More than 500 gourmets gathered this Sunday, March 19 to feast and vote in the final of the Best Croissant in New York contest organized by French Morning. And more than 1,500 others were on the waiting list. An hour before the doors opened, a line formed outside the 5th&Mad bar in Midtown, where the competition was taking place. A group of Americans traveled from New Jersey to support their local bakery in Montclair, Le French Dad. In total, thirteen artisan bakers had been selected by our readers to participate in the final and had been working since early morning to prepare their croissants.
At tasting time, the atmosphere is festive. The crowd jostles from stand to stand to taste the different preparations, while at the bar they serve mimosas. The tables are overflowing with croissants, of course, but also with all other tempting pastries. ” Everything is so good, it’s going to be difficult to choose, explains a member of the public. And above all, you will have to spare yourself in terms of quantity! »
Among the crowd of voters this year, Taryn Delanie Smith, Miss New York 2022, did not want to miss the final for anything in the world, she who lived six months in Paris during a university exchange. ” When I lived in Paris, I ate a croissant every morning, so I’m really happy to be able to enjoy it today! », she rejoices.
At the jury table, the faces are concentrated, we closely observe the layers of puff pastry, we pay attention to the colors, the smells, the textures. This year, it is up to four judges to designate the best croissant: Miriam Milford (founder of BcakeNY), chef Eunji Lee (owner of Lysée), pastry chef at Le Bernardin, Orlando Soto and French chef Alexia Duchêne. ” For me, a good croissant is judged by its half-moon shape, its crispy texture, you need real layers, a well-ventilated interior, a yellow color that indicates the presence of real quality Norman butter”. explains chef Alexia Duchêne.
But appearances can be deceiving. ” You can have a very nice visual and then the result is disappointing. I really want to feel the taste of butter, a salty note, a melting side but not pasty in the mouth”, she adds. This year, the quality is high according to the jury, with creations worthy of what one could find in France.
At 1pm finally comes the moment of the verdict. Breads Bakery achieved a double by winning the Public Prize as well as the prize for the Besture original creation. The brand, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, won the jury prize for Best baguette 2022 organized by French Morning.
The third place of the jury is awarded to Boulud Grocery, represented by its head baker Mélanie Legoupil, trained at the Institut National de la Boulangerie Pâtisserie in France.
Chef Julien Khalaf, who is taking part in the competition for the first time, comes in second place. ” It’s a lot of emotion after eleven of work. I am really very proud. My parents who are watching from France are also very moved,” reacts the founder of Julien Boulangerie, his eyes filled with tears. It’s a separate process to grow croissants in the United States. You can’t simply copy and paste the French recipe, you have to adapt to the ingredients here, to the flour which is richer in gluten in particular. And we work exclusivelynt with french butter “says the head baker from Paris.
But the big winners of the morning are Brooklyn French Bakers, who won the Grand Prix for the best croissant in New York, awarded by the Consul General, Jérémie Robert. It’s a real accomplishment for these underdogs who opened just over a year ago and started in their kitchen, thanks to word of mouth. The emotion is palpable among the three founders, Sabrina Labouré, Nelly Azambre and Teddy Collet. ” It’s real teamwork on a daily basis, explains Sabrina Labouré, former bank branch manager who became pastry chef. For us who don’t come from that world and are in retraining, it’s really a dream come true”, she concludes.
Many thanks to all the other participants: Carissa’s the Bakery, Charlotte Pâtisserie, L’Appartement 4F, Le French Dad, Mo & Jay, Salon Sucré, Nick + Sons, Pistache and Tin Building by Jean-Georges; as well as to the sponsors of the event, French bee – which won a New York-Paris return ticket for one of our readers -, Les Moulins de Soulanges and Beurremont.
How is “Grand Prix” the best croissant in NYC when they don’t even have a bakery, shop or cafe open in New York City?
Also remember – this is only the best croissant from whoever joined the competition. I personally still think the plain butter croissant from Dominique Ansel is better than any of these examples.