Celebrate the Day: We Have Croissants in South Bend

Dear South Bend,

I think it’s about time you know something. I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but here it is: My quality of life is directly proportional to the availability of croissants. And unfortunately, the croissant scene here in South Bend, until now, has been lacking.

Perhaps croissant availability is a poor way to judge a city. But maybe it’s not…

Here’s my case for the croissant: it is the quintessential pastry. The old fashioned of a cocktail bar. The espresso of a coffee shop. It is simple, elegant, and requires extreme care to get right. And once you have the basics dialed in, it is the building block of many beautiful creations.

When I visit Chicago, I go to Dan the Baker and buy one of everything. When I’m in Grand Rapids, I stop at Field & Fire for both a sweet and savory croissant. And in Detroit, I fell in love with Ochre Bakery (tragically, now closed) where they made the most stunning almond croissants. I have fond memories of walking the streets of Rome every morning with a croissant the size of my face. In Rome, it’s a perfectly acceptable breakfast.

The base of a croissant is a yeasted dough that is laminated, a time-consuming process where the dough is folded around butter, rolled out, folded again, and chilled. This step is repeated multiple times to create the iconic layers. Without the layers, it’s just a buttery roll. From there, the laminated dough is cut, perhaps filled, shaped, and then proofed before baking. I made croissants at home once, and they turned out alright, but it was such a labor-intensive process I never made them again.

My theory: this is why freshly made croissants aren’t widely available here in South Bend—they require a lot of time and highly skilled labor. And maybe there aren’t enough croissant-loving customers here to make it viable. But to me, croissants are a signal of a city with an elevated food culture.

And so, when I learned that A Roaster Called Revenant would sell croissants at the roastery at Vested Interest—across the courtyard from my office, no less—I was delighted. I met Taylor Feldmann, the pastry chef, on Friday night at Stockroom during the Tommy Prine show. “I’ve been baking some things,” he shared. “Revenant will have some croissants at the roastery soon. This Wednesday. Not many though, so make sure you go early.”

Taylor is a seasoned pastry chef. “I have been all over,” he said. “I worked with Tory Miller for about eight years, opening two restaurants, then I moved to Washington DC, and worked at Tail Up Goat with Jon Sybert. Then, I went on to run the viennoiseries department for A Baked Joint.”

And, recently, he was hired by Haunt of Hounds to run the pastry program for their restaurants, including croissants for A Roaster Called Revenant.

So on Wednesday morning, I marched over at ten o’clock sharp to be sure I wouldn’t miss out. There on the counter my eyes beheld the most beautiful croissants: pillowy, golden brown, and impossibly flakey. I ordered one of each: plain and chocolate, plus an espresso. Suddenly, I was transported back to Chicago, Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Rome.

I walked back to my office, coated in the little shards of a perfectly made croissant, wondering: How many croissants are okay to eat in a week? I’m not sure, but I’m willing to find out the hard way.

. . .

Revenant’s roastery is now open to the public on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10am–2pm. Visit them for coffee and a croissant at 240 E Tutt Street on the corner of Tutt and Carroll.

Photography by Jacob Titus