REIS' BAKERY

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★

French Pastries & Desserts

Standout Dishes: Liege Waffle; Kouign-Amann; Provossata Loaf; Croissant

The moment you step inside the door of Reis’ Bakery, you know you’re in the company of bread-baking greatness. Your nostrils are filled with that clean, slightly sweet yeasty aroma that comes with freshly-baked bread. If the feeling of cozying up in a warm blanket on a cold day could be a smell, this would be it.

But baking bread and crafting French pastries are different art forms, as the French have basically created a religion out of their butter-infused delicacies. These creations involve more nuanced techniques, such as folding layers, swirling spirals, and incorporating chocolate and fruits.

That’s what makes Reis’ Bakery, a small shop off of 120th and Pacific, such a special place. These pastries and desserts will momentarily rip you out of Omaha and transport you to a street corner in Paris.

Aires and Judy have been making these French baked goods for decades, and now that they’ve moved from Brooklyn, New York, Omahans get to experience a taste of France.

The first thing you’ll notice upon entering is the giant pastry case, which is like Willy Wonka’s workshop, only filled with French pastries and desserts rather than candy. Your eyes can hardly process all everything at once; not only are these desserts gorgeous, but most are unfamiliar to the American palate. If you’ve had a Kouign-Amann or a schnecken before, you’re a rare breed in Omaha.

Any patisserie worth its salt had better be able to deliver on the most classic French pastry: the Croissant. Reis’ version is visually arresting on the outside, with its golden