If you thought the recent heat wave was rough, imagine having to make croissants without air conditioning in that weather. That’s exactly what the team at Proof Bakery did, and I will forever bow down to Chef Na Young Ma and her band of talented bakers for possessing that kind of masochistic moxy. This redefines the meaning of bad ass.

Proof Bakery, which debuted in Atwater Village in late 2010, has been a stellar addition to an already happening neighborhood (See: Canele and Viet Noodle Bar).

The aforementioned croissants are made with a touch of sourdough starter and are considered to be some of the city’s best. In addition to plain ones, Proof also makes croissants filled with Valrhona chocolate, almonds, and ham and Gruyere. These flaky pastries sell out in a heartbeat; each and every one had been scooped up by earlier birds when I arrived at 11:30 on the nose.

Available throughout the day is an array of stunning sweets ranging from simple to intricate. The gorgeous tart with fresh figs and diplomat cream was damn near perfect. The fruit was plain luscious, while the cream was cool and balanced. The buttery, crumbly crust tied everything together.

The triple-layered lemon meringue cake intertwined tangy with creamy in the most sophisticated of ways.

Its blow torched peaks were irresistible.

The seemingly simple chocolate chip cookie arrived crisp, caramelized, and complex with a sprinkling of coarse salt and an abundance of deep, dark chocolate discs.

The Paris-Brest, pate a choux filled with hazelnut-scented whipped cream, took our breath away.

My girl Diep‘s face says it all.

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Proof Bakery
3156 Glendale Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90039
Phone: 323-664-8633

One year ago: Dinner at Farmshop – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)
Two years ago: Flour Bakery + Cafe – Boston
Three years ago: Corton – New York City
Four years ago: Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ – Vietnamese Fried Chicken
Five years ago: Mien & Dung’s Wedding
Six years ago: Irish Pub – Philadelphia