Everything Bagel Croissant

Look at that title. I’m really getting the hang of the clickbait game.

But we’re not here to applaud my incredible creativity and humor (however, if you’d like to do that, you can comment below). We’re here to talk about a new creation from Nathaniel Reid.

From what I can surmise, chef Reid was sitting around the house, doing nothing—you know how much free time business owning bakers with two young children have—when he saw the groundswell of bagel talk on the Gram. Not ready to open Nathaniel Reid Bagelry quite yet, he sought to find another way to satisfy St. Louis’ craving for more carbs. He went back to the bakery and worked through the night on bagelish treats. Pumpernickle entremets. Asiago macarons. Bread sliced kouign-amanns. None were right, and in a fit of rage, he trashed the entire kitchen. The result of this rage-fueled destruction was croissant dough absolutely covered in spices.

The answer was right there: an everything spiced croissant.

But that wasn’t enough for him. It needed to be more than a bagely croissant. Because that’s the kind of man he is: an innovator.

Reid slices the croissant in half, schmears on herb cream cheese, then adds capers, lettuce, tomato, smoked salmon, and red onion to create…a smoked salmon everything-spiced croissant sandwich. And it is so good.

The croissant sandwich will be available every Saturday for the foreseeable future, starting this Saturday, October 5th. Get it.

Nathaniel Reid Bakery

Goodies Shelf at Nathaniel Reid Bakery

Entremet Case at Nathaniel Reid Bakery

I went to France for 2 weeks in 2006, which makes me uniquely qualified to discuss lespâtisseries viennoises, entremets, and baguettes. I see myself as a cross between Mary Berry and Pierre Hermé. When I heard Nathaniel Reid Bakery opened in Kirkwood, I wanted to make sure he knew who he was dealing with. I showed up looking Parisian as hell in my black and white striped shirt, tight black pants, and smug attitude. I peppered the staff with important questions, like where is your beurre from and do you have free samples. I don't want to brag, but they know me there now.

I've gone to Nathaniel Reid Bakery (NRB) close to 10 times now, I think. "Stop eating so much sugar and butter," my doctor would say if I had health insurance. But I do this for you people. I needed to try as much as I could so I could soundly recommend items. My altruistic, selfless nature never ceases to impress me.

When you walk in, before you even look at the display case, head to the far wall, a Willy Wonka-esque treasure trove of chocolates, nougats, caramels, meringues, chocolate pearls. The last two are perfect for prettying up that pathetic attempt at a cake you just made for your kid/spouse. My two favorite jarred goodies: the Spiced Caramel Spread and the strawberry-poppy flower jam. I'd never had poppy flower before (I hoped it would give some sort of opium buzz, but all I got was hyperglycemia), which I found out taste just like cotton candy. And I secretly love cotton candy.

If you'll kindly turn your head to the right, you'll see the display case. This is what you came here for.  Colors. Glazes. Shapes. Ooh. NRB typically has 6 to 8 types of macarons in their case, each with a pronounced flavor but a texture that's fairly different than La Patisserie Chouquette's. I don't know if one is more French than the other because I didn't eat any macarons in France during that trip a decade ago. I would happily eat both, Nathaniel's in my left hand, Chouquette's in my right.

The viennoiserie options vary depending on the time of day, what's in season, etc. What I'm trying to say is that you might see a picture of an apple pastry today, but next week, when you go, it'll be pear. And you'll inevitably tweet at me about it, whining. You snooze, you lose.

If you're a NRB rookie, grab an assortment of breakfast pastries. Below, you'll see their pecan cinnamon roll, a croissant, and the love of my life: their twice baked almond-chocolate croissant. The croissant, decked out with dark chocolate, is sliced open and slathered with almond paste, topped with more chocolate, then baked until extra crispy. I like to bite into it while staring directly into Nathaniel's eyes and tell him "good bake" a la Paul Hollywood.

I've been watching a lot of Great British Bake Off lately.

NRB has delicious sandwiches (and salads, but salads are too healthy) available for lunch, with my favorite being the roast beef. It's a simple sandwich, the kind I'd buy on my morning stroll back when I was living in France for those two weeks, made with tender roast beef, slivers of red onion, a slice of cheese, and horseradish aioli. Though, to be honest, it's the bread that wins me over: brioche (aka butter) bread with a sprinkling of shaved parmesan on top. Molto Bene! as the French say.

Where NRB really shines is with their entremets, also known as "them fancy cakes" if you're from St. Charles. Reid's creations are incredible, undoubtedly some of the most delicious entremets I've ever had. And the detail work that goes into ever component is mind-boggling. Here's the recipe for the Amber cake below. Are you going to attempt that at home? I didn't think so.

He's so good, in fact, that the Nathaniel Reid you see in the picture below isn't even him. That's 6 feet of spun sugar. He's that good.

Almost all of the entremets are available as full sized cakes, or in miniature form. The Amber is all about pecans and caramel. For something more tropical, the tangerine-colored Polynesia is a banana-passion fruit cream and coconut mousse cake. Not pictured, because I ate it without thinking, is the Sambava, a mix of chocolate, hazelnut and vanilla. My current favorite, being that I'm addicted to pistachio, is the Jarmo pistachio cake with a berry gelée and pistachio cream.

