After visiting France, finding a good French bakery in the United States is like finding a unicorn. Verzenay Bakery in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood is that unicorn.

Judging a good French bakery is based on the quality of their most basic products; namely, their bread and croissants. Verzenay passes both tests. Firstly, the chocolate croissant is flakey while still being chewy and buttery without being heavy. I got there right when the bakery opened, so it was still nice and warm.

In later visits, I have also tried their oat sourdough oat bread and traditional baguette that has a sourdough base. Both are incredibly soft on the inside and have the perfect crust outside.

The quality of Verzenay is no surprise, considering that it is owned by Chef Arshiya, who was trained in a culinary school in Paris, France. In addition to top-quality breads and croissants, Verzenay also has a selection of tarts, macarons, quiches and more.