Croissant Tasting

A Taste-Off: Where’s The Best Croissant in LIC?
byEso Romero

I love croissants. The flaky, buttery, crunchy, but airy kind of croissants. So where is the best croissant in LIC?

It’s a three-way duel: Caffeina Espresso Bar located at 44-02 23rd St, The Mill at 44-61 11th St and Carnelle Patisserie at 5-11 47th Ave.

Caffeina Espresso Bar is tucked inside the LIC Arts Center. A selection of pastries, sandwiches, salads and coffee is available and served by friendly employees. Frequented by regular customers, Caffeina is a neighborhood spot where the manager knows many people by name. Their pastry selection is provided by Balthazar Bakery in Manhattan. They have a classic looking croissant, moderately sized. Breaking apart the croissant is always my first test: seeing the cross-section of buttery layers. To my disappointment, the layers were not recognizable; it was quite doughy inside. Though there was a crisp and a crunch with each bite, there was definitely an absence of flakiness, a critical component of good croissants.

On to The Mill, a recent arrival and cute little cafe on the corner of 11th Street and 44th Drive. It offers typical fare of morning bites and coffee, as well as a few tables to sit and enjoy your warm drink on a cold day. There wasn’t a steady flow of customers as there was at Caffeina, but it was quite early on a blustery, snowy Friday morning. They have a more rustic looking croissant supplied by Amy’s Bread, which recently moved its bakery and company offices from Chelsea to LIC.  The cross section of this croissant is a striking difference to Caffeina’s. Pulling it apart, flakes and bits jumped out everywhere. That’s a good sign in my book. It was lighter and airier inside, with a crispy crunch on the outside. I couldn’t resist more bites of this one. 

Finally, the most recently opened one of the three: Cannelle Patisserie. They supply their own croissants, though they are not made on the premises. The original bakery is in Jackson Heights and was featured in a New York Times article a few years ago. Cannelle’s croissant had the most distinguishable layers of the three. There was an audible crunch and sweetness to the first bite. The inside was soft, with the layers collapsed into flavorful clumps.

Caffeina ranked last in the taste-off, much to my surprise. Given the reputation of Balthazar, I was counting on theirs being the best. There was no flakiness to the croissant and the inside was too dense. Cannelle came in second with a crispy exterior, and an airy, yet clumpy interior. Unfortunately, it was too sweet for my taste. The clear winner was The Mill. Theirs was the most buttery and flakiest of the three -- critical components. Having a plate scattered with flaky crumbs afterwards is a true sign of a good croissant.