I've always loved chocolate croissants. But I especially crave them when I'm pregnant. So lately, when I go to either Whole Foods or The Fresh Market I reward myself with one of these yummy pastries (neither one of these stores are close to my house, but I make the drive to buy specific items that I consider to be healthier choices for my family... so I think I deserve a treat for that, right?)
Anyway, today I couldn't decide which store to go to so I thought I should base my decision on the quality of their croissant. Hmmm... I decided to have a little contest. On the way back I stopped at Panera and picked one up there too, just to have another one for comparison.
The results:
1. The Fresh Market: Best overall taste. Soft and fluffy, with the right balance of chocolate vs. pastry. At $1.29 this one has the lowest price also.
2. Whole Foods: This one was so close to the Fresh Market's. It was really a close call. Also very soft and fluffy, with excellent taste. However, I could taste the oil or butter a bit, not badly though. It's just that the one from the Fresh Market had a bit more chocolate and tasted a tad better. This one was $1.79
3. Panera: It's an ok croissant, but just not as good as the other ones. Not very fluffy and the chocolate is kind of hard. It's inferior in flavor and smaller too. At $2.09 this one is the most expensive one. Sorry Panera, I do enjoy other things in there.
*Disclaimer: Even though I took this contest very seriously and I have excellent taste and I am pregnant, I do not posses professional taste buds. These are just my personal opinions, and are likely to differ from other's.