It's a beautiful day for a croissant, and especially for it being almost Thanksgiving!  However, not warm enough for not wearing a coat. But how could I resist?  I almost perfectly matched the exterior in my indigo dress and bright yellow sunglasses... It must be pastry serendipity.  

 

It all started when I returned home from France in late spring.  Paris introduced me to the 'pain au chocolate,' or'chocolate croissant.'  My craving for this pastry was one I couldn't reign in.  I tried making them at home and then starting visiting several French and European bakeries in the area, but they all left me missing France even more.  Then one day, I was walking up Main Street after a lunch meeting in Salt Lake and spotted the beautiful blue facade and the word 'Boulangerie' on the sign.  I stopped short, almost running into another passerby, because this word was something I remembered from my visit to France.  Boulangerie is the French word for bakery.   

Inside I found the traditional European delicatessen case with pre-made pastries and sandwiches and then it stretched out into a beautiful cafe.  I ordered my pain au chocolate from the case and took it with tea at a cafe table.  My first bite into it transported me right back to France.  I was instantly on the cobble stone road in the rain with my friends, wishing this could last forever.  

 

To be clear, this is no ordinary experience.  A real pain au chocolate is glossy on the outside, buttery and light.  It's soft, but not moist, letting you enjoy every layer individually and all at once. The chocolate is not melty like a hershey kiss, but it is firm until it hits your pallet, where it melts into a heavenly, rich chocolate molten. 

 

Eva's Bakery has been a top favorite of mine since this moment.  For this post, we made a special trip to Eva's. The hardest part of ordering was trying to choose.  We have four favorite dishes, plus I could eat one of everything in the case, but I wanted to still have room to breathe.  We decided upon the croque-madame and the steak sandwich to share with you today.  The croque-madame is a classic French sandwich... a grilled sandwich crafted with ham and gruyere cheese on sourdough bread, topped with an over-easy egg.  The verdict:  Unbelievable.  

 

The steak sandwich is the perfect arrangement of slow roasted tri-tip, parmesan, arugula & spicy feta, on house baguette.

 

For dessert I had, you guessed it, a pain au chocolate and for Chris, the chocolate truffle cake from the case.  When we got to Eva's Bakery, the warmth inside was delicately inviting us to dine in, but after our sandwiches, the sun was out and we moved to the sidewalk tables to enjoy our dessert and the downtown life.  

(For the curious minds, our other two favorites are the mac and cheese and the margarita flatbread.)  If you're in the mood for some fine French food, I highly recommend Eva's Bakery.

Check them out online at EvasBakerySLC.com. And, if you've enjoyed their food, let us know what your favorite dish or dessert is so we can try it, too!