Kate and Brittney, two fellow Ocala-based bloggers that I met a few months ago at the one and only blogger event I’ve attended in the area, told me about the opening of Breadalicious, a new local bakery.
Kate told me that their chocolate croissants were out of this world and I’ve been meaning to try one myself for a few weeks now. I had a meeting with a freelance client close to the bakery late this morning, so I popped in afterward and bought two chocolate croissants.
Since Ryan works close to the bakery, I brought the two croissants to his work and called him up, thinking we could have a quick, impromptu mini croissant date! (I also kind of felt like a psycho when I called him from his work parking lot, so I channeled my inner-Isla Fischer in Wedding Crashers: “I’ll fiiiind you!”)
Well, my mini date idea was a total fail since he missed my call due to an 11 o’clock meeting. I ended up leaving his croissant rolled up in the bag in the bed of his truck and ate mine in my car like a totally cool person.
I am extremely picky when it comes to croissants. If they’re hard or even the slightest bit dry, I think they’re nasty. Not so with this baby!
It was slightly crispy, perfectly flaky and the inside melted in my mouth. The chocolate tasted so indulgent and the buttery flavor of the croissant paired perfectly with the rich flavor. I almost drove back to Ryan’s work and grabbed the croissant I left for him out of his truck bed, but wanted him to experience the croissant glory for himself.
When Ryan called me back, I glanced outside and saw that it looked like it was about to rain. I told him he had to run outside immediately on Mission Save Croissant before it started raining. When he told me it was already raining by him, I yelled like a drill sergeant. “RUN! RUN! Save the croissant!” Fortunately the croissant was found safe and sound and thoroughly enjoyed by Ryan as well.
Breadilicious gets two thumbs up from the Fagan family! Next time, I’m trying their apple tart. It was calling to me.
Lunch
Once I was back at home, I assembled a yummy lunch of chicken salad with carrots and mushrooms, Greek yogurt and a nectarine.
(Random tidbit: My grandma made that light blue potholder that I use as a napkin. Thanks, Nana!)
I ended up slicing the nectarine and stirring it into the Greek yogurt for some added texture.
Back to work!
Question of the Afternoon
- Is there a special bakery, ice cream or dessert shop in your hometown that makes a fabulous dessert or pastry that you adore?
Please describe in detail. Just talking about sweets makes me happy.
In Orlando, I loved Jeremiah’s. I miss their gelati. It was basically a layered cup of creamy Italian ice and soft serve ice cream and was out of this world.
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girl, that’s a pain au chocolat. Losing that would be akin to losing a part of your soul or something…
it was unreal! and is there a difference between pain au chocolat and a croissant? b/c it didn’t look like a croissant to me at all (too flat!), but it was labeled as a “chocolate croissant” at the bakery. whatever it is, i want more of it.
Pain au chocolat is just the french term for a chocolate croissant, essentially, since it’s pretty much croissant “dough” or whatever wrapped around chocolate. They are HEAVENLY, and now I’m craving one 🙁
Yes yes there’s a big difference between a pain au chocolat and a croissant! I’m living in Paris right now and have eaten way too many not to notice the difference 🙂 Pain au chocolats are much difference in texture and size..there like a giant puffed rectangle like pastry with creamy chocolate on each side. The croissant is sold just plain at the Boulangerie and is baked in a horizontal swirl with much more butter and an almost flakey texture! YUM, right? 🙂
*love* Chocolate Croissants are God’s food. Seriously. 🙂
There is an all-chocolate restaurant close to me that has … wait for it … chocolate spring rolls! Wrapped in crispy pastry are warm sliced bananas + indulgent, melted milk chocolate. The spring rolls are brough out on asian-inspired plates and served with warm peanut butter sauce (meant to look like regular thai peanut sauce). SOOO good.
Yum! How do you make your chicken salad??
with light mayo, mustard, relish and whatever chopped veggies i have on hand!
Do you use the canned chicken?
usually, no. i typically use leftover chicken breast meat or chicken from a rotisserie chicken.
We have a really great Donut Shop called Better-Maid – I remember going there as a kid and eating at least 3 donut holes on the trip home. They sell out by 8am on weekends!
Any place with the name “Breadalicious” is a win in my book! Now I want croissants! 🙂
Right near me is a Bakery called Sticky Fingers. It won Cupcake wars a few years ago! It is such a cool bakery that only serves vegan baked goods. They have this amazing (x5) vegan salted chocolate chip cookie. Delicious!!
i love that name!
I love local bakeries and sweets shop. There is a whole chain around here called The Breadsmith – they actually may be a national chain. I applied for a part time job there a few years ago because I thought their products were so good (my fav is their Apple Pie bread).
Amy’s Ice Cream in Houston, TX! Also in Austin, TX. They have the best ice cream ever and constantly change their flavors – and they are really cool flavors! I’m drooling just thinking about it 🙂
Oh yes!! There is a bakery right up the street from me called Ultimate Cupcake. They are so good that Rosie O’Donnell has been known to have them shipped to her, from TEXAS!
