by David
(Newton, MA)
The croissants at Le Bon Pain are the absolute best! We found the place in 2004 during our Honeymoon stay at the Shoal Bay Beach Hotel (now Ku).
During our recent visit, we stayed at Carimar Beach Club, yet we made the early morning trek all the way to the east end for these tasty morsels.
Croissants are supposed to be crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside and I have run across too many with a few flakes on the crust but then you bite and discover it's just plain old bread on the inside.
The croissants at Le Bon Pain are *perfect*. My favorite is the Almond Croissant. The bottom and edges are a baked to a dark brown (not burnt) crisp. As you bite into it you hear the crackle of the crispiness and then you enter the pillowy, buttery, flaky softness of the center.
The outside is covered with perfectly toasted almond slices that add great texture and aroma. Inside the flaky pastry there is the perfect amount of almond paste. Not too much, as it is after all, a croissant.
And the great surprise is a smidgen of chocolate hiding inside. I don't remember the chocolate back in 2004, but I thought it was the perfect addition to an already perfect croissant.
A nice rich cup of cafe au lait to wash it down while sitting on the deck saying Hello to the long line of locals and visitors is a perfect breakfast on Anguilla.
Don't get me started on the baguette sandwiches we got for take-out to have for lunch...that's another post.
My advice is to get there early as the good stuff goes fast. Well, it's all good...so get there early for the best selection!
Nori's Reply: David, you have my mouth watering! Thank you for the amazingly accurate description of Le Bon Pain's croissant.
Nothing comes close to these delightful bites, not even the croissants I have sampled in St. Martin can compare. And that's "France," the creator of the croissant!
Some of our other "favorites" at Le Bon Pain... The deep, rich chocolate brownies dusted with large almond slivers, and the twelve grain bread. That must be the best bread on the island, so fresh and with natural ingredients.
"Et bien," you really can't beat Anguilla ;-)
