It’s not only the presence of the flower most associated with love that won this croissant the Valentine’s Day pick for Dish of the Week. It also happens to come from a hip, new bakery owned by a husband and wife team who put a bit of love in all their baked goods.
Librae Bakery opened last summer to lots of press and Tik Tok videos. The team behind it are Dona Murad and Andre Gerschel. With their love of pastry (and for each other), they mix together Murad’s Bahraini heritage with Gerschel’s New York sentimentality and a studied Danish approach to baking.
The breads and pastries look very impressive and feature surprising ingredients like za’atar and dried black limes.
The pastry that has received the most love by far is the Pistachio Rose Croissant. And one look at this bursting laminated beauty will give you a hint as to why.
I didn’t think this would be my thing assuming it was another visual, over-the-top social media bait. But I must confess that it worked very well. It was indeed on the sweet side, but not as cloying as its colors suggest.
The croissant itself was phenomenal – crisp, flaky, and buttery. Clinging to the pastry was a crunchy mold of rich pistachio and paste along with a heady aroma of rose syrup. The flavors were bold but subtle. The entire experience reminded me of a mash-up of a croissant and a baklava. It was as delicious as it was photo-worthy.
So if you’re dying to fall in love or share something special with your loved one, follow your nose (and your Instagram feed) to give this lovely croissant a try. Price: $8
| LIBRAE BAKERY |
| 35 Cooper Street (between East 5th and East 6th Street), East Village (646) 301-6301 |
| libraebakery.com |
