Good Taste: Savory pastries that hit like a meal - 48 hills

"As a passionate pastry hunter, I couldn't help but notice that most of the standouts I've tried this year happen to be more savory than sweet. When I spent seven weeks straight trying to score a preorder box of mixed pastries from Butter & Crumble (271 Francisco Street, SF), for example, the surprising highlight was a scallion pancake croissant, a rotating special that owner Sophie Smith calls a fan favorite."

"Jina Bakes x Daeho's kalbijjim croissant A small Korean-American bakery inside Japan Center, Jina Bakes (1581 Webster St. #150, SF) has been baking BBQ beef and torched mozzarella-filled croissants for several years, and they're much easier to get now, whether just by walking in or pre-ordering. The meat comes from neighboring restaurant Daeho (1620 Post Street, SF), which is quite expensive, but this is an affordable taste of their headlining dish. These freeze well, and taste better when heated."

"Juniper's Cubano croissant Juniper (1401 Polk Street, SF) has been open since 2023, but I didn't try it until this year, which is unlike me when I hear about a place with an imaginative pastry program. Like these other spots, it was the savory Cubano sandwich-style croissant stuffed with mojo pork, ham, Gruyère cheese, a pickle, and French mustard that stole the show. It was the most memorable part of my order, which included the signature choux and other very sweet items."

As a passionate pastry hunter, many of the year's standouts are savory rather than sweet. Seven weeks of trying to preorder from Butter & Crumble revealed a scallion pancake croissant as a rotating fan favorite, though it's hard to obtain. Savory pastries eliminate the need to choose between a portable takeout meal and an elaborate treat. Jina Bakes offers a kalbijjim croissant filled with BBQ beef sourced from Daeho; these freeze well and improve when reheated. Juniper serves a Cubano croissant stuffed with mojo pork, ham, Gruyère, a pickle, and French mustard. KC Paris Desserts offers a steak-and-cheese croissant.

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