La Bohemia Bakery — Restaurant in Maryland

The Inside:

It's a small bakery. The decor is a blend of traditional and modern styles that include faux brick walls, handwritten menus on blackboards, and stainless steel appliances. There are two small dining tables inside, but the bakery is designed as more of a "grab and go" than as a "sit down" venue. The location is very clean.

The Service:

Staff was friendly and attentive. The sandwich preparation station is in open view allowing customers to witness clean practices.

The Food:

I tried 3 of the 10 different sandwiches that their menu offers. They're all served on baguette. They make their own baguette and it is delicious. The perfect combination of a crunchy exterior and soft interior. "Paname" was my personal favorite. It was ham, brie cheese, and mustard on a buttered baguette. A very simple sandwich, that managed to deliver a beautifully strong flavor. The brie and mustard really stand out on this sandwich. The deli mustard adds a nice spiciness to the overall experience with slight hints of horseradish in the mix. The subtle nutty flavor of the brie complements the mustard perfectly. They place a very generous amount of brie in sandwich which is very satisfying.

The second sandwhich is called the "Dry Sausage" which, you guessed it, is served with dry sausage. It also includes deli mustard and pickles on a buttered baguette. This combination was also a delight. There was again, there was a slight spiciness from the mustard which was nice. The dry sausage brought a nice smokey flavor with hints of pepper and vinager. The pickles also added hints of vinager and brought a welcomed "crisp" to the mix as well.

The third and final sandwhich was the "Atlantique" which consisted of smoked salmon, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and dressing on a buttered baguette. Although they give you a generous amount of salmon, the flavor was still overpowered by the lettuce. The flavors were a bit bland in my opinion. Perhaps a little salt and pepper would have made the difference. I wasn't a big fan of the lettuce. And I couldn't really taste any type of dressing. This particular sandwhich has a lot of potential, but it needs to be reworked in my opinion.

Desserts:

I tried three different pastries. The "Honey Cake" was my absolute favorite. It's kind of their flagship menu item I believe and rightly so because it is amazing. Creamy and fluffy. The honey is definitely the main flavor, but it isn't overwhelmingly sweet. I also had the "Almond Chocolate Croissant." The flavors are perfectly balanced and do not overpower one another. You can taste the bold, butty flavor of almond as well as the slightly bittterness of the chocolate. A lovely combination of flavors on a buttery flaky pastry. Lastly, I tried the "Cheese Envelope." I believe it has 4 different kinds of cheese inside the flaky exterior, including mozarella. It was a nice flavor, however, it didn't resonate with me in any superior way. Perhaps it's better warm. I'll have to give it another try the next...

A Diamond in the rough. What might be a ubiquitous small neighborhood bakery in Europe in terms of quality and consistency is a true unicorn in metro Washington DC. Limited to a small selection of French pastries; they are not catering to the masses. This is destination bakery worth the trip to the last of the industrial parks in suburban Maryland. Their Canele and croissants are outstanding. One of the guys in our office cried when they re-opened a few months ago with the same team on the same site at the old St. Michel. The Canele are among the best I've had. The are caramelized on the outside, a little crispy to chewy, with a dense vanilla center. The almond croissants have also improved with a truly crispy, flaky Parisian croissant around a what must be a home made almond filling. These are not the general mass made goods. The kicker in all this is that the prices here are beyond fair. They use flour (and for some croissants butter )from France, and Callebaut Chocolate from Belgium This bakery is focused on producing quality product, with no marketing machine I hope they can stick it out. See what the small group of loyal customers from HHS and FDA know in the Parklawn industrial park. Come early, or call ahead and reserve your order, as both Almond Croissants and Canele can often sell out by 11 to noon. Come and taste it for yourself before they make the Post or Washingtonian and then we'll all be at the mercy...

I rarely ever write critical reviews because I think every small business deserves to keep trying and improving but I don’t know how else to communicate feedback to the owner. I was really astounded by how awful the service was here. First, the person working did not greet us. There were also no labels on any of the food items nor a pastry menu, which is very inaccessible for people with hearing impairment. I had to ask for each item to be described and the person working looked annoyed, rolled their eyes, and said a short title under their breath which I could not hear. I had to just guess what some of the pastries were filled with. We were in no rush so I was extremely patient and chose a few standard options I could recognize visually (ie croissant, danish). Once we decided which foods to get, the person immediately put them in a bag and did not offer to heat them up (which is typical of every bakery I’ve been to across the dmv). The croissants were ice cold which was extremely unpleasant but they were well made and fluffy which is the saving grace here. I understand this is a French bakery, but there were also no non-dairy milk options for coffee or much variety in options for preparation. The room was also dead silent and freezing - there was no attempt to make the environment inviting. There are so few local coffee businesses to support in the Rockville area, so I had high hopes and hope this feedback is used to make...