Yeah, Joel's right on: the Hurricane fencing, the recycled fast-food building, excellent croissants and an iced coffee that will put hair on your chest. Those croissants. When I moved from Belgium to the Twin Cities more than 20 years ago, in St. Paul there was one good bakery (Napoleon's), one place where you could get a good cup of what I call coffee (espresso at Dunn Bros.) and nary a place where a Belgian could buy a decent beer. When Napoleon's closed I almost cried. Things have changed, for the better, mostly. Beer is no longer a problem, Minnesotans have finally learned to brew something other than "lite." Coffee (as opposed to "flower coffee," as my grama used to call the stuff through which you can see the flower pattern at the bottom of your Meissen china cup) is abundant (though I still like Dunn's best), and ther is the Trung Nam's French Bakery. Croissants so fluffy and light, crisp on the outside and slightly chewy within. Just the right amount of filling, not to overpower. And by all means, have the iced coffee, early on a hot, muggy July morning. You'll be awake to taste the croissants.
--Christian
We also felt a major blow when Napoleon's closed. But there's another great croissant provider--and best yet it's the hippies across the river at the May Day Cafe. 54th and Bloomington. Delicious.
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