Frenchly and French Morning readers have decided: they nominated eight finalists for the first edition of Best Croissant Miami. These elite eight bakeries will compete to be the winner of Best Croissant at the final competition on April 15 at the National Hotel in Miami Beach. Tickets are available here (early bird tickets are $15, available until March 29).
During the final competition, you can enjoy croissants, pain au chocolat, and other pastries, accompanied by jam, tea, coffee and other small flavors. A more complete brunch menu will also be offered ($45).
All the viennoiseries presented by the finalist bakeries are made by hand. Appearance, texture, and flavor: everything will be inspected by a jury who will blind-taste-test and judge each croissant and pain au chocolat to determine the best. May the best baker win!
This year, the jury is composed of:
– Vincent Catala, pastry chef and cook
– Grégory Gourreau, executive chef of Juvia in Miami Beach
– Saeoko Nemoto, pastry chef at Boulud Sud
– Yann Rio, chef
– Gilles Epié, Michelin-starred chef and president of the jury
– Mickael Marchand, executive chef at Grand Beach Hotel Surfside
And finally, the long-awaited list of eight finalists:
La Provence
After winning the Best Baguette award in 2017, David Thau’s team returns this year with a new ambition: to win the prize for the best croissant. Since 1997, La Provence has used French artisanal techniques and fresh ingredients without preservatives. With nine sites in and around Miami, the Provence story continues…
Rosetta Bakery
Tommaso Bulfon won the Fan Prize from the Best Baguette competition in 2017. And what about his croissant? This Italian bakery, open since November 2015, offers classic viennoiseries and innovative products, such as a croissant with apricot jam or raspberries.
L’Artisane Creative Bakery
L’Artisane Creative Bakery opened its doors on Collins Avenue just a few months ago. Chef Carolina Molea offers classic French viennoiseries, muffins, quiches, tartes, cookies, and small gâteaux. Everything is made fresh daily and 100% vegan and cruelty-free, surprising even the pickiest eaters.
B Bistro & Bakery
This bakery-bistro, located in the heart of Brickell and run by Chef Hané, serves homemade (in-house) baked goods daily. Their specialities? The famous Cruffin (mix of croissant and muffin, made by Chef Natalia), the charcoal croissant, and the Nutella croissant.
Zak the Baker
Situated in Wynwood in Miami, this certified-kosher bakery has been producing bread and pastries for six years. Everything is made on site from carefully selected ingredients. Zak the Baker sells its products to individuals as well as to hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets.
La Boulangerie Boul’Mich
For over ten years, La Boulangerie Boul’Mich has been offering fresh products to its Miami customers every day. In a relaxed atmosphere, each of its four boutiques offers classic viennoiseries and some specialities such as a Nutella croissant and a cheese/guava croissant.
Lobster Bar Sea Grill
Opened just a year ago, Lobster Bar Sea Grille is a mediterranean inspired seafood restaurant. Their brunch menu offers numerous dishes including pastries and viennoiseries. The chef Carolin Houdusse, who everyone calls Carl, makes croissants, pain au chocolat, brioche, and more. On the weekends, more viennoiseries are offered like a pisatchio white chocolate croissant, a lemon meringue brioche, and a mango passionfruit croissant. The chef’s specialty? A raspberry croissant.
Flavorish
Flavorish is a small family business that combine passion and effort. We have a unique concept there: you can find French pastries, Argentinian style pastries, Latin baked goods and much more. We offer different products according to our clientele. Everything is home made, with no artificial colors, preservatives, or additives.
