My mother, God love her, inspires many things in my life.  Sometimes, the inspiration is questionable, like the time she cut my hair into a mullet.  However, at other times, her example has lead me to wonders beyond my wildest dreams.

On a summer afternoon, I was able to pay her a visit, which is a rare treat for someone like me who is part vampire and tends to shun daytime outings.  Upon my arrival to the casa de madre, we got to the task of picking a place to eat.  A food snob like myself finds the selections in and around the Whittier area limited as chain restaurants don’t really do it for me.  So when dear sweet mama suggested, “This place in La Habra that makes fresh croissants everyday,” I was skeptical, but put my trust in the matriarch of my family.  After all, it was her cooking that created this lustyglutton in the first place.

As we pulled into the strip mall, I was still not convinced that mom had made a good call.  We were on busy Whittier Boulevard, across the street from a high school, in an area seemingly void of any foot traffic to speak of.  We walked in and, much to my dismay, we were informed that the only croissants left for sale were chocolate chip. Well, I was about ready to throw a tantrum.  So what if this place was opened at  7am? So what if they were going to close at 2:30?  I wanted a croissant!!!

But mommy, in her infinite wisdom, diffused my would-be bitch fit with a small ray of hope. “They put aside a bunch of the plain ones to use in sandwiches.  Why don’t you just get a croissant sandwich?”

God bless her.

So a sandwich it was.  A turkey pesto on croissant, add onions, hold the cheese.  We were then asked if we’d like the lunch special which added a bag of chips and a cookie.  Why the hell not?

My spirits were beginning to perk up as mom and I took a seat on the cute patio area to enjoy the nice weather and a bit of conversation.  And then, it happened.  Our lunch specials were delivered to us and I took my first bite.  Oh. My. Dear. Lord.

The croissant was insane.  Buttery, soft, flavorful, yet substantial enough to hold its shape in a sandwich and not give way to becoming a crumby mess.  The pesto mayo was just tangy enough and the turkey was surprisingly moist. The tomato and lettuce were crisp and not at all wilted like so many other sandwiches I’ve tried and even though I asked for the onions on my own, I really think it kicked up the overall sandwich flavor.  I was in heaven.  But the awesome didn’t end there.  Lo and behold, a built in dessert was there waiting to be consumed.  Mom and I decided to cut both her chocolate chip and my cinnamon sugar in half and experience both flavors.  After all, this place is a bakery and if the croissant is this good, the cookies could be orgasmic.  The chocolate chip was delicious and the cinnamon was so astronomically amazing that I had to fight the urge to buy a half dozen, rush home, turn out all the lights and eat them in a frenzy, naked.  That good.

Needless to say, I’m going to be more inclined to visit the lovely city of La Habra in the very near future.  And this place was so good, I may even get there early to grab a lone butter croissant – for my mommy.