My friend Pam recently came back from a month in France, and was raving about how this new bakery in downtown Mountain View was legit. She goes there for the baguettes and loves it. Apparently it’s the real deal! I was of course intrigued, so I had to visit this place for myself.
On a Tuesday morning, I stopped by Maison Alyzée and immediately fell in love with the charm of this bakery. I had the chance to speak with the owner, Laurent Pellet. He was so welcoming and open, and I got a peek behind-the scenes at the kitchen and got to meet the chefs as well. So cool!! The more I heard about their story and how they work and think, I was captivated by the amount of care and love that is put into this bakery.
Laurent opened this bakery because there wasn’t a truly French bakery that existed in the Bay Area. There were other really good bakeries, but not one that was *truly* French. The team believed that they could create something truly different. That is the mark of a team on a mission!!
The values that are important to Laurent are humility, respect, sharing, and quality. Sharing is important to him because back in France, a community of bakers is all about sharing. He also emphasizes humility because they are always striving to do better – to tweak and improve the product to be at its best for customers. They challenge themselves daily. Each day, they look at the product and think, “Do we need to improve this?” It’s possible that a pastry may change 1 week later.
When you visit this place, the ambience begins from the street when you walk up to the bakery (there is outdoor seating) to stepping into the cozy bakery and seeing all the beautiful pastries. There is a Parisian flair to the whole experience.
They even have their own signature loaf of bread – the one with the M on it, which is made up of different flours. Gotta try that one day! After I try their baguette. 🙂
Laurent wants this place to be like a second home for customers. Some customers already come every day! And he wants it to be a place for kids as well.
Speaking of feeling like a home, he introduced me to his wife who works there as well. Aren’t they adorable?
THE BEST INGREDIENTS
Their team is also very meticulous with their ingredients and test the products to make sure they’re up to their quality standard. They source their ingredients from local vendors and they use the best ingredients – French butter, the best chocolate, etc..
He showed me the selection of teas they have from France, and he even took out a humongous bag of tea which was so aromatic that I could smell it from an arms distance away, when the bag was still closed!
AN AMAZING TEAM
Laurent brought over 3 chefs from France – including a Michelin star pastry chef! There is Head Pastry Chef Jean-Victor Bellaye, Pastry Sous-Chef Xan Billiotte, and Pastry Sous-Chef Gerald Chahine. More details about them here.
Here’s a picture of Laurent (left) and Chef Jean-Victor (right).
Chef Jean-Victor also took the time to explain some of the pastries to me. And while we were talking, he pulled these pastries from out of the oven! They look delicious.
Overall, I had a fantastic first time at Maison Alyzée. I’m excited that they have come to downtown Mountain View. This place is only a couple of months old and already has strong reviews on Yelp.
By the way, here’s a picture of the croissant I had. It was so flaky and delicious. It was gone in no time.
Before
After
If you’re in downtown Mountain View, stop by this gem of a bakery!!
Maison Alyzeée
212 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
Thank you to Laurent and the whole team for being so welcoming. Wishing you the best!
OH GOSH! I LOVE BREAD! They all look so yummy! I should visit the place whenever I get a chance to go Mountain View.
hahah i love bread too!! and pastries! haha yes and let me know when you’re in the area!! <3
Looks so delicious!!!! I can tell a lot of love is poured into each pastry. I’ll be in town next week and will definitely stop by.
Indeed made with lots of love!! Hooray! Hope you enjoy it!