Levee Baking Co. — Restaurant in New Orleans

I'm afraid we ordered wrong, but also wish these things weren't offered on the menu if they aren't going to be fresh. We went around 10:30 AM and ordered 2 breakfast sandwiches (one with bacon on a croissant, one egg and cheese on a biscuit) a guava cream cheese pastry, and a coffee glaze bun for a total of $36 with tip. Pricey but everything looked good in the store and this place came highly recommended so we were excited to try it nonetheless. The guava cream cheese pastry was by far the best, and makes me want to return to give this place another try. I wish the coffee glaze pastry was a bit more complex and had some spice in it (overall too sweet for me) but the texture of the bun was excellent. This is where things get rough. Both breakfast sandwiches were soggy and cold. The eggs weren't made fresh but reeeally thick and baked frittata style.

In town for a wedding, tasked to bring fun things for an informal wedding prep event the day before. I’m admittedly a bakery snob, that annoying person that insists the Americans put too much sugar in everything, especially baked goods (yes, the irony is I am also American).

After light research, swung by Levee. Was a tiny bit suspicious because most of the pastries were the size of a small child’s head. Grabbed several classics (pain au chocolate, croissants) and made a last minute call to snag two of their jamon y beurre baguette sandwiches.

Omg. Those sandwiches. Overall everything was a hit but that sandwich…the perfect ratio of salty ham to soft Brie cheese, the acidic bite cornichons, the crusty baguette. Delivered by a lovely woman who gently sang my order (which didn’t know I needed in my life).

I went back every day of the wedding weekend. And just finished the final sandwich at the airport.

Until...

I'm not a big bread/pastry guy but this place is just incredible. The cinnamon roll is light and fluffy - like a cloud. The Kouign-amann is deliciously and caramel-y dense. The goat cheese and tomato tart was also really good. The cinnamon roll was so good the first time I had to come back within the week. I ended up sticking around for lunch and got the beet + goat cheese sandwich which was delicious - a perfect balance of tang (goat cheese) and sweetness (beat) on a fluffy focaccia. It was also sizeable as I'm usually not full after a vegetarian lunch. I find the prices here also really affordable only $2 for coffee (with free refills if you dine in), $4 for the cinnamon roll and $7 for the beet sandwich. Taxes are included in the price which is really nice and keeps the bill simple. I can't wait to return and will likely buy cakes from them in the future for...