Sorry to hear man chaumont driving thejr brand into the ground over night they used to be the LA standard
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My guess is that they were pre-made and possibly frozen at their ghost kitchen that supplies cafes and schools and then finished in their oven. I also guess that they are using low quality industrial butter. Could they even be using margarine?
Edited: I was so disturbed by this horrible breakfast ātreatā that has put me in a sour mood for the rest of the day that I asked AI if they could be using margarine and this is what I got: āItās possible, though the more common industrial shortcut these days is a cheap vegetable-based butter blend or a low-quality high-water-content butter rather than outright margarine. Pure margarine has become somewhat less common in even industrial baking because of trans fat concerns and labeling requirements.ā
Check this out from their website: āDiscover the exquisite taste of French pastries with Chaumont Bakeryās wholesale offerings, perfect for cafes, hotels, restaurants, and schools. Our range includes traditional viennoiseries and flaky croissants, crafted to perfection to enhance any menu. Partner with us for wholesale French pastries and bring a touch of French culinary excellence to your establishment. Our commitment to quality ensures your customers and guests enjoy the very best in authentic French baking.ā https://www.chaumontbakery.com/
I ordered a lot from them during the Pandemic before they went industrial, so this was quite the surprise to me because I expected what they previously offered. Would have been better off grabbing a bagel from somewhere - even a middling bagel would not have been as bad as this croissant.
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Oh, dear. That + multiple reports of downhill make me so sad. 
@attran99: have you ever had the Petitgrain croissant? Itās been a bit since Iāve had one myself, but it is lovely (although a VERY diff animal than is the former Chaumont one).
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The best in LA, but they donāt travel super well so eat them warm at the shop.
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I rarely have business in Santa Monica, so not yet. And I understand that only early birds get the worm at Petitgrainā¦Iām too lazy for that. On my list for a maybe one day.
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Petitgrain bakes throughout the day, that early bird thing was only true when they first opened (and on weekends thereās a long line). I walk in at all times and successfully grab a yummy croissant, with ease.
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My entire family of not particularly discerning diners was thoroughly disappointed by their Chaumont croissants today.
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I really like Jyan Isaacās pastry spread. Huckleberry scone reminds me of sidecarās.
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I remember being surprised by how bad the Chaumont croissant at Goodboybob was but chalked it up to just delivery being bad. Last time we went to Santa Monica it wasnāt the terrible pillowy version others are describing but definitely wasnāt hitting on all cylinders either. Wonder if the Beverly Hills mothership is still good?
Went to Petitgrain for the first time in a couple months this weekend and no downhill alert here. Special place.
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I havenāt had a plain croissant from Jyan Isaac but everything I have tried was great.
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They usually do a second croissant bake late in the morning and havenāt run out of croissants the last dozen or so times Iāve been. Try calling before you go to get an updateā¦ Clemence usually answers the phone herself.
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Fwiw their kouign amann are available later in the morning
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For a while now I have been trying to get my act together and hit our local pastry shop Varsity Bakers before they close at 2p. Yes, I am impossible.
I finally made an appointment with myself this week after another neighbor raved about them, especially their croissants. My total local spot is Tartine. They arenāt as ethereal as Proofs (havenāt tried Petit Grain) but they are sufficiently flakey and buttery.
The bake shop has been open for a little over a year and itās run by two bakers and is mainly a workspace for their Malibu pick up and custom order business. Itās located on MLK and Coliseum In a very non descript 7-11 mini mall.
but the inside is very cozy and even though it was right before noon, they had plenty of items out to choose from. Several cookies muffins, cakes and various croissants. For the first time in a very long time I was tempted by the Almond Croissant, which usually is not my jam, but theirs looked amazing! Next time for sure!
I did get their plain croissant, their Artichoke Spinach Danish, and their Seasonal Fruit Croissant, which was mixed berry.
The winner by far was the Artichoke Danish. The filling was so rich and plentiful. The fruit croissant also was generously stuffed with berries and I loved the strudel topping! I look forward to trying other seasonal flavors.
