EATS: Boulangerie et Patisserie

In the world of cookery and food, smell is key. Usually before one has seen a dish, one will probably have smelled it. And that can tell you a whole lot about whether you're going to like said dish. Smells can trigger pretty powerful emotions. For example, I have never heard anyway say, "Fish sauce? Yeah, I'm okay with or without it." Nope. It's really that you're repulsed by the smell, or you like it so much that you've got to add a little bit of it to every savory dish you produce. But the one smell I think everyone loves universally is the smell of fresh baked goods. Something about the mixture and science of eggs, flour, butter, and other additives, combined in an oven, strikes a comforting chord with people. And that one reason alone, is enough to make travelling around San Francisco worthwhile (though, San Francisco is an awesome city in general). Walking around San Francisco is killer enough on its own--those hills? Way steep. And walking around San Francisco in the morning is even more difficult. But I'm telling you, if you've got the smell of breads and croissants and cakes to lure you, well, do as Toucan Sam does, and follow your nose! It's quite a treat. Unfortunately, I can't design a scratch n' sniff program for this blog, so I'll just have to settle for sharing the photos that I took of the bakeries that I visited. I will apologize in advance: this post is really image heavy!

Esther's German Bakery, Palo Alto, CA

Such a yummy resting spot in between endless trips to Target, Trader Joe's, and Costco to prepare my brother for his college life. And, to quote the barista, the split pea soup is, "off the hook." Also, the apple kuchen was very delicious too.

Boulange de Cole Valley, San Francisco, CA

This place was where I experienced my first French macaroon, and now I'm obsessed with finding them here in Seattle. Chewy, airy, light, with a tasty filling. And so many different flavors! I tried a pistachio one, and the caramel one in the first photo was gobbled up by my uncle. I'm still a little bitter.

Boudin Bakery, San Francisco, CA

Yummy, yummy sourdough makes for yummy yummy sandwiches. My favorite part of being in this bakery is that it is located in Fisherman's Wharf, which is a fun place to be in general, and the conveyor baskets of bread. Nothing like seeing fresh basketfuls of bread make their way around the store.

Enjoy!