I’m always skeptical when I hear from someone that this or that bakery actually has real croissants, like they have in this little place called France.

So far I’ve only come across one place that meets that bill in Boston, and, well, I haven’t come across any others in other parts of the US. Please shout out if you’ve found one somewhere, and I’d be happy to try it out (road trip!).

First off, you can rule out grocery store bakeries, even those like the unique Trader Joe’s, which has many delicious things, but not authentic croissants.

I heard about a couple of bakeries in Arlington that supposedly had European-style croissants, but they just didn’t do it for me:

• Quebrada: good butter ratio, but too dense and heavy, more like a flaky roll than a croissant
• Bella Moto: nice and flaky, but waaay too much butter – these things were greasy!

Nope, there’s still only one place for me, even though it often means waiting in a long line outside of the store on a cold or rainy day. Clear Flour in Brookline, right over the border from Allston: http://www.clearflourbread.com/

Oh … my … God … get me some of those croissants!