Macarons at Bouchon Bakery – When in Wine Country…

The two-person-deep line at Bouchon Bakery steadily streamed through the door one recent foggy-then-sunny morning in Yountville: It’s the almond chocolate croissants. The bread. No, it’s the macarons. Say yes to all…and make Bouchon Bakery your destination for epicuring bliss.

Who eats 25,000 macarons every month?

After an incredible Sunday brunch at Bouchon Bistro, Laiko and I were lucky to get a peek behind the scenes at the bakery courtesy of Manager Krzysztof Pawlik. He explained that in this very contained space, the relatively small bakery team makes about 25,000 large macarons per month (they’re about the size of a moon pie). And they’re all made by hand (so far anyway!).

Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, one of several locations, is dedicated to local sourcing, which is not too difficult in this little country cornucopia. The fruit you enjoy in a parfait or pastry might grow at Peter Jacobsen’s beautiful specialty fruit orchard just down the road. Surrounding farms provide most veges (and you can peek at The French Laundry’s own farm nearby). The macarons use California almonds (where nearly all of the world’s commercial almond crop grows) and California pistachios as well.

Take a look inside the bakery…

Bread purists have much to love at Bouchon Bakery too…