"Boulangerie Utopie just took top prize for the best baguette in Paris, but their out-of-the-box approach has had locals lining up here for years. Croissant dough is contorted into chocolate-filled flowers and tartlets stuffed with rice pudding, and sesame is everywhere—the sourdough baguette colored with charcoal adds a monochrome flair to any dinner table, while the éclair delivers nutty, just-sweet-enough flavor. On weekends, bakers take a page out of Willy Wonka’s playbook with ever-changing viennoiserie, pastry, and bread “du weekend,” each one zanier than the next. (Who else would imagine baking a strawberry-stuffed madeleine into a croissant?) Check Instagram to suss out what’s on offer—and hope it’s something with their delicious house praline." - sara lieberman, emily monaco
