Again with the suggestions!!
Last week I had a few suggestions that I visit Tony's. So, I did, and I posted the review. But what I didn't tell you, is that last week I had even MORE suggestions that I visit Amelie's in the NoDa Neighborhood of Charlotte. So, yesterday I made my way to Amelie's to check it out.
I'm glad I listened to my friends....
Amelie's in located in an industrial feeling shopping area at North Davidson and 28th St. From the outside there is nothing to distinguish Amelie's from the other stores in the brick and mortar complex. However, once inside, you feel miles away.
The interior is decorated with an eclectic, funky, and cozy vibe. Along with chess sets and checkers tables, you'll find chandeliers, sofas, and fake fire places. And the place is huge -- basically it's comprised of two store spaces. One is mostly for baking and some tables, while the other is primarily for seating.
But there is one thing that I noticed immediately -- the smell. The deliciousness of all the pastries and breads was evident from the smell alone. And once you enter, you're assaulted by the images of all the pastries in a wonderful display case. The second I entered I started to salivate.
After looking over the choices I chose a chocolate croissant and a cup of coffee. I prepared my coffee, took a seat, and then took a bite. The result???? OMG! YUM!!
The best chocolate croissant I've ever had was at a French Cafe in Ponta Delgada, on the Azores island of Sao Miguel. I know, I know, Portugal isn't known for it's food. But at this cafe, the baker was trained in France. So, all the food was fantastic. And the chocolate croissant was as close to heaven as possible.
The chocolate croissant from Amelie's is a VERY close second.
The chocolate wasn't too sweet or too bitter. It was excellent. In addition, the buttery, light, and flaky croissant was fantastic. My words simply don't do it justice. But this might -- I liked it so much I bought another so that I could eat one this morning!!
Unfortunately, since I inhaled the croissant, I HAD to try something else. I mean, what kind of a Foodie would I be if I didn't explore different dining options? Oh, the things I do to inform my readers!! It's a sacrifice, but I manage! :)
So, I ordered a twice baked almond croissant. Ok, here's how these things are made. A freshly baked standard croissant is sliced in half, and filled with a creamy/buttery almond concoction. That croissant is then dipped in a sweet syrup. And then it's baked again!! The result?? Something crunchy and sweet on the outside, and buttery and almondy in the middle! SQUEEE! I was in heaven.
While I was enjoying the almond croissant, I decided to have them bake me a loaf of sourdough bread. Having grown-up on San Francisco Sourdough, I can tell you it's been hard for me to find another that is comparable on the east coast. Fortunately, Amelie's sourdough is one of the better ones I've found over here. When I got the bread back to my car I stuck my nose in the bag and inhaled. Ohhhh, it smelled like home.....
So, I did what any other home-sick Californian who lives in the Lake Norman area would do... I went to Ferrucci's and got some Italian Dry (Sicilian style) Salami! Lemme tell ya. That bread with the salami? Heaven, pure heaven!
Score:
Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Total: 13/15
Price: $ (Coffee and pastry around $6)
Kid Friendly: Unknown
Conclusion: GREAT pastries and bread make this one of my favorite eateries in the Charlotte area. I'm glad that I expanded my geographical boundaries to try Amelie's. And it's only about a 20 minute drive from my home.
Restaurant Info:
Amelie’s French Bakery and Cafe
2424 N. Davidson St.
Charlotte, NC 28205
p)704-376-1781
http://www.ameliesfrenchbakery.com
Showing posts with label Bakery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bakery. Show all posts
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
La Patisserie (Mooresville)
When I first heard about La Patisserie, a friend of mine described it as a "Mexican Bakery." Once I got there and had a look around, I think that "Mexican Bakery" defines it a little too narrowly.
La Patisserie definitely has a Latino influence -- their empanadas look and smell amazing. However, they are more of a traditional bakery than I was expecting. They offer hand made pastries (croissants, turnovers, scones, etc.), desserts (cookies, tiramisu, cakes, etc.), and they make sandwiches too!
La Patisserie is located in a non-descript strip mall in Mooresville, located between the downtown area and Prickly Pear. If I wasn't looking for it -- I don't think that I would have seen it. The mall has a worn-down feel to it. Fortunately, once you enter La Patisserie, you leave that all behind.
When you enter this bakery / cafe, you're greeted by several display cases that show-off the pastries, deserts, cakes and crepes. This place just looks yummy. From photos on the walls, to the food in the display case, I think I gained 5 pounds by just walking-in!
I took a look over the menu, and though I REALLY wanted an empanada, I've missed having a decent Cuban sandwich too. So, I ordered the sandwich hoping I wouldn't be disappointed.
The sandwich arrived, and I took a bite. It was decent. It had "seasoned roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles with mustard served on fresh Cuban bread." The sandwich wasn't too dry or too wet. The pickles and mustard added a decent tangy-ness to the sandwich, the bread was good, and the meat was savory too. That said, I've had a much better Cuban sandwich before. This was good, but it didn't knock my socks off. In addition, I found the accompanying pasta salad to be lacking flavor. All-in-all, I found my lunchtime meal to be about average -- a score of 3/5.
But before I left, I grabbed some chocolate croissants and some cinnamon sticks to take home. The sticks would be dessert, and the croissants would be breakfast.
Now this was a good move!
The cinnamon sticks were HUGE. Over a foot long! They were crispy, flaky, buttery, and cinnamon-y. In addition, the glaze over the top was delicious, and after the dessert, I was licking my fingers trying to get every last crumb. Then this morning, I had the chocolate croissant with my morning coffee. It was light and buttery, with a very good chocolate filling. Not too dark, not too sweet. Overall, these are some very good pastries! This gets a 4/5.
Cuban sandwiches are a hard sandwich to master, so I'll be back again to try the empanadas. I'm going to average the food scores together for a 3.5/5.
Score:
Atmosphere:3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9.5/15
Price: $ (lunch was just under $10, and the separate pastry purchase was just under $10, too)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer a kids menu. And the tile floors are made for abuse.
Conclusion: Though I found my lunchtime sandwich to be average, I found the pastries to be quite good. If I lived closer to Mooresville, I'd be here every morning for a cup of coffee and a pastry. I'll definitely be back to try the empanadas!
Restaruant Info:
La Patisserie
627 N. Main Street
Mooresville, NC 28115
p) 704-799-1631
f) 704-799-3355
http://www.mooresvillebakery.com/
La Patisserie definitely has a Latino influence -- their empanadas look and smell amazing. However, they are more of a traditional bakery than I was expecting. They offer hand made pastries (croissants, turnovers, scones, etc.), desserts (cookies, tiramisu, cakes, etc.), and they make sandwiches too!
La Patisserie is located in a non-descript strip mall in Mooresville, located between the downtown area and Prickly Pear. If I wasn't looking for it -- I don't think that I would have seen it. The mall has a worn-down feel to it. Fortunately, once you enter La Patisserie, you leave that all behind.
When you enter this bakery / cafe, you're greeted by several display cases that show-off the pastries, deserts, cakes and crepes. This place just looks yummy. From photos on the walls, to the food in the display case, I think I gained 5 pounds by just walking-in!
I took a look over the menu, and though I REALLY wanted an empanada, I've missed having a decent Cuban sandwich too. So, I ordered the sandwich hoping I wouldn't be disappointed.
The sandwich arrived, and I took a bite. It was decent. It had "seasoned roasted pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles with mustard served on fresh Cuban bread." The sandwich wasn't too dry or too wet. The pickles and mustard added a decent tangy-ness to the sandwich, the bread was good, and the meat was savory too. That said, I've had a much better Cuban sandwich before. This was good, but it didn't knock my socks off. In addition, I found the accompanying pasta salad to be lacking flavor. All-in-all, I found my lunchtime meal to be about average -- a score of 3/5.But before I left, I grabbed some chocolate croissants and some cinnamon sticks to take home. The sticks would be dessert, and the croissants would be breakfast.
Now this was a good move!
The cinnamon sticks were HUGE. Over a foot long! They were crispy, flaky, buttery, and cinnamon-y. In addition, the glaze over the top was delicious, and after the dessert, I was licking my fingers trying to get every last crumb. Then this morning, I had the chocolate croissant with my morning coffee. It was light and buttery, with a very good chocolate filling. Not too dark, not too sweet. Overall, these are some very good pastries! This gets a 4/5.
Cuban sandwiches are a hard sandwich to master, so I'll be back again to try the empanadas. I'm going to average the food scores together for a 3.5/5.
Score:
Atmosphere:3/5
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Total: 9.5/15
Price: $ (lunch was just under $10, and the separate pastry purchase was just under $10, too)
Kid Friendly: Yes, they offer a kids menu. And the tile floors are made for abuse.
Conclusion: Though I found my lunchtime sandwich to be average, I found the pastries to be quite good. If I lived closer to Mooresville, I'd be here every morning for a cup of coffee and a pastry. I'll definitely be back to try the empanadas!
Restaruant Info:
La Patisserie
627 N. Main Street
Mooresville, NC 28115
p) 704-799-1631
f) 704-799-3355
http://www.mooresvillebakery.com/
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