Chomping Ground // Los Angeles: La Maison du Pain

 

5373 West Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90019

www.lamaisondupainla.com

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Finally! A decent French bakery in Los Angeles. After months of searching for good quality French bread (comparable to La Farine in Oakland), I finally found this place after a recommendation from a friend. Slightly off the beaten path in the southern part of Miracle Mile, the croissants, baguettes, pains aux chocolats, cinnamon rolls, and every other baked good imaginable is stocked pile-high in this small family owned bakery.  


The croissants are out of this world. The true test to a good French bakery is just their plain croissant. Incredibly flaky and buttery and crunchy - this is probably one of the best things in their bakery case. Not to mention a million other things made of this buttery goodness like their cinnamon rolls, their ham & cheese croissant (insane), hazelnut/chocolate croissant, and almond.

They must import the water from France because their bread is exactly how it tastes in Paris and Provence. Crunchy crust and airy doughy insides is absolute perfection. And cheap, too! Other fancy places on the westside charge up to $8 for a simple baguette, but here you spend no more than $2.50. 

On top of their bakery case they have quiches galore, huge cheese bread knots, muffins, and varieties of open-faced focaccia breads that are topped with roasted tomatoes, spinach, and cheeses.  Beautiful French fruit tartes line the bottom of the bakery case that look incredible. They have every fruit and flavor imaginable in the classic scallop-edge French pastry crusts and also the classic danish-looking pastries with loads of fruit and custard in the middle.

I try and come here every week for my bread/croissant fix - no point in getting bread anywhere else in my opinion!

[Photos courtesy of La Maison du Pain]