Before we go, I have to give special kudos to Señor Reid, for he has done the impossible. He has taken up the challenge of improving the much maligned, oft ignored fruit cake and turning it into something people actually want to eat. I guess opening a bakery and having a baby in the last 4 or so months wasn't hard enough.

I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed his fruit cake, which he tells me took nearly 7 years to perfect, immensely. It doesn't feel like you're eating a spiced brick, thanks in part to a proprietary technique he developed. He soaks and candies all the the fruits and nuts himself. It's a labor of love and you can taste it.

I know it's hard to believe, but your friends and family will actually thank you for bringing it to their [Insert Holiday] party.

Jams

chocolates

macarons

breakfast pastries

Chocolate Almond croissant

Roast beef sandwich

Amber

buttery shortbread, salted caramel mousse, pecan caramel

polynesia

coconut mousse, mango and banana cream, moist almond cake

jarmo

pistachio cream, pistachio cake, strawberries, raspberries

fruitcake

Katie's Pizza & Pasta

As 2014 came to a close, I took some time and reflected on old posts I'd written and the photos that accompanied them. One that stood out as deserving of a revisit was Katie's Pizza & Pasta (KPP) in Rock Hill. I still remember that day vividly: it was my first time at the new Katie's and mere minutes after making my first major camera purchase (a Nikon 7100). I've been back numerous times since last February, but I'd yet to write another post, so this one actually consists of two different meals there within a span of a week.

Bar at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Inside at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

KPP has gained a lot of popularity for their weekend brunch options, and from I've heard, that is well justified. When we ate there for our Saturday lunch, they served their warm bread with a housemade strawberry balsamic jelly. Really good stuff.

Bread at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Their charcuterie board is a fun mix of local, imported and homemade ingredients. Both times I've had it, all the meats had come from Salume Beddu. Brilliant choice.

I like that they took a St. Louis staple and made it into something that fits their style with the Artichoke Toasted Ravioli.  The ravioli have a nice creamy artichoke filling, but that pine nut pesto is what really sets the dish off. I straight up spooned that into my mouth after we finished with the ravioli.

Charcuterie at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Artichoke Ravioli at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Bruschetta at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Tart and bitter are two flavors I am not wild about, so the Radicchio Agrodolce Crostini wasn't really my thing. Other people I ate with enjoyed it, but the bitter flavor of raddichio and tartness of the agrodolce didn't do it for me.

The fried artichoke salad has become a staple for me since that first visit and my thoughts on it haven't changed: The mix of pistachio, goat cheese, spring greens and balsamic vinaigrette worked together brilliantly, but the best part of it were the little fried artichoke bombs. It's still true. Those artichokes are perfect.

*Your eyes are not deceiving you: there are anchovies (by request) on the salad below. 

Artichoke Salad at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Before I talk about the pizza, I have to go back to my first post on KPP. I praised their dough, but as I ate there more, I realized I wasn't a huge fan. It was too bready for me. Fast forward a few months and their dough has become totally different. It's more Pastaria than A Pizza Story, which is absolutely a good thing. Look at the difference between this pizza and the two below.

Pizza at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

After seeing KPP's Corn Pizza mentioned a number of times online, I decided I had to weigh in. I was worried about the amount of toppings listed, as well as the topping choices themselves. See for yourself: roasted corn, zucchini carpaccio, goat cheese, pecorino, honey, mint, balsamic, and serrano peppers. The mint and honey threw me off, but they were barely noticeable in the finished pizza.

I can see why people like it. It's very summery and, even with the cheese, has a light taste. And you're getting all your veggies in for the day! I would recommend asking for more serranos - the heat really helps it.

At the chef's recommendation, we also tried the wood roasted chicken pizza. They took all the best parts of a roast chicken dinner - sweet roasted garlic, caramelized shallots, flavorful roasted chicken - and toss it on a pizza with some goat cheese, gorgonzola and balsamic reduction. Pretty killer non-traditional pizza right here, folks.

Corn Pizza at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Corn Squash Pizza at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Roasted Chicken at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

It's called Katie's Pizza & Pasta, so I had to try that too. All pasta is handmade by the KPP team, which seems pretty impressive considering all of the different types available. I am admittedly not a big pasta eater, but the black spaghetti stood out immediately. Squid ink spaghetti - which has a slightly fishy, slightly salty taste - is tossed with butter and garlic, then topped with prawns, scallops, clams, ikura (salmon roe) and chili flakes.

The prawns and scallops could stand on their own as delicious entrees, something many restaurants don't care about. To make sure every aspect of the dish can stand on its own is a testament to the dedication the KPP team has to turning out high quality osteria cuisine.

Black Spaghetti at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Seafood Spaghetti at Katie's Pizza and Pasta

Katie's Pizza & Pasta is a good example of a modern-day neighborhood restaurant. I don't get the feeling it's trying to be something it's not. The restaurant's fun decor and constantly changing artwork (made by Katie's husband, Ted Collier) give it a personality that make it memorable. Every time I've gone, regardless of the food's quality, the staff has been helpful and, beyond that, unwaveringly outgoing and friendly (especially Grace!). It's the kind of place that would feel comfortable for a romantic date, a friend's night out or just a place to grab a bite when you don't feel like cooking.

Katie's Pizza & Pasta

9568 Manchester Road

Rock Hill, MO 63119

314.942.6555