They make a black and white cupcake which is dark chocolate and vanilla cake, topped with butter cream frosting and white and dark chocolate Belgian chocolate curls. It.Is. So. Good!!!!! Now I want one!!!
Mission Save Croissant …. made me laugh 😛 Thanks for that! Enjoy the rest of your day.
I LOVE croissants! There’s a great bakery right near my apartment here in Chicago, Molly’s Cupcakes. I can’t get them anymore (gluten) but they were so good, and SO FUN! There were tons of different flavors with various fillings. They actually won Cupcake Wars!
That does sound incredible! My favorite restaurant here serves potentially the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve eaten ever! They’re freshly baked to order and come out so soft and gooey- the choc chips just melt in your mouth!
I don’t know if you ever watch the show “Cupcake Wars” on the Food Network but one of the winners has her shop here in my hometown, Dollop Cupcakes. It is literally to. die. for. Honestly. It’s like going to a frozen yogurt shop but for cupcakes. You pick which cupcake you want, then you pick which frosting you want out of what’s available that day, you pick any fillings you want (and there are about 25) then any topping you want (again, about 25). Ummm, sooooo delicious. He buttercream frostings are, by far, the best I’ve ever had-and I’ve tasted many lol
My favorite is the chocolate cake, marshmallow fluff filling, strawberry frosting (with real strawberry bits in it, yummmm) and a chocolate drizzle on top. Fabulous.
Great, now I want one lol
Bridgette
I was just introduced to Jeremiahs about 2 months ago and want to know how I’ve lived here for 17 months without it. The peanut butter ice with chocolate gelati preeeety much rocked my world.
There’s another great gelati shop in St Pete (I can’t remember the name, but its on that main strip of restaurants and shops by the Pier) that has some of the most unique flavors I’ve ever had. I tried a combo of chocolate hazelnut and amaretto and pretty much swooned!
Ohhhhhhhh Jere’s! I miss it so. Scoop Froggy Frog layered with chocolate gelato. I’m gonna go cry now.
SCOOP FROGGY FROGGY WHAT WHAT.
seriously my favorite. and also, ask my husband- i’ve been craving jeremiah’s for a solid month now. ::tear::
Baked! in Bloomington, IN makes the most amazing homemade cookies. You can basically get whatever crazy combo you can think of, and they deliver until 3 am. Yay college towns!
Omg my goodness! That chocolate croissant looks amazing! There is a place called Yum Yum Donuts that has the most incredible donuts in the world. They will fill peanut butter filling in any donut you choose or whatever filling you want. They even have monster size donuts! Those things are huge! Best donut shop in my area for sure 🙂
The potholder makes me laugh because my roommate makes ones that look identical! Neither of us can sit in front of the tv without doing something so that’s her tv watching activity!! I’m not really a huge baked goods person, but there was an amazing cafe that I found in Australia when I was there earlier this year, and they had the best chai lattes. I’m craving one now!
I make those too!! They are so cute and easy to do. We use ours to wash dishes. So multipurpose! haha
I’m from Columbus, Ohio and Jeni’s icecream is just around the corner. Their goat cheese and fig icecream makes me weak in the knees. Pretty much anything from Jeni’s is amazing!
Weber Bakery donuts in Lodi, Wisconsin. Sometimes, especially after a poor donut experience, I catch myself day dreaming about them!!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the triangle ones with filling, frosting and crushed nuts on top. I haven’t had one since…. I don’t know…sometime in 2001?!?!
There is a local navel shop by me that makes the best bagels! I always get a blueberry babel and it amazing. It has the perfect outer crust and the most pillowy middle. Delish!
Autocorrect is the bane of my existance!
lol! i’d love to try a navel shop. 😉
There is a local cupcake place by me that I just LOVE! Best cupcakes ever!
Near my boyfriend’s apartment there is an Italian restaurant with the BEST tiramisu ever. Perfect combination of chocolate and coffee flavor. I’ve never tried the regular food there, but always go back for the tiramisu!
There is a donut store in my town that has a nutella filled glazed donut. Life changing!!
The Bleeding Heart Bakery or Sweet Mandy B’s. The Bleeding Heart Bakery has the best gluten free vegan cupcakes in the world! Sweet Mandy B’s makes the best flour less chocolate cake out there!
flourless chocolate cake is so darn good. some say “too rich” and i just laugh. there is no such thing. 🙂
I keep trying to convince people that “too rich” is not in my vocabulary, but they just don’t seem to understand. LOL
Don’t worry I will go get some Jeremiahs in honor of you this afternoon as long as you go eat another croissant for me. It looked delicious :]
So we are walking distance from a Specialty’s (nationwide, but limited, chain) that has to-die-for scones. We ordered them for a meeting once and I took the leftovers home and ate 4 (yes FOUR!) in 30 minutes. So freakin’ good.
I live in walking distance of an absolutely delicious bakery! S’mores cupcakes and cake that is one layer of cheesecake!
Feeney’s Yogurt Bar in Greensboro,NC! I love all the different flavors of yogurt and the wall full of toppings! I love getting regular vanilla with reeces, oreo, sprinkles all in one cup. 😛
Is this Breadilicious a chain?
