MUSIC

There's nothing like a good French pastry. Doesn't matter if you find it in Paris - or in Fort Lauderdale. These folks know how to bake sweets the right way. Lately I've been making a semi-habit of going to one of the best French bakeries in South Florida. Croissan'Time is a delightful shop in a strip mall, though it can be a little hard to find at first. But really, it is definitely worth the effort. Owned by Bernard Casse, Croissan'Time has been baking up luscious croissants, Danish, turnovers, beignets and more since 1986. For some reason, I had stopped here only on rare occasions in the past, often to buy a special treat for Easter or Thanksgiving. No more. It has joined a short list of my favorite morning stops these days. 

Monsieur Casse has been doing this a while. A long while, actually. He's been a French baker and pastry chef for 43 years. If you want a treat, drop by for a breakfast of a beignet and their wonderful coffee. Mmm, it's most excellent.

And if you do your dropping by on a Sunday, there's an extra treat waiting. Croissan'Time has a live jazz band playing in front of the store on late Sunday mornings, a decent little trio with an unusually interesting drummer. This place is a lot more than a coffee shop. People come here and line up for boxes of cakes, pies and other pastries. But there's also a whole lunch menu. From quiches to salads, from brie to pate on a baguette, Croissan'Time offers many choices. They even sell French butter, Madrange cooked French ham and game meats such as quail, partridge and venison. Interesting restaurant, this. In addition to the tasty food, Croissan'Time has transformed the sidewalk exterior into a surprisingly pleasant space, covered in climbing foliage and frequented by sparrows that chirp and wing energetically around. To find Croissan'Time, head south on Federal Highway and look for it on the right side of the road just before Sunrise Boulevard. Their address is 1201 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale. The phone number is 954-565-8555. You won't see the Arc de Triomphe from their outdoor tables, obviously - but when you're tasting one of their beignets, it's easy enough to imagine.