The croissant itself was not super shattery. But the inside has a wonderful webbing and real rich buttery taste. Better than Tartineās for sure.
The prices are in line with most bakeries of this level. $5 for the croissant. $6.50 for the filled. They have coffee and tea (nothing fancy there sadly). They donāt update their insta much. But I will be keeping an eye on their pre-order options as it will be motivation for me to actually ride over there!
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Went to Chaumont SM today and WTF happened the croissants are unrecognizable to the delicious shattery ones Iām used to. The flavored ones besides the regular and pain au chocolates looked like they might have been better but I didnāt get those. Maybe theyāre focusing more on those and the vegan side but man, really sad what has happened to what used to be my favorite croissant in the city.
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Yeah something has happened they are terrible they looked similar to croissants from Costco lol
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Iām not a Costco member but yeah Chaumontās croissants now taste like what you would pick up at Pavilions. Sad because once upon a time they were very good. Maybe with inflation, the math no longer works for them to make quality goods.
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I heard they possibly got investors maybe it was PE and we know how they make things
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I suspect itās more that people simply are more apt to order the guava/cheese or almond chocolate banana or other sweeter stuff nowadays so why put as much into the classics. The coffee is still pretty good.
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Petitgrain (Santa Monica)
Finally made it. We pre-ordered on Thursday for a Saturday morning pick up. And because it happened to be the 4th of July, zero traffic to Santa Monica, easy parking on Wilshire, and little traffic to get home. Just walk in, skip the line and pay for your pre-order and done. I enjoy this experience immensely.
There were 3 households worth of treats split between 4 boxes. The most variety was in the giant box.
The regular croissants are delicious. You get a small hit of French butter, but it also feels like thereās been a slight fermentation of the dough itself. I feel like they bake the croissants just a touch longer to caramelize. The flavor of this croissant is complex. You can taste the effort that goes into it. The 4 I got for my household disappeared instantly.
The Kouign Amman is currently being filled with a peach jam. Run for it. It was the one thing that was still warm when we picked up and it was amazing. Delicious and warm caramelized pastry with a generous dollop of also warm peach jam. Itās the best KA Iāve hadā¦ever.
The scones are big enough for 3-4 people to share. If you try to polish the Boursin by yourself, youāll not need lunch and youāll only need a small salad for dinner. If you made a breakfast sandwich with this scone, it would be a great decadent meal. The blueberry was also a winner.
The cinnamon rolls received high marks in my house. Rewarmed in the toaster oven or the microwave (the toaster oven was better), they disappeared and are now the house preferred cinnamon roll. Itās like a croissant and a perfect cinnamon roll had a baby. The added bonus is that the sum of its parts is balanced and not too sweet. Makes it easier to finish a whole in one sittingā¦the chowpups know how to eat.
Loved the pistachio lemon croissant. Fantastic. No notes.
Want something different? The Farmerās Market danish is the laminated pastry filled with Weiser potatoes, onions, cheese and herbs. So good.
Not pictured: pain au chocolat, almond croissant, banana breadā¦these all went to my parents. Word is that their box was empty in about 36 hours.
Petitgrain is a gem. Yāall on the Westwide are lucky to have it. Iād definitely come here more often if the level of effort was low. Props to the team here for having our entire order ready and just being so lovely.
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https://www.costar.com/article/1576125834/why-this-baker-bets-on-office-workers-for-growth
I donāt know much about āventure,ā but the illogical expansion (4ā5 locations in a 5-mi radius) reeks of private equity (IMHO), and, as @hungryhungryhippos mentioned, we all know what happens after that.
I didnāt know you could order ahead like this, and I def didnāt know they were open on the 4th!!! Argh!!!
Glad you had enjoyed your haul. It is indeed an absolute gem.
I canāt recall if I had mentioned the pre-packaged fennel cookies previously. They are mighty tasty.
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