Champagne French Bakery Cafe, Carmel Mountain

Our last stop of the day, after having enjoyed a trio of amazing coffee drinks from Mostra was here...

at Champage French Bakery Cafe, also in Carmel Mountain...

Parking was kind of crappy (as in people are cut throat a-holes when it comes to snagging parking spots in this lot) but we were able to snag a space.  The cafe was busy but as luck would have it, a few tables were still open.  Everything in their dessert cases looked  so good. Just look at all that...

I'm SO OVER macarons now. It's been a nearly ten year obsession that's kind of waned over the years.

I was so excited when I saw the JESUITE (spelled here without the "e" at the end)!

The term Jesuite refers to the triangular shaped hat worn by Jesuit priests, who are members of The Society of Jesus, a male religious congregation of the Catholic Church.  A prime example of a famous Jesuit is Pope Francis.

I'll have one of each please.   If only.

I got three Jesuits (one was for D) and two almond croissants (one for Bert).  Both pastries were excellent. Very light, flakey and buttery.

The only other croissant I had that comes close to this are the ones from Le Parfait Paris downtown.


I think this was what the Jesuite should taste like. The first two times I've had them were from a Vietnamese/French bakery  in Westminster/Garden Grove (linked at the end).  This did NOT have a thick meringue sugar crust but a powdered sugar and toasted almond topping and filled with a delectable frangipane.



I could eat this everyday if there weren't any repercussions to my figure.

We only had a few bites of each pastry before calling it quits and making our way back down south.

Later on that evening...

I tried not to eat all of that last Jesuit.

 Bert enjoyed this the next morning with his coffee...

OMG....

I totally want this again.  I wish there was a closer bakery that made the Jesuit.

This blows the other version I had at Au Coeur de Paris Boulangerie away. Compare how it looks...

(photo from my "Au Coeur de Paris Pattiserie & Boulangerie" post, July 2013)

The topping has meringue (I still liked it) but it looks flatter and not as flakey or buttery as Champagne's version.

Here's my second time having the Jesuit (without a cracked top), one year later. This was from the bakery's newer location. It was one of the last stop in an epic road trip I took with Cathy last year.

(photo from my "Au Coeur de Paris new location" post, July 2014)

This was a great bakery that also sold sandwiches and other savory hot food. We'll have to give it a try next time (and I'm already thinking of excuses to come up here again in tandem with another Mostra visit).

Champagne French Bakery, Carmel Mountain
11925 Carmel Mountain Rd.
San Diego, CA 92128
(858) 613-7767

www.champagnebakery.com + reviews from that four lettered site, tripadvisor and foursquare

Our day in order:
"Return to Center Cut Steakhouse - Breakfast Buffet"
"Copa Vida"
"E.Vil Donuts"
"Mostra Coffee"
and of course, this last post.

I think I know where we're going for KD's birthday dessert next year!