Sweet Mandy B’s in Chicago has the best PB and J cupcake ever! My most recent blog post has pictures and a description. Seriously best bakery ever.
That looks so amazing! I need to try one of those asap!
Belle Pastry in Bellevue,Wa. Their raspberry and cream cheese croissants are unreal! They are so flaky and delicious. i always used stop by after a run, which defeated the purpose. Oh well :]
There’s this bakery about 45 minutes from where I live called Bake My Day. It’s a new bakery and I haven’t been in it yet but I did take a picture of their sign! Such a neat name and I couldn’t help pulling out my camera. It’s definitely on the list of things to do next time I’m shopping in that area!
In my small town, we have a local carry out that serves Toft’s ice cream (and we have the Toft’s farm about 25 minutes from my town). It is the BEST ice cream. I love their strawberry (it has chuncks of strawberries in it and everything). I always say I’m going to try some of the other flavors (they have, like, a million different flavors!) but then I always end up getting strawberry because it’s just so good 🙂
This might be terrible to say but one of my absolute favorite cookies are from Starbucks! Those Madeleine cookies that they have at the register are buttery and soft and so tasty!
Also, my favorite ice cream in the world is at The Creamery at Penn State. They make their ice cream fresh every day & have so many great flavors! My favorites are Paterno Peach & Mint Chip. Creamy & delicious.
This is my favorite topic! There is a pastry shop called Astoria Pastry Shop in Detroit that I don’t get to go to often but it is so good. They have everything from tortes to cheesecake to Greek pastries to eclairs and cookies and brownies galore! I usually try whatever catches my eye (often the chocolate tortes with fruit on top!) But it takes me literally 10 minutes to decide what to get whenever I get the chance to go, lol.
Mmm that croissant looks delish! My fiance and I are going to France for our honeymoon in September and I fully plan to eat my weight in croissants while there!
There is a gelato place where I live now that makes a Cannoli Filling flavor- it is SO good and so rich that the children’s size is all I can manage.
that’s pain au chocolat for sure! they probably just changed it to be more american 😉 when i was in France i had to get one…EVERY DAY! light fluffy bread and chocolate!? nothing better
I love talking about desserts too, probably more than is strictly considered healthy but oh well.
That chocolate croissant looks divine! The best dessert I’ve had lately was a chocolate peanut butter cupcake…the peanut butter frosting was to die for! Super light and fluffy and peanut buttery!! So good!
http://aftertheivyleague.wordpress.com/2012/05/25/throwback-thursdays-on-friday-oops/
haha, i giggled when you said you felt like a psycho trying to give him a croissant!!! I think I would feel like a creepy stalker too, lol
There is an amazing coffee shop/bakery close to where my boyfriend and I grew up, called Grounded Coffee. I introduced it to him and he fell in love as well. They have an amazing chocolate croissant and a spinach and feta one that is to die for as well! Mmmm just thinking about it is making my mouth water!
there’s a little bakery called “baker wee” in the city i grew up in, and they have the BEST muffins and make the best cakes. we had them make our wedding cake, and i just couldn’t get enough. the packed on the amazing icing (my favorite part) and the cake was dense and moist. yum!
Lol, I just pictured your husband running out to his truck for a small bag! Shady!
There’s a bakery about five minutes from my job that makes unbelievable cakes! They are so good… my husband bought me one for Valentine’s day, and he didn’t even get a slice. I ate it ALL!
We have an Ice Cream place called Sub Zero and they make the ice cream right in front of you with dry ice. You can choose your base, like fat free milk, soy milk, full fat ect. Then you add in your toppings and flavorings and then they freeze it super fast- its pretty neat and the flavor combos are endless. This sounds wierd, but Tart Strawberry Mountain Dew is amazing! The hubby also likes Apple Pie too!
I have become obsessed with a place near me, called Lakeside Farms, that has the best Apple Fritters ever. They are as big as my head. Seriously delicious!
I love croissants, but I understand about what being picky concerning them. They are definitely a temperamental pastry that tastes sub-par when made improperly! Your pain au chocolat looks delicious though.
My favorite bakery near me must be Almondine, they have the best croissant. Though, I gotta say, Momofuku Milk Bar will always have a special place in my heart…
My favorite ice cream place from Sarasota (which I consider my hometown) is Sweet Berries. They have the world’s best custard, in my opinion. And I know you’re familiar with the place, as well! 🙂
Hey Julie! I’m usually a pretty silent reader but I have a question. I currently live in Chicago and am moving to Florida in a couple months (sorta like you! 🙂 Do you happen to know which moving company your family used to do that move all those years ago? Would you recommend them? Thanks!
Hi Julie! So I’ve been a total creeper and have been reading your blog for a while now– just thought it was about time I commented 😉 My favorite bakery is Komodas Bakery– we live in Maui and it’s this tiny little local spot only open random days/hours. They have the BEST guava malasadas on the island (like hawaiian donuts!). Love your blog!