A world class pastry chef walks among us, bestowing his big ideas upon Patisserie 46 in Minneapolis’ Kingfield neighborhood and the sister Rose Street Patisserie cafes in Linden Hills and on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul.
Next-level baker John Kraus certainly has the basics down. He can slay a savory ham and gruyère croissant or a crispy, flaky pain au chocolat. Over the course of nearly three decades, the Kentucky native has worked under the Michelin-starred Marco Pierre White and Michel Perraud, taught at Chicago’s French Pastry School, racked up several major awards (including Paris Gourmet’s coveted Pastry Chef of the Year), and led the U.S. team in Lyon’s prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie.
But enough about Kraus’ résumé. Where he really excels are beautiful weekly specials like the heavenly Easter haul pictured above. It includes a Sunnyside Up tart (coconut mousse, almond cream, and exotic gelée in a sucré tart shell with a white chocolate egg); a delicate carrot cake made with a cream cheese mousse, almond breton, and roasted pineapple; and a Briar Rose bunny wrapped in white chocolate and composed of vanilla Bavarian cream, strawberry rhubarb compote, and almond dacquoise. We love a Reese’s peanut butter egg as much as the next person, but damn.
Other here today/gone tomorrow revelations have included a Kouign-amann cut with maple sugar and bacon jam, a Mardi Gras doughnut with the wild glazing of a Jackson Pollock painting, and Chocolate Spheres filled with Bailey’s crémeux, chocolate streusel, brownies, whipped chocolate ganache, and flourless sponge cake. Rose Street has earned its tagline: “authentically French minus the airfare.”
Patisserie 46
4552 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN; 612-354-3257.
Rose Street Patisserie
2811 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis, MN; 612-259-7921.
171 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, MN; 651-556-4488.