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| - I admit, I'm a Jean Marc's loyalist. When I have a hankering for some delicious French pastries, I hightail it to Millvale to get my fill of buttery deliciousness. Unfortunately for me, Jean Marc isn't always around when my pastry cravings strike (how dare he close his shop on Sundays!), and I need to fill that void.
La Gourmandine definitely holds its own when it comes to the French pastry game. I've been here several times now and have always been fairly happy with my selections. I've never tried their desserts, but as far as breakfast pastries go, theirs are solid. The croissants are quite delicious -- buttery, flaky, and chewy like a good croissant should be. Occasionally I find that they are *slightly* more crispy and overdone on the top than I'd prefer, but it's not a huge deal. Their La Gourmandise breakfast pastry is probably my favorite...puff pastry filled with a not-very-sweet vanilla pastry cream and chocolate chips. So flaky and tons of flavor in each bite...it's divine. I'm not a fan of their signature almond croissant that everyone else seems to love...it's too syrupy sweet for my taste and I'm not a fan of the crumbly texture.
Overall, although I do prefer Jean Marc's, if you're looking for authentic and delicious French pastries, you won't go wrong with La Gourmandine
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