What would a Christmas dinner be without a bûche de Noël? Fruity or chocolatey, traditional or original, it’s the must-have dessert of the festive season. Here’s our selection of patisseries in the Bay Area where you’ll find an excellent bûche for your holiday table.
Sarmentine
There are three flavors of bûche on the Sarmentine menu this year: Chocolate hazelnut (chocolate sponge cake, hazelnut mousseline, all enrobed in delicious Valrhona chocolate), Cherry pistachio (pistachio Bavarian cream, cherry compote, and Trocadéro biscuit), and Poire Williams (spiced genoise, Poire Williams mousse, and caramel buttercream). The bûches imagined by Alexandra Zandvliet come in two sizes, with 6-8 portions for $66, and 10-12 portions for $94. Pre-orders close on Friday December 13, so don’t delay.
Addresses: 52 Mission Circle, Suite # 112 Santa Rosa; 840 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma; 6760 McKinley Street, Suite # 150 Sebastopol.
Maison Alyzée
It’s going to be a tough choice, but really, why choose? Maison Alysée on Castro street in Mountain View, which opened a second store in Burlingame in 2022, is offering three bûches this year: Chocolate (chocolate biscuit, chocolate cream, and dark chocolate mousse), Hazelnut Yuzu (hazelnut financier biscuit, yuzu confit, praliné hazelnut cremeux, vanilla cream, white chocolate mousse), or Pistachio Raspberry (pistachio financier, raspberry confit, and white chocolate mousse). They will be available from Friday, December 6, through Tuesday, December 31, with the exception of Wednesday, December 25. They cost $60 for 4-6 people, and up to $136 for 12-14 people.
Addresses: 212 Castro St. Mountain View; 1208 Burlingame Ave, Burlingame.
Thorough Bread and Pastry
Thorough Bread and Pastry, founded by Michel Suas, and taken over by his daughter, Juliemarie, will be offering two bûches this year: the Vanilla Berry (vanilla mousse, raspberry compote, chiffon cake, and shortbread) and the Chocolate Hazelnut (dark chocolate mousse and hazelnut layers, chocolate sponge cake, and sablé cookie). They are available for pre-order from Friday, December 6, through Wednesday, December 18. The bakery will be open on Monday, December 23, and Tuesday, December 24, and closed on Wednesday, December 25, and Thursday, December 26. Cost: $53; serves 4-6 people.
Address: 248 Church St, San Francisco.
b. patisserie
b. patisserie has concocted three irresistibly flavored bûches: Matcha Raspberry (matcha shortbread, raspberry ganache, matcha mascarpone mousse, and raspberry jelly), Speculoos Chocolate Vanilla (speculoos cookie, vanilla mousse, sponge cake, chocolate icing), and Dark Chocolate (chocolate shortbread, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, and sponge cake). They are available for pre-order until December 21, and can only be collected on Tuesday, December 24. Cost: $75 per bûche; serves 10-12 people.
Address: 2821 California Street, San Francisco.
Maison Nico
This year at Maison Nico, chef Nicolas Delaroque‘s extra-gourmet Christmas bûches are the perfect accompaniment to his capons and pithiviers. The base is a chocolate sponge cake, topped with lemon mousse, caramel, and Bavarian cream. Pre-orders are already open, and you’ll be able to pick up your bûches on Sunday, December 21; Tuesday, December 23; and Wednesday, December 24! Expect to pay $90 for a dessert that serves 10-12 people.
Address: 710 Montgomery Street, San Francisco.
One65
Claude Le Tohic at One65, whose restaurant O’ recently confirmed its Michelin star, is once again offering three flavors of bûches this year: the Chocolate-Vanilla (chocolate and caramel mousse, creamy vanilla, Jivara sponge, hazelnut, and chocolate crunch), the Chestnut (choux pastry, vanilla and chestnut ganache, chestnut confit, with a touch of whisky), and the Mandarine Jivara (mandarine madeleine, panna cotta, mandarin confit, chocolate mousse, yuzu ganache, and marshmallow). The Chocolate and Chestnut bûches are available in two sizes, for 4-6 people ($65), or 8-10 people ($95), while the Mandarine is only available in large format. It’s best to order them in advance, either in-store or online. They can only be collected from the store or delivered on Monday, December 23rd.
Address: 165 O’Farrell St, San Francisco.
Arizmendi
You can’t change a winning recipe! Once again this year, Arizmendi is offering a chocolate roulade topped with rum custard and fudge icing, decorated with fresh cranberries and mushroom-shaped meringues. Available only on Tuesday, December 24, priced at $45, this cake serves 8 to 10 people. Pre-orders are already open and will close on December 22.
Address: 1331 9th Avenue, San Francisco.
Miette
The Hayes Valley patisserie Miette, best known for its candy-filled window and shelves, is banking on a sure bet: the classic chocolate roulade, with handmade decorations delivered separately to be added at the last moment, just before serving: holly leaves, dark chocolate pine cones, meringue mushrooms, and a pinch of snow. The bûches will also be available at other Bay Area Miettes. Please note! Pre-orders close on Thursday, December 12, and you’ll be able to pick up your bûches between Saturday, December 14, and Tuesday, December 24. Cost: $45 for 4-6 people, and $90 for 10-12 people.
Addresses: 449 Octavia Street, San Francisco; One Ferry Building, Shop 10, San Francisco; 2220 Mountain Blvd, Oakland; 2009 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur; 6000 Bollinger Canyon Road, Suite 1108, San Ramon.
This article was originally published in French on French Morning.
