Before bidding San Francisco farewell, I made one final stop at pastry palace b.Patisserie.

Opened in 2013, this adorable bakery specializing in “modern French style pastries along with American flavors and local influences” is a mecca for the sweets-obsessed. If you’ve got a penchant for perfectly crafted pastries, this spot is most definitely for you.

The brilliant baker behind b. is Belinda Leong. She began her career as a pastry chef at San Francisco’s Restaurant Gary Danko for eight years, followed by two years of staging in Europe. When she returned to the Bay Area, she served as the pastry chef at Los Gatos’ Manresa Restaurant, before striking out on her own with partner and fellow baker Michel Suas to open b.

From the eye-poppingly beautiful display, I managed to whittle my wants to three delights.

First up was quite possibly the best chocolate chip cookie ($3) ever! The generously portioned cookie had it all: crispy edges, tender insides, gooey puddles of semi-sweet chocolate throughout, and a flourish of fleur de sel on top.

The hazelnut caramel millefeuille ($6.50) hit a delicate, dainty, and wholly rich note with its caramel mascarpone filling and layers of puff pastry, hazelnut feuilletine, and phyllo. This pastry was destined to be enjoyed alongside a mug of strong tea or coffee.

And finally, b.’s prized kouign amann ($4). Beneath the unbeatably flaky layers of laminated dough, a gorgeous sugar-tinged and buttery center was revealed. It was nothing short of spectacular.

All three of the sweets that I sampled this afternoon hit it out of the ballpark, and I have no doubt that the rest of the spread is just as successful. I can’t wait to gorge here again. #butterheadache #hurtssogood

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b. patisserie
2821 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-440-1700

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