Bien Cuit 09-24-2011

Location: 120 Smith St.

Time: 4pm

People: RB, CK and myself

Feelings: We have an amazing Italian eatery, Catania, that beautifully crafts decadent Italian pastries and delicious pizza and pasta in the area. But I have not yet found a decent French style bakery until now. The hunt for French bread and coffee is officially over after this great addition to Smith Street.

With an open kitchen and a spacious seating area, Bien Cuit offers pastry, sweet and savory tarts, various bread, pizza and sandwiches. They also carry perhaps the best coffee in the city, Crop to Cup. Their tea and spritzer selection are also impressive. I even tried iced chocolate mint tea, which was refreshingly minty with a hint of chocolate flavor.

My chocolate covered financier was moist and very subtly sweet-- just as I like it. If you fancy more of rich, creamy and sweet pastries that would knock you out after three bites, you might be disappointed by their rather healthy, light fare. The bread is really the star here, so most of their pastries and tarts would be very light and subtle while letting the artistry of the bread or crust shine through.

The prices are not cheap- It's a French bakery in Cobble Hill, so what do you expect? The pastries are from $3.75, and they are on a smaller side. But their pastries and breads are meticulously created with high quality ingredients, and every flavor is memorable... and literally bien cuit!