Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
La Patisserie Chouquette
I suppose it would be a cliché to call Simone Faure's La Patisserie Chouquette magical. Fine. Of all the bakeries that have opened in St. Louis over the past decade, Chouquette is the most improbable. As in, I can't believe you or I can walk in off the street and buy one of Faure's exquisite desserts. We should have to know someone who knows someone who knows someone very rich. In fact, it is affordable and deserved to treat yourself to Faure's croissants and éclairs, an assortment of macarons or a single chocolate-chip cookie.
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