After a week of eating the WORST hotel breakfast (hey, it was fast and free), I HAD to find a place to get a great coffee before jetting out on my last day in town. I looked at reviews and decided upon Analog. I got there early, and there was an extremely friendly young woman at the counter, with a French accent.
I ordered a latte, and she asked if I wanted an extra shot of espresso in that (that's how she prefers it), so I said yes. I also purchased a ham and gruyere (my favorite cheese) croissant for lunch, which she warmed up in a mini oven that was behind the counter (NOT a microwave - TAKE NOTE other places that think it's OK to microwave any kind of food!). I also got a chocolate croissant/pain au chocolat for later.
The coffee.. oh, the coffee! It was so good. From this point on, I will always get an extra shot in my lattes. THIS is how I like them - rich, deeply flavorful, not too swee or too bitter, just delectable.
The croissant is everything that I expect a croissant to be, yet is so hard to find in the U.S. It was large, buttery, crisp on the outiside, while flakey in the middle. The gruyere melted nicely over the thinly sliced ham... I was in heaven.
The pain au chocolat made it home with me, and I warmed it in the oven and split it with my husband. Again - buttery and flakey, with a healthy dose of chocolate in the middle. Again - perfection. I went to 5 highly-rated, so-called French bakeries in Houston in search of a great chocolate croissant, and all failed miserably. They didn't come close to what is offered here.
Oh, Analog, why didn't I find you sooner? Next time I'll skip the free breakfast. This place is worth a little less sleep.