Congregation Coffee

If you ever find yourself in the crescent city, they you MUST make your way to Congregation Coffee Roasters for a crescent of the flaky variety. This cute coffee shop at the corner of Camp and Girard will not disappoint. The newer second outpost of Congregation Coffee Roasters, the coffee itself is great and the food is tasty (try the Brisket sandwich, you will not be disappointed). BUT the star of this shop may well be the french pastries provided by their next door neighbor, Maison Chace. These are the real deal. The woman responsible for Maison Chace is a fourth generation french baker, making her great-grandparents’ receipes and producing the most divine croissant, pain au chocolat, and kouign aman. These may well be the best we’ve ever had and that is saying something. We have many of these flaky sweet treats over the years, including from award winning bakeries in France, but Maison Chace may have beat them all for our top spot. Can’t wait to go back and eat some more!

A perfect kouign aman. The kouign aman is a pastry from Breton in the north of France. Crisp and flaky on the top. Caramelized flavor. Soft layered inside. DELISH!

Brisket sandwich with homemade horseradish remoulade (“ramalad” according to the chef) and eggs with pecan pesto on toast. And yes, that is a bottle of homemade hot sauce on the side.

A kouign aman, a perfect pain au chocolat, and a drip coffee. And check out that logo on the cup — that alligator is wearing a bowler hat!