The internet, as you are probably aware, is overrun with superlatives.
So please pardon me when I say that Janjou Pâtisserie is absolutely the best bakery in Boise.
Janjou’s stunning pastries are the work of Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas, who moved to Boise from Israel over a decade ago. In 2008, she started a wholesale baking company with her husband. In 2013, they opened an impeccable cafe in the 17th and State marketplace.
The coffee is great. The croissants are flaky and stupendous. The eclairs are gentle lovers. But Janjou, to me, will always be about the quiche and the tarts.
How good is this quiche? This quiche is so good that eggs are actually proud to be included in it. If this quiche were a fabric, it would be the blue velvet upholstery at a nightclub you can’t get into.
For a few extra dollars, you can add a simple green salad drizzled in a stellar mustard vinaigrette. Pay for it. You will never order quiche a la carte again.
The tarts… where do I even start?
Most of us think we understand flavor. We make snickerdoodles and say things like “wowzers, the cinnamon really makes the sugar taste more good!”
The sad truth is, we understand almost nothing.
But Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas understands flavor.
Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas understands flavor like Carl Sagan understands the seventh dimension.
You don’t chew her tarts, you let them unfold in your mouth. The ingredients arrive in waves—buttery crust is leavened by rich filling which is rounded out by a raspberry which is awakened by a whisper of lime zest.
And then there’s this one beautiful little creation. It’s called the Lola.
I’m not even going to talk about it. I’ll ruin the surprise. Just go order one.
And when you eat your Lola, be grateful. It is a blessed coincidence that something this good exists in Boise, Idaho. ∎
Janjou Pâtisserie: 1754 W State Street, Boise, ID, 83702
Eating With Henry 
Actually Janjou Pâtisserie IS the best in Boise. 1 block away from me. Trouble!
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Definitely in the top 3. One tangible measure of their success is Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas’ nomination in 2016 for the James Beard Foundation’s Best Baker award. There are only 20 bakers on the semi-final list and Moshit and Janjou Pâtisserie made the cut. We’re talking top 20 in the U.S. While you have to take any award with a grain of salt, the James Beard nomination is high praise no matter how you slice it. Award winning chef Hugh Acheson wandered into Janjou when he was in Boise and said it was one of the best he’d tasted anywhere. Actually, just say “fuck it” to any award or review and head down and try something. Croissants, cookies, quiche, anything will rock your palate. The Framboise Verveine (Almond creamy goodness in an almond crust, topped with raspberries filled with raspberry confit with a splash of lemon verbena) is one of the best freaking things I’ve every put in my mouth.
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Very well said! Didn’t know about the nomination, but it’s well deserved. I was in London two summers ago and visited a couple fancy bakeries in SoHo, and they fell well short of Janjou.
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