Life in Los Gatos is a little more buttery and sweet now that Croissanté owner Sean Kang has opened an additional location of his popular bakery and coffee shop.
Croissanté opened this month at the downtown site where Manresa Bread made its initial debut, and where Yvonne Khananis moved her OY! Gluten-free Bakery two years ago. Khananis says OY! has relocated to 10 Victory Lane, home of her popular Polentaria restaurant.
Kang, who opened the original location of Croissanté in his native Santa Clara, bakes in the French style, as his business’s name suggests. That means using high-end butter—a lot of it.
The French are so fond of how terroir expresses itself in wine that they have similar AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) regulations pertaining to butter. Normandy’s famed Beurre d’Isigny is one of them.
Croissanté’s butter comes from the Normandy region and is made from the rich milk of the Normande breed of cows, who feed on the region’s abundant pastures. These cows are large, and their milk is very high in fat—4.4% compared to 3.2% for Holsteins—and protein.
My husband declared the croissant ($4.90) among the best he has tasted, and the size was perfect. The cube croissants are $10 and utterly enormous; made into diagonal slices as cubed French toast, they appear more manageable.
Croissanté bakes up not just croissants—in savory and sweet flavors like white sesame and honey and ham and cheese—but also a whole tableau of French-style baked goods, from pan au chocolat and eclairs to Basque cheesecake. You’ll also find pecan cinnamon rolls, chocolate and yuzu madeleines, caneles, white chocolate matcha scones, almond kouign amann and financiers thrown in for good measure. Kang was an accountant, so that fits nicely. If sweet isn’t your jam, they have pepper sausage Danish and brioche buns.
Croissanté also bakes baguettes, as well as country French bread—a hefty loaf with a rather hefty price. It is slightly sour, and the crust has a great texture, responding well to a bit of warming. The crumb is substantial but not heavy, making for great toast.For a limited time, Croissanté is offering winter desserts. The Mont Blanc is a decadent tart filled with roasted chestnuts and silky chestnut cream, while the Black Forest offers layers of rich chocolate and dark cherries. Also available are pecan tarts and Apple Tarte Tatin.
Croissanté is also making stollen for the holidays, available by preorder, and the shelves and windows were stocked with their brightly boxed panettones, ready for gifting. Order their strawberry mountain or Earl Gray cake for a stunning finale to celebratory meals.
Croissanté is located at 276 N. Santa Cruz Ave. in Los Gatos, and is open daily from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Their original location in Santa Clara has a larger menu, including coffee drinks. Order from a selection of over 80 rotating monthly options at https://www.croissantebakery.com.