The Best Pastry Shops in North America

Lines and sell-outs

A North American bakery of this kind opens early and sells until the case is empty. A line forms before the doors open, it usually moves fast, and the best-known pastries are gone by late morning or early afternoon. Seating is scarce. Bartholomew Bakery in Vaughan, north of Toronto, is a takeout counter in an industrial area with no seats, where specials such as the Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant and the Tiramisu Danish rotate beside sourdough and focaccia sandwiches.

Quebec

Quebec is French-speaking, and its bakeries follow French models closely. Kouing Amann Bakery on Avenue du Mont-Royal in Montreal bakes the Breton butter cake it is named for as a large round and sells it by the slice or whole. It has two or three tables and opens Wednesday to Saturday only. Pâtisserie Chouquette on Rue Saint-Jean in Quebec City makes chouquettes, small cream puffs, in flavours such as salted caramel and blueberry lavender, with the bakers working in view. Pascal Le Boulanger in Stoneham also sells cheeses and charcuterie from France, and many visitors stop there for takeout before a hike in Jacques-Cartier park.

Ordering ahead

Several shops let customers order ahead and skip the line. Izola in San Diego takes online pre-orders for one dollar extra, and Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in La Jolla has a separate pick-up line for them. Butter Block in Buffalo takes pre-orders for holidays and for pies.