For one or many

I have been patronizing Buzz Bakery for over a year and had yet to review it, probably because more often than not I go there to get away from writing in the first place. Owned by the same restaurant group as Rustico (across the street), Vermillion and the Evening Star Cafe, Buzz is a watering hole, a sophisticated dessert case and a morning pastry shop rolled into one.

Pastry Chef Josh Short and his team (who work until the wee hours, with a 6 AM opening and a midnight closing 7 days a week) offers something for everyone. If you stop there for breakfast you'll find oatmeal, waffles, scones, breakfast sandwiches, an incredible cinnamon role that takes its cues from brioche. Lunch offerings include simple salads and pre-made sandwiches. Brownies, cookies and cupcakes are available all day long. The ginger snap is very well balanced, with a good amount of crunch and spice. Their signature cupcake, the bumble bee, has a chocolate filling, meringue frosting, and its namesake bumblebee hovering above. (I believe I have one of each color by now), Thought it is true that the cupcakes used to be bigger and the filling has gone from pudding to sauce, their cakes-for-one especially the seasonal ones (the current ones include caramel apple and carrot cake) are consistently well made, beautiful to look at, imaginative and even fun to carry in a a Chinese take-out inspired container. Friendships have been made and saved, and many a-colleague enticed, prodded and even bribed, with the contents of that pastry case.

Their tartes are what set Buzz apart from the cupcake shops of DC - the caramel and pine nut is an impressive use of smoke taste in an unexpected place, and the lemon creme tarte would make a classic pastry chef nod in enthusiastic approval. Full cakes and pies are also available to carry out. If you find yourself there late, as I often do, you'll find plenty of people nursing drinks other than Illy Coffee. Though their dessertinis are nothing you couldn't find at a regular bar, they have a well-rounded wine selection and beers that make it a worthy sibling of Rustico.

Not quite Old Town, but you'll be glad you made the trip.

Buzz Bakery
901 Slaters Lane
Alexandria VA 22314
www.buzzonslaters.com

And the winner is...

I left my heart in Paris 7 years ago and I've been trying to get it back ever since. I can't pack up and move to France (yet) so in the meantime I reconstruct it: flowers, CDs, DVDs, books, pink cocktails, wonderful cheap wine, and of course, food. My quest for the perfect croissant to eat Stateside is more than a whim, it is happiness, comfort and resolve on a plate. With such high expectations, I've been disappointed more than once.

The secret to a great croissant is butter - it gives the bread it's golden hue and helps make the bread fluffy and crispy. I've had good croissants at Firehook, Patisserie Poupon and Breadline in DC. Le Pain Quotidien passes muster but they have better breads. La Madeleine has awful croissants. Starbucks - a crescent shape does not a croissant make. The French were on to something when they decided to score, rank, and publish the rankings of Parisian bakeries.

I went to Bouchon Bakery at a friend's suggestion. The nearest one to DC is in Manhattan, but it is conveniently located by Columbus Circle and Lincoln Center. The brainchild of Thomas Keller, it was originally created to provide his restaurants with baked goods. Luckily for those of us who cannot afford Per Se or French Laundry, the bakery has a wide selection of tarts, croissants, macaroons (one of my favorite things) as well as a sit-down cafe with views of Central Park. I had a croissant and one of the seasonal macaroons (pictured, the croissant was long gone) a perfectly made set of meringue cookies encassing a cassis filling. Well worth the detour, and cheaper than a trip to the Left Bank.

Bouchon Bakery & Cafe
Ten Columbus Circle, Third Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.823.9366

www.bouchonbakery.com