5 Red Flags a Michelin Pastry Chef Looks For

Camari Mick, the executive pastry chef at The Musket Room and a partner at Raf's, has established a reputation as a discerning expert in New York City's bakery scene. Drawing on her background in fine dining and a lifetime of visiting local shops, she has identified specific warning signs that indicate a lack of quality in high-end bakeries. Her insights help consumers navigate expensive purchases and ensure they receive good value.

Mick's evaluation process begins with the basics: the classic pastries. She examines the visual appeal and construction of items like croissants to gauge the care put into their creation. Additionally, she looks at how bakeries handle fresh bread and whether they adhere to proper storage techniques. Her checklist extends to digital research, where she analyzes customer photos for consistency, and to the physical environment of the bakery itself.

When entering a high-end bakery, Camari Mick immediately assesses the croissants. She looks closely at the lamination, which refers to the folded layers of dough and butter. According to Mick, both perfectly aligned layers and a more rustic, hand-rolled appearance are welcome characteristics. However, she warns that lamination which is "very thick, or small, or not uniform" is a bad sign.

Visual cues also reveal potential flavor issues. Mick advises checking the color of the pastry; if a croissant is "too blonde on the outside," it likely lacks flavor inside. Furthermore, texture is a key indicator. A pastry that appears to be "sweating on itself" with wrinkly layers—often the result of being covered while hot—will not be flaky. Ultimately, if the pastries do not look as if love has been put into them, Mick will likely skip the purchase.

High-end bakeries should prioritize selling fresh bread, and storage methods reveal whether this standard is met. Ideally, a customer should be able to touch the bread to test its hardness. If touching is not an option, visual inspection can suffice. Mick notes that bread looking "super voluptuous and almost fresh out of the oven" is usually a safe bet.

Conversely, bread that is already wrapped in plastic or paper is a significant red flag. Mick explains that this usually indicates the loaf was wrapped while still warm. Fresh bread requires room to breathe; wrapping it traps steam, which causes the loaf to steam itself and become soggy. Avoiding wrapped loaves ensures a better texture and taste.

Before physically visiting a bakery, Mick often turns to Instagram to evaluate consistency. She searches the location tag for the specific bakery and looks for images of the items she intends to order. Her goal is to determine if the baked goods look the same across various photos posted by different diners.

If the appearance of the pastry varies significantly from picture to picture, Mick is hesitant to order. Inconsistency suggests that the quality may fluctuate depending on the batch. Since high-end bakeries often charge a premium, she believes customers should not leave quality up to chance. A reliable visual standard across social media is a strong indicator of a bakery's consistency.

Mick's understanding of food chemistry makes her wary of certain pastries that are prepared in advance. Specifically, she advises against buying items that combine a crispy exterior with a moist, wet filling if they have been sitting in a display case. She notes that such items inevitably become soggy after about 10 minutes.

A prime example she cites is the cannoli. If a bakery fills the shells and leaves them in the case until purchase, it raises concerns about texture. A crispy shell filled with cream will lose its structural integrity quickly. Therefore, bakeries that offer made-to-order fillings for items like cannoli are more likely to deliver the intended crunch and freshness.

The condition of the customer-facing areas serves as a proxy for the hygiene of the kitchen. Mick warns customers to look out for flies around the pastry case. If there is any sign of insect infestation in the display, she advises that the problem is likely widespread throughout the facility.

Additionally, Mick suggests that customers peek into the bakery's bathroom before placing an order. She firmly believes that a messy bathroom correlates with a messy kitchen. This observation provides a final, practical check on the overall sanitation standards of the establishment.