Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
La Patisserie Chouquette
If you have somehow yet to visit Simone Faure’s La Patisserie Chouquette (what’s wrong with you?), you probably can guess the pastries at this Botanical Heights shop lean heavily toward the French: macarons, galletes, mille crepe cakes. And Faure’s own creations generally wouldn’t look out of place on a pedestal behind glass in a Champs-Élysées storefront. But La Patisserie Chouquette isn’t limited in its range. Faure’s bourbon-pecan bun is the sophisticated cinnamon roll you didn’t know you needed in your life, and for those who just can’t do quiche, her savory fare might include a bacon-cheddar-corn muffin.
Hours: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday (closed Sunday-Monday)
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2013
Must order: Menu changes frequently