As a line snakes out the door of the recently-opened Sarmentine Bakery in Petaluma — its third location now in the county — it’s easy to forget that co-owner Alexandra Zandvliet began her baking career as a pandemic hobby in her home kitchen.
In 2021, the Santa Rosa bakery (52 Mission Circle) quickly became a beacon for the croissant and cafe au lait-set with an ever-expanding lineup of cream puffs, éclairs, butter and ham baguettes, croissants, olive bread and dozens of other sweet and savory treats. A bakery at the Barlow in Sebastopol followed in 2023 and now the Petaluma Boulevard North location expands the floury empire.
The spacious new location is populated by a drool-worthy collection of bakery cases piled with cream-filled desserts like Paris Brest (pate a choux filled with praline cream) and Mille-Feuille, chocolate croissants, brioche buns, fruit tarts (the passion fruit is a favorite) and Madeleines. Tiny caneles have a sticky, crunchy crust and custardy center that buckle my knees with happiness.
The block seems to be a draw for French cuisine, with the recently-opened Brigitte Bistro across the street. A weekend brunch is in the works and there may be a few more surprises under Sarmentine’s beret. Petaluma’s hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
840 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, 707-623-9595, sarmentine.com