I love pastries. So, naturally, whenever I drive along Queen Anne Ave, Moonrise Bakery always catches my eye. This past Monday, I finally decided to try it, and I wanted to share my opinions on this fun local bakery.
As I approached the bakery by foot, I noticed its plethora of outdoor seating. Even though it was a gloomy Monday morning, many people were utilizing all the cozy and covered seating that Moonrise Bakery had to offer. As summer approaches, I can only imagine how packed its patio is going to be, filled with customers enjoying a beautiful Seattle summer day, alongside a delightful pastry.
When I entered the bakery, I was amazed by its calm ambiance, as well as the large selection of pastries available. While I would have loved to try every single pastry that Moonrise had to offer, I ended up deciding to try six different pastries: a butter croissant, a chocolate croissant, a berry kouign amann, a cinnamon twist, a coconut macaroon cookie and a bacon cheddar breakfast pastry.
Starting off with a classic butter croissant, it looked a little pale on the outside, but was nevertheless incredibly flaky and tasted relatively decent. However, because it wasn’t amazing, both in its looks and taste, I give it a 7/10.
Next was the chocolate croissant (or, if you’re feeling fancy, pan au chocolat), which was, by far, a tastier version of the regular croissant. There was a thin layer of chocolate throughout the entire croissant, yet it wasn’t overpowering. Every single bite I took, I knew I was eating a chocolate croissant, which means it was absolutely perfect; I give it a 9/10.
After trying two quintessential pastries, I moved onto something a little less mainstream and tried the berry kouign amann, which looked like a muffin pastry with a raspberry compote on top. I wanted to love it because it was so unique, but it was messy to eat and occasionally a little dry. Any time I had a bite with the raspberry compote, it tasted delicious, as the raspberry perfectly complemented the pastry’s sweetness. However, every bite without any raspberry compote left me unsatisfied. Overall, I would give it a 6/10.
I then tried the cinnamon twist. As these are some of my favorite pastries, I went into my first bite with high expectations, and as the cinnamon twist entered my mouth, my expectations were somehow exceeded in every aspect. It had many layers, the cinnamon flavor was pronounced, and, even though it was very sugary, it wasn’t too sweet; I loved every bite I took, so, without question, I give it a 9/10.
In a similar sugary vein, I tried a coconut macaroon cookie with chocolate beautifully drizzled on top, and it was pretty decent due to its moistness and strong coconut flavor. In most of the macaroons I’ve previously had, the coconut tends to overpower the chocolate, but, in Moonrise’s macaroon, the coconut to chocolate ratio was perfect; they worked in harmony. I give it an 8/10.
For the final pastry, I wanted to try something slightly more filling, so I opted for a bacon and cheddar breakfast pastry. I heated it up in the microwave, and I would recommend you do the same. The classic combination of bacon and cheddar didn’t disappoint, especially because there was bacon in almost every bite. This pastry was genuinely so good, so I am happy to give it a 10/10.
Overall, Moonrise Bakery was a charming bakery, both in its decor and in its food. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for tasty pastries, especially a high-quality cinnamon twist or bacon and cheddar breakfast pastry, and I look forward to giving it many more visits in the near future.
Moonrise Bakery, 1805 Queen Anne Ave. North, is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Visit moonrise-bakery.com for more information.
Mason Dauber is a Magnolia resident and currently a sophomore at Lakeside School who writes for his school newspaper. This column reflects his own opinions.