Eastlake, Seattle

On a recent visit to Seattle, I was walking down Eastlake Avenue East, just south of University Bridge, one morning when I glanced to my right and saw through large open windows tray after tray filled with croissants. Given that sight and the friendly waves from the two men working in the back, I knew I needed to step in.

That’s how I found the place, Le Fournil, where I would be stopping in each day while visiting Seattle. When traveling, I like to settle on one place to stop each day, fancying myself a temporary local. Usually a coffee shop is my chosen daily destination, but given the variety of coffee shops in Seattle and their ubiquitous presence, I couldn’t limit myself to just one.

As I walked into Le Fournil, the smell of buttery pastries filled this bustling bakery. I enjoyed being among the locals for whom this was clearly a routine stop given the camaraderie with the staff and the staff’s ability to anticipate their orders. With so many options to choose from, including pastries, boxed lunches, salads, desserts, and more, I decided to limit my choices to only pastries. Over the course of three days, I tried a variety of croissants, and on my last visit, as I chatted with the staff person working behind the counter, she added a complimentary almond brioche to my bag, saying, “You have to have one because everybody loves them.” How nice was that? We both laughed, and once I tried it, I had to agree that everybody must love them; it was that good.

I know my next visit to Seattle will include a stop at Le Fournil and most likely another almond brioche. Is there a particular food that you’ve discovered on your travels and that you pine for?