned bakeries for an early morning taste test. Here we go…

Early this morning, I rode my bike down to Tribeca’s bustling Bouley Market, owned by celebrity chef David Bouley. The pain au chocolat cost $2.75; the pastry itself was very light and flaky, almost like phyllo; the two bars of dark chocolate added richness, and the overall flavor was satisfyingly sweet. I wondered, could another pastry top this?

Next up was Balthazar, the legendary (and perma-packed) French brasserie in Soho. (The restaurant “outglows anything within Brie-tossing distance of the Seine,” says New York Magazine.) Stepping into their sweet eponymous bakery next door, I ordered my second pain au chocolat for $3.25. It was smaller than the Bouley version and the layers of pastry were a bit denser, although still airy. The flavor was perfectly sweet and buttery, but also had a slight sourdough flavor that I adored.

My third and final stop was Falai Panetteria, a sleek Italian bakery in the Lower East Side. New York is a melting pot, after all, so I figured I’d give the Italian version of pain au chocolat a spin. A close approximation was a pear chocolate turnover for $3. The outside pastry was harder than the others, but the pear was moist and decadent inside. And it was the smallest of the three and felt the most like dessert (with powdered sugar sprinkled on top).

The winner? …Balthazar! The pain au chocolat reminded me of those good old days in Paris, sitting on the terrace getting chocolate on our chubby baby cheeks. xo

(Photos by Joanna Goddard)

Experience PARISIENNE » pastries

Pain au Chocolat: A Taste Test