Bouchon

I still can't believe that my hotel room in Napa Valley was within walking distance of Bouchon, Ad Hoc, and the French Laundry!  Not to mention other amazing one-star Michelin restaurants such as Redd and Bistro Jeanty.

We woke up early on Saturday morning, walked five minutes down the road, and sauntered into Bouchon bakery for breakfast.  I'm so jealous of people who live in places like New York City or Las Vegas where they can do this everyday.

OK, I confess -"saunter into Bouchon" was inaccurate.  There was this crazy line out the door of the tiny little bakery.  But the line moved fast, and soon we entered!



Baked goods galore!

Beautiful, perfectly formed loaves of bread.

Daintily wrapped cookies and snacks.  Hey wait . . . those cookies look like the ones we got from the French Laundry at the end of our meal.  More on that later!

I took a quick peek into the baking area, but there wasn't much going on since everything appeared to be baking inside the ovens.

What to choose? Look at all those macarons on the top shelf!

doughnut with chocolate sprinkles, pecan sticky bun, bacon and maple scone, pain au chocolat, brioche

We chose an assortment of baked goods and everything tasted delicious. Among our favorites? The pain au chocolat, which was was filled with high quality, dark chocolate.  I liked how the chocolate was more solid -- not too gooey, not too sweet. The pastry was light, delicate, and flaky. I also loved the bacon scone. Though it was filled with savory bits, it seemed to be brushed with a microthin layer of sugar on the outside.  The result?  A crumbly scone that's so slightly sweet but salty at the same time.  Loved it.

Enjoying an espresso and a Bouchon vanilla macaron on your hotel balcony for breakfast?  Priceless.
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Other posts from the Napa Valley Series
Welcome Reception
Mystery Basket
Signature Dish Competition
Del Dotto Caves / Winery
Antica Vineyards