Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
La Patisserie Chouquette
The normal way to visit La Patisserie Chouquette is to browse Simone Faure’s baked goods and then try to limit yourself to only a few purchases. Some macarons, naturally. One of her signature pastries, like the chocolate croissant known as the Darkness. And maybe something you haven’t tried before. For me, this year, that last item was the tiramisu brownie, which did a fine job of representing the traditional dessert in handheld form. Another way to visit La Patisserie is to reserve a spot for its Saturday-only tea service. Let me suggest a third way, though. A hack, if you will. Pair the cheddar-bacon corn muffin (with actual small pieces of bacon rather than mere crumbles) or another of Faure’s savory pastries with something sweet and call it lunch.
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