(BakeryNouveau.com) – West Seattle 

How I heard of this place: We tried it once nearly one month ago and couldn’t stop talking about it! Second time? Also a culinary success.

Type of cuisine: French baking at its best outside of Paris. “Whether it’s chocolates, pastries, quiches, breads, pizzas, jams, or cakes, you’ll find they have one thing in common: They’re simply among the best you will ever taste. No one else in the city makes them or bakes them the way we do. Moreover, you’ll find creations and seasonal faire that exist nowhere else. Start with a simple baguette and taste your way up to the complex chocolates and desserts. Save room. It’s a long way to the top and you’ll meet plenty of favorites along the way.”

Ambiance: Step into this patisserie and you will have just stepped into a Parisian cafe. The aroma of fresh baked breads and pastries, the faint fragrance of fresh roasted Lighthouse coffee waft through the space, as the crowds make their way into the small, but cozy space. Should one walk by and (sadly) not make their way in, the window display of seasonal goodness will draw him back. Stepping through the door one finds to his left a full display of warm pizzas and quiches, working over to the cookies and macaroons. Continuing down the length of the bakery, your senses are heightened with the beauty of small gateaus, artfully decorated slices of layered cakes and pies and finishing the sensory tour with pastries, danishes and filled croissants. To your right, if you can take your eyes off of the delicacies, can be found a long booth that stretches the length of the cafe with small wooden tables and chairs next to it. To the back, patrons can help themselves to coffee cup lids, java jackets, serviettes, water and other such accouterments.

The baking space is just beyond and the half-wall gives onlookers the opportunity to watch bakers do their work. “And nothing brings people together faster than delicious, expertly prepared food.” We strive to be a refuge from demands of daily life. A place where one can linger over a cup of coffee and croissant and laugh with a friend”. Visit us on any bustling day and you’ll see what we mean. Strangers ask each other what they’re having and offer ‘have you tried the…?’ Friends from the neighborhood bump into each over the pastry case, and suddenly, that long-meant-to-have cup of coffee is consummated over a pear Danish. Our staff knows a great many of our customers by name and have created an extended family. We are building community one bite at a time.”

What I ordered: On this occasion, I opted out of the hard-to-resist pastries at Bakery Nouveau! Of the seven of us that entered the cafe, two walked out with decadent treats. One of our companions got two chocolate croissants ($3 each) to take away and enjoy later. The second ordered a peppermint cheesecake ($4.40) and enjoyed it later (albeit a quick later). Lucky for me, I was around later to take a bite!

On a return visit, Wednesday, December 18, 2013: Nearly three years from my previous venture out to West Seattle, this special occasion, marking the first visit from my sister to our newest home in Seattle called for a special treat. On this visit we enjoyed a couple of savory options, a couple of sweet options, and one to bring home! We started with a double tall latte ($3.45) for my sister,

a large – 16oz – hot chocolate ($2.75) for my beau and the following delicacies: a Sausage Pastry ($4.50),

a Smoked Salmon Pastry ($4.50),

the Junction Croissant ($6),

one Twice Baked Almond Croissant ($3.85) and the Maple-Pecan Brioche ($3.85) to take home.

What I loved: Bakery Nouveau has yet to create a less-than perfect sweet pastry. The room temperature cheesecake gave us the pleasure of sampling a creamy, light and fluffy treat, lightly hinted with peppermint.  My favorite part of the cheesecake, admittedly, was the graham cracker crust, flakey, buttery and unsweetened.

Why I loved it: What is not to love about Bakery Nouveau? Everything from the ambiance, the sweet, fragrant air as you enter and the goodies you walk away with are well worth the drive to West Seattle.

Cost: Average to high ($3-$5 per pastry/danish)