23 Feb 15th–Feb 21st, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Essence Bakery Café 3830 E. Indian School Road Thanks to Essence Bakery, you don’t have to go all the way to Paris to get an authentic French croissant. Owner and chef Eugenia Theodosopoulos trained in France for 20 years, learning from master baker Jean- Louis Clément. The result: croissants that deliver the fine balance of crunch and chew, whether biting into the butter croissant, a classic creation complete with caramel-colored striations on the outside and a cloud-like inside; the chocolate croissant, a venerable vixen that houses double chocolate amid its paper-thin layers; or the pistachio croissant, a mountain of coiled croissant dough infused with frangipane, a velvety almond cream and topped with chopped pistachio nuts. All magnifique! Lux Central 4400 N. Central Ave. To put it simply, Lux’s morning bun is the bomb. To put it not-so-simply, it’s croissant dough, expertly laminated by the skilled hands of owner and baker Katie Calahan and her team to create all those delicate, flaky layers, too many to count. Then it’s twisted and turned just so, and finished with fine sugar spiked with just the right zing of orange zest, to take it from damn good to divine. Each bite is a texture trip, an exercise in composition and contrasts, so you simultaneously get sweet, crispy, chewy, billowy, buttery, and zesty with each pull-apart mouthful. Yes, it may look all delicate and dainty, almost like a Viennoiserie rose, but it’s easy to devour — maybe even mandatory. Lior The Baker 10953 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale The almond croissant at Lior The Baker in north Scottsdale isn’t just any almond croissant; it’s an event. It starts when you walk into the north Scottsdale bakery, a cozy spot off Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard made cozier by the smell of chocolate and challah bread and a greeting from Lior Ben-Shushan himself. He runs the bakery with his wife, Lily. The croissants are bear- claw big, a bold and billowy adventure, all flaky and studded with slivered almonds and a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Yet tucked inside is a sweet almond filling that simultaneously keeps the whole thing together and squeezes out with each bite. In short, it’s a marvel of dough meets butter meets almond joy. Zinqué 4712 N. Goldwater Blvd., #110, Scottsdale The Parisian-style bistro and wine bar Zinqué offers some impressive daily-made croissants. You’ve got your classic order, with all those light and flaky layers, available by 7 a.m. each day. There’s also a chocolate croissant, a chocolate-filled treat with a crisp, golden exterior. Finally, for fans of savory pastries, the prosciutto and gruyère croissant — a hefty, meat-and-cheese option ideal for brunch on the patio or those on the go. Clockwise from top: A chocolate-filled treat with a crisp, golden exterior from Zinqué. Essence Bakery’s pistachio croissant puts a spin on the more common almond variety. Copper State Bread serves croissants stuffed with green chile, ham and cheese. (Photos by Zinqué and Allison Young) The Buttery Best from p 21
