Probably the bakery with the best croissants in St. Paul, located on the corner of University Avenue and Grotto. Eastward from Lexington Parkway especially, University should be renamed Asian Avenue because of the plethora of Oriental businesses, including restaurants, manicure parlors, and grocery stores. Check it out for yourself but be sure to stop at Trung Nam, and hurry because they close at 1 pm every day. Go early because their stock is rapidly depleted each day. Best croissants in the world!!
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ADDED LATER: Because of some viewers' comments, a little clarification is in order. St. Paul has one of the largest communities of Hmong and Vietnamese people in the United States. This bakery is owned by Vietnamese immigrants that must have been influenced by the presence of the French in their country before the Americans arrived. Remember that conflict, right?!!
I couldn't have this place on my route to work. I would stop every day.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. I would have chuckled at the multi culture sign!
ReplyDeleteI would certainly stop there but the irony is too funny! Asian French pastry!
ReplyDeleteActually, not so ironic, Lowell. They're a Vienamese immigrant family, and must have been influenced by the French before the Americans made their excursion into the country.
DeleteI remember Minn/St. Paul as a huge melting pot of several foreign cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese, African, and many more. Visited in 2007 and it was fascinating. Amy
Deleteyeah, i wouldn't have expected a french bakery by that name!
ReplyDeleteI would love to try one. Unfortunately it's a little out of the way for me. I will remember this if I'm ever in town.
ReplyDeleteI'm always looking for good croissants. Sounds like you found a master baker.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, I love good buttery Croissants.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a good thing they are so far from California.
French bakeries are really good, I found them also in Japan...
ReplyDeleteAlways a good thing to know where to find a good croissant.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's why they used that part of the world French Indochina until Dien Bien Phu. So not so weird.
ReplyDeleteROG, ABC Wednesday team
I've never seen a French bakery with a "drive up window" but that must be a great way to collect your croissant in the morning.
ReplyDeleteJoy - ABC Team
Very ironic! But heck, if they have the best croissants, I'll go there!
ReplyDeleteLeslie
abcw team
Vietnamese pastries are really good because they were under the French rule for sometime. I really like their baguettes too.
ReplyDeleteEwok's ABC WEDNESDAY
Trung Nam French Bakery! I didn't expect that pairing, but the comments are educating me.
ReplyDeleteI am pausing for now with Mankell. I went on to Jo Nesbo, a Norwegian author with a similarly flawed policeman as his protagonist. This week I am traveling in northern New England, so one of the detective novels I picked up was a Joe Gunther novel by Archer Mayor, who sets his works in Brattleboro. To give southwest Florida equal time, I picked up one by Randy Wayne White.
Lovely French breads and croissants, would have been a regular there if I was living anywhere near there!!
ReplyDelete"My Post Is Here"
Sounds like at least one positive thing happened from the French occupation in Southeast Asia. ;)
ReplyDeleteI've visited many cities (and lived in a few) where that synthesis of cultures is extraordinarily successful. Used t o live above a Cuban-Chinese place, and the smells coming up the stairwell were mount watering... although I never knew if the influx was Cubans to China, Chinese to Cuba, or simply all meeting up in the States!
ReplyDeleteI'm a Kellogg Fellow who worked on a community education (public schools) project. We went to the Twin Cities for a conference, and I recall some tension between the African-American and AFRICAN communities. IT's never easy for folks in a new country, but the cuisine gets everyone around the same table. Amy
Delicious, Kate! Thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteWil, ABCW Team.
The best? Better than Paris? I've been happy to find that we have a good bakery here that does very nice croissants and baguettes. But the best? I can't imagine better than Paris. And now I'm very hungry.
ReplyDeleteooooh, croissants..... hmmmm
ReplyDeletefor that i am happy to be back in the netherlands again. they are so cheap, and compared to the not real US ones so very good!! (just bought 2 for less than a dollar!!)
now im very curious about these...!!