Aromas of buttery brioche waft out the doors and into the Junction. Locals beam as they fill up their bike baskets with fresh-baked baguette and happily ride away to their first spring picnic. And a frantic hostess, on her way home to prepare for a dinner party, breathes a sigh of relief as she's finally found the perfect pear tarte to serve for dessert.

Merci, Bakery Nouveau!

Lending a European flair to the West Seattle air, Bakery Nouveau is an artisan bakery known for its hand-crafted breads, pastries, sandwiches, pizzas, cakes, and fine chocolates.

"Hear that tapping sound coming from upstairs?" asks chef and owner William Leaman. "That's my assistant hand-making traditional chocolate Easter eggs filled with little homemade candies."

So beautiful you can hardly bear to eat them, these vibrantly colored chocolate eggs are just one example of the art and care that go into each item at Bakery Nouveau. Peek into the open kitchen in back to witness bakers by the dozen tending their beloved breads and pastries. But it's no surprise, as chef Leaman's mission is to preserve the rich tradition and craft of bakers and chocolatiers by using age-old techniques that have been lost in recent years.

No stranger to the culinary elite, Leaman was nominated as one of the "Top 10 Next Generation Chocolatiers" in 2004. The French-speaking chef then went on to win the 2005 "Coupe Du Monde de la Boulangerie" (the Bread Bakers Guild best in the world award) for Team USA where he captained a team of three to create a USA scene including the Statue of Liberty (representing opportunity), the Golden Gate Bridge (symbolizing ingenuity), Mount Rushmore (signifying American history and our forefathers), and a soaring bald eagle (embodying freedom) - all made out of edible baked goods. You can see the photo yourself next to the gigantic "world cup" trophy atop his pastry case.

"But after living and working in Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, and recently leaving a five-year position as head pastry chef and chocolatier at Essential Baking Co.," he recalls, "I realized West Seattle was a great place for me and my family, and that's where I wanted to be. I wanted to give back to the neighborhood I love and be a part of this community."

And on one fateful evening after having ice cream at Husky Deli with his wife and newborn baby, Leaman stumbled upon a "for lease" sign on the door of the old Borrachini's Bakery (which was Blake's Bakery for many decades before that).

Later that night, Husky's owner Jack Miller put Leaman in touch with his brother Joe about renting the space. Bear in mind, Leaman knew he wanted to open his own bakery someday, he just didn't know that this day had just arrived.

"And before we knew it, our proposal was accepted for the new bakery - Bakery Nouveau," smiles Leaman.

Nouveau is a French word adopted into the English language meaning "new" or "newly developed." And the reason Leaman chose this name was because his new bakery was about to offer something new to West Seattle.

"While we bake things that the community can identify with like classic American carrot cake or chocolate cake, we really want to help create culture and have people come back day after day to try something new like a smoked salmon tartine or seasonal creations made fresh from the produce at the Farmer's Market."

The bakery is able to alter its offerings each day using seasonal ingredients as well as changing its selection throughout the day as it bakes off fresh product all day long (not just in the early morning hours to stock up).

"That way you can get something fresh from the oven all day long (no day old items here), and we don't end up with a surplus of extra food at the end of the day - our cases are almost always empty by closing."

So, with new things to try each day, where do you start at Bakery Nouveau? Take it from Chef William; the following are a few of his favorites.

Starting left to right in the pastry cases he arranges to look like fine jewelry (only these gems are pretty AND tasty), we'll start with the chocolates. Chef recommends the 70 percent Nouveau (for which he won the "Best Ganache" award in 2004) as well as the passion fruit and vanilla scotch chocolates. For full on desserts, try the popular chocolate cake or the striking chocolate mousse with raspberry (topped off with a dainty Parisian chocolate macaroon).

Hungry for something savory? The ham and cheese sandwich is served hot from the Italian stone hearth oven and the mushroom/garlic/goat cheese quiche is great for breakfast or lunch. Pizza, in both thin crust and Sicilian style, is available by the slice. And French onion soup is also an option on weekdays. Salads will be offered closer to summer.

When it comes to the wide variety of artisan breads, according to Chef, everybody loves the baguette, while the rye is his personal favorite. The calamata olive fougasse (a pretzel-looking bread) is also as delicious as it is artistic. For breakfast pastries, the twice-baked almond croissant is a treat and the sweet (but not too sweet) chocolate croissant is a must. The bakery currently serves Lighthouse Coffees, teas and juices, but plans to expand its beverage offerings in the near future.

If you are like many of William's customers, after sampling his wares, you may be inspired to do a little baking yourself. He plans to offer Sunday afternoon cooking classes where you can polish up on your skills and learn new ones as well. Learn to perfect your pie dough, bake homemade bread on the weekend, make your own chocolates, create sweet and savory tartes, and much more. Interested parties should inquire within or email the bakery at: classes@BakeryNouveau.com

"Baking your own breads at home to share with friends and family is a rewarding experience," says Leaman. "But I could have never imagined how gratifying it would be to bake for my entire community...until now."

So whether you're craving a flakey, raspberry Danish or just want to learn something new, stop by and say "bienvenue" to West Seattle's own world-class bakery.

(Information Box)

What:

Bakery Nouveau

Where:

4737 California Ave SW

www.bakerynouveau.com

923.0534

When:

Hours are Monday-Friday 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Hours will be expanding for summer

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