Since I am living off the government these days a big brunch is not really within my means. My kitchen was empty except for some pasta and coffee and I had some errands to run so I opted for something quick and easy on Sunday. If you have ever stepped foot into the Balthazar Bakery you know it is one of the most cramped retail spaces in New York city. The lack of space creates for a stressed environment as tourists take one or two steps back and forth trying to figure out how the line works and the staff is calling out to anyone who will make eye contact for their order. The women ahead of us finally figured it out and ordered loaves sliced brioche and whatnot and it was our turn. I decided to add to the stress by making Nat order ahead of me even though she wasn’t ready. I am not sure why I insisted on her ordering first but she started freaking out and I started raising my voice saying “Order Nat it’s your turn”. (When I say raising my voice I need to clarify this was not yelling. It was loud enough though that everyone in the bakery was staring at me.) Nat finally decided on a hot chocolate and ham and cheese croissant. I swapped out the hot chocolate for a large coffee and we were on our way. Now the picture really doesn’t do this croissant justice as it is hands down the best ham and cheese croissant I have ever had. Ham is one of the scariest meats around because it is usually a cube of meat the size of a basketball wrapped in plastic and water. Thankfully you can trust Balthazar and the quality of their products. I am not sure what brand of ham but it’s definitely better than Boar’s Head. The croissant was warmed up and comes out with both the edges of the ham and the croissant crispy and the cheese melted to perfection inside. Kudos to the baker.

On another note I included a photo of the lid that Balthazar uses for their hot drinks. This is the best lid you will receive for a hot beverage ever. If you notice above the solo imprint is a tab that slides back and forth to prevent the drink from spilling. It probably costs more to use this lid but if I ever open my own place I will gladly incur the extra cost.