"The plain croissants from Maison Nico in North Beach have the two-toned look of a candy cane in pastry form, with flaky top layers that peel off like petals from a daisy. Basically, the bakers at this French cafe know what they’re doing. The plump croissants are a great fuel-up if you’re in the area showing visitors around, and you can snag a table in the brick-lined space and eat them off a real plate—even better for catching all the inevitable flakes. " - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez