The Glorious Glazed Cinnamon Bun
This review of Crème Bakery in Claremont, CA may be more about praising their glorious glazed cinnamon bun than it is a full and proper evaluation of the bakery. But regardless, I can say that September 19th, 2018 was a transformative day for Claremont residents, because Crème bakery opened. Crème is Claremont’s now go-to artisan bakery for French style baguettes, and other types of freshly baked goods. I am somewhat a regular there, visiting about once a week to get the jambon and butter baguette sandwich, along with a glazed cinnamon bun. I confess an almost irresistible addiction to the glazed cinnamon buns, and I know this because every time I go to Crème and see a line outside, I start to experience anxiety from the possibility that they don’t have any more. As I get closer to the door, I start peeking in the window and looking for the spot where they keep them, to allay my fears that I won’t get my fix for the day. I am aware that this is borderline shameful behavior from a grown adult, however I am fully confident that once you taste the glazed cinnamon bun, you may find yourself with similar shameful behaviors.
For the Inner Child
I have missed out on the glorious glazed cinnamon buns a number of times, and I always do my best to hide the disappointment. My inner child is throwing a tantrum inside, and it is all I can do to keep from jumping up and down and rhythmically chant “please make more! please make more!” while whining like a 5 year old. This obsession with the glazed cinnamon bun has prevented me from choosing some of the other pastries Crème offers, and I do think I should diversify my interests. But when you have something you like, why risk missing out. What sets this apart for me is that no other glazed cinnamon bun is like it (that I have found). The glaze has to have been made that day, and it is the right amount of butter and sugar, which perfectly compliments the cinnamon bun itself. It is the right amount or crispy, chewy and sweet. I honestly believe that I could live to be 1000, and not get tired of them.
I hope I can be forgiven for saying so much about one item, but surely we all have those little treats that make life just a little more special because we get to experience them. I would love to read about your special treat that you obsess over, and even become a little childish about, because it arouses so much enjoyment. But Crème does sell other things. Let’s talk about sandwiches.
The Jambon and Butter Baguette Sandwich
If you’ve been to Paris, you know that there are boulangeries everywhere which offer the famous French baguette but also sandwiches made out of their baguettes. Crème has several types of sandwiches and I have tried the “Saucisson Sec’ which has Italian Salami and dijon mustard, which is ok for me. But the one I get on a regular basis is the ‘Jambone Beurre’ which is just sandwich meat ham on a rustic baguette with butter. This one will get you pretty close to Paris.
All the Other Goodies
As I said, a review of Crème really should include a conversation about their other items, so maybe I should say something about those now. The first is their selection of artisan loaves of bread. We regularly get the cranberry pecan, which is great sliced by itself, or as the building blocks of a great sandwich. The chocolate chip cookies are great dunked into milk, if you allow yourself such immature things. And Crème also offers custom cakes with Chantilly cream and fruit fillings. We have used these cakes on a number of special event occasions and they are wonderful. When I find myself sulking on the inside that they are out of the glorious glazed cinnamon bun, I am very pleasantly contented with either the apricot or apple danish, the almond or regular croissant, or any of the tarts that occupy the case to the left of the cash register. The last thing I want to mention is that they have fresh-brewed iced green tea, which is the perfect way for me to round out my Crème experience.
If you are local to Claremont, work in the village, or are just visiting, Crème is one of the best spots to visit. There may not be room to eat inside, but Claremont has a number of park benches and other places to sit and eat scattered throughout the village. I dare say Crème is among the best that Claremont has to offer. I have much respect for the owner Erica, and what she has accomplished with her business. It is one of those businesses where every time you walk out with one of life’s little treats tucked snugly under your arm, you want to find the owner and thank her for making your day just a little bit better. Here is a link to Crème’s website, and here is a review from 2018 that you might find interesting as well. A word of caution: they usually run out of the glorious cinnamon buns between 10am and 11am, so if you get there and they don’t have any, I might have eaten the last one.