In less than ten years, Bordeaux bred baker Pascal Rigo has managed to dominate the San Francisco baking scene, no small achievement given the city’s wealth of excellent bakeries. According to The Bay Bread Group website, he currently employs over 400 people. That’s impressive hiring power, and his baked goods are equally impressive.

Rigo launched Boulangerie in January 1999, in a former French laundry. No, not that French Laundry. Rigo now has six other boulangeries, plus five restaurants. He and his “co-workers” produce 80 different products daily. The location I frequent on trips north is La Boulange de Polk, on Russian Hill, with its mint green facade, sidewalk tables and casual vibe.

There’s normally a line from the front door to the cash register, allowing a tantalizing crawl past overflowing bread bins and pastry cases. This basket shelving cradled fresh-baked loaves of 3 Seed Baguette, Pain au Levain and Olive Boulot, to name a few offerings.

This swath of case contained Chocolate Fondants, Banana Caramel Muffins, Madeleines (vanilla, chocolate, blueberry, lemon), Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants and Apple Chaussons.

This window revealed Caneles, Orange & Cinnamon Buns, Ham & Cheese Croissants and Sugar Brioche.

This final display featured colorful macarons and miniature feta scallion rolls. The bottom shelf held sweet (strawberry rhubarb, apricot and apple) and savory (cauliflower, summer vegetable and potato) tarts, available by the slice.

The Croquant Bordelais ($1) was a flat almond biscotti-like creation, dipped in chocolate. The cornmeal cookie featured a raspberry thumbprint. Both were excellent.

The Raisin Custard Swirl ($2.25) was a golden raisin brioche studded with huge sugar crystals.

The almond croissant ($2.25) was easily the best I’ve eaten, dusted with powdered sugar, sporting sliced almond scales and flaky pastry, filled with almond cream and marzipan.

Boulange’s weekend-only “French toast” ($3.50) was like a custardy, egg-rich soufflé, with brioche undertones. It came dusted with powdered sugar, with a little pitcher of syrup. They also offer the French toast with fruit, but it’s plenty good unadulterated.

La Boulange de Polk doesn’t just have excellent sweets; they also excel with savory items like open-faced sandwiches and this flaky slice of quiche lorraine ($3), filled with plentiful chunks of luscious ham.

This individual veggie quiche ($4.25) was solid, containing mushrooms, leeks and tomatoes.

Boulange even has comforting coffee drinks like this Frothy latte, served in a bowl, rounding out a worthy facsimile of the French café experience.

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This entry is filed under Bakery, California, French, Northern California, San Francisco.