Yesterday, I had one of those moments that we all seek with food, a moment that made my heart stop beating for a second to shiver with recognition and delight. It came when I bit into a pretzel croissant at The City Bakery on 18th Street between Fifth & Sixth Avenues here in New York. (I would link to the web site, but The City Bakery's web site is so pointless, unless you're interesting in catering or its story, that I don't want to encourage you to waste a click.)
Now, I'd seen the pretzel croissant many, many times. It always looked good, but so does nearly every thing on offer at The City Bakery. There's always something else to try, and croissants, they're so airy that even when they're good they don't seem quite worth the commitment. All that air leaves me hungry, while all that butter never leaves. But yesterday, my friend Melissa and I found ourselves at the food counter seeking shelter from the rain an hour before we'd planned. In other words, I thought we'd be having lunch at City Bakery, and instead we were there for breakfast. When I asked Melissa if she'd ever had one of those pretzel croissant her jaw dropped, her eyes got wide and she said, "Only about a thousand times."
Clearly, my time with the pretzel croissant had come. And it will come again. Soon. Because the genius of the baked good -- it's butter (a lot of butter) and salt lifted on light flakes of tender pastry -- it must be explored, investigated, enjoyed. Life's to short to neglect such fleeting pleasures.
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4 comments:
This must have been the weekend of pretzel-related things! Yesterday, I made (and wrote about) my very first batch of pretzel rolls. The pretzel croissant sounds fabulous and definitely more decadent than my rolls (though they're quite tasty). I'll put it on my long list of things to eat when I'm next in NYC.
I must go read about those rolls! And,if the croissants are in the neighborhood, dont miss 'em...totally decadent.
The pretzel croissant and I go way back, and it's a good thing I live across the bridge from City Bakery. Last time I passed by, I'd just had lunch but still had to buy one.
This is one recipe I do not want to learn to make for fear it'll require a new wardrobe...one size larger.
It's true that now that I've had a pretzel croissant, I don't think I'll be able to pass it by so easily. Truly a good thing to live in the wrong neighborhood when it comes to City Bakery!
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