French bakery

I'm looking for a local French bakery, or at least a bakery that has some French-inspired creations. An Internet search revealed only one -- Ermin's on Fourth Street, but I don't live near downtown and I was wondering if there were any smaller bakeries that might suffice. Any suggestions?

[Robin Garr]

I'm looking for a local French bakery, or at least a bakery that has some French-inspired creations. An Internet search revealed only one -- Ermin's on Fourth Street, but I don't live near downtown and I was wondering if there were any smaller bakeries that might suffice. Any suggestions?

Glenn, it may depend on exactly what you're looking for. Blue Dog on Frankfort Avenue isn't exactly "French," but they make excellent European-style breads and pastries, including baguettes and croissants, and they're not just one of the best bread makers in the city, they're one of the best in the U.S.

Thanks Robin. I've actually been craving chocolate croissants I ate in Paris a couple years ago. I was curious if I could get a good quality one here in Louisville.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks Robin. I've actually been craving chocolate croissants I ate in Paris a couple years ago. I was curious if I could get a good quality one here in Louisville.

Blue Dog's <i>real</i> croissants are right up there with the real thing, and their chocolate croissants are well-made. However, they use some kind of almond flavor in the chocolate items that's okay, I guess, but doesn't remind me of the ones I've had in France, so mark that one up to an idiosyncratic quirk for me.

I do think you'll like Blue Dog, though, Glenn, if you haven't been. They do have a very nice, small restaurant adjacent to the bakery, so you can eat in and have pastries, bread, an espresso drink, and even a short list of bistro dishes with wine. Lunch only, and you'd better check before you go, as I believe they sometimes close for a couple of weeks in August.

marzipan

Blue Dog would be your best bet.

Has anyone checked out the new chocolate place - I believe on Bardstown? I'm not sure if they would have pastries...

[Robin Garr]

Has anyone checked out the new chocolate place - I believe on Bardstown? I'm not sure if they would have pastries...

We dropped in when it first opened, and at that time at least, they were selling only high-quality chocolates (candy) and espresso drinks. Interesting, but too narrowly focused to be of much interest to me. I'm pretty sure it's just a chocolatier/coffee shop, not a bakery.

[Robin Garr]

marzipan

Blue Dog would be your best bet.

Doesn't taste like marzipan to me, it tastes like a dash of almond extract. I haven't really stopped to analyze it, though. It's funny. They're delicious pastries, but the almond thing going on doesn't seem right when I've got a very clear idea in my mind of what I expect in <i>pain au chocolat</i>, and almond isn't it.

I know what you mean. To me it tasted like there was a layer of marzipan in the croissant, but it could've been extract.

Robin,

Do you remember the name of the place? It's escaping me....

Deb

Deb, I think you're referring to Coco Chocolate Cafe.

I'm not a chocolate fan, so can't help you on where to get a good chocolate croissant...but I do love the almond croissants at The Bakery. I would be happy to just eat a tube of almond paste for a snack!

Glenn,
The Bakery @ Sullivan offers Chocolate & Almond Filled Croissants which may be up your alley.

An Internet search revealed only one -- Ermin's on Fourth Street, but I don't live near downtown and I was wondering if there were any smaller bakeries that might suffice. Any suggestions?

There is an Ermin's in Prospect. I don't know if this is any closer for you.

Hi there everybody,
I just wanted to let you know what the almond flavor was in the pain au chocolat at Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe. I was the pastry chef there for the past nearly 3 years until this February, when my baby was born and my job became that of a full-time mom. I still work at the bakery part-time on pastry, and I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have about the bakery/cafe. I'm also working on a website for the bakery, http://www.bluedogbread.com, which I hope to have up and running by the end of the year.
But back to the question at hand: the almond taste in the pain au chocolat is frangipane. Ours is made from almond paste, sugar, flour, butter, vanilla, and eggs. We decided to add it to our chocolate croissants to give them a little extra 'something', even though there is no frangipane in a traditional pain au chocolat. I guess ours could be considered the lovechild of an almond croissant and a chocolate croissant...
There are no current plans to close the bakery/cafe this August, but look for something closer to the end of September. I will post something as soon as I know the exact dates.
Thank you all for your interest in and appreciation of Blue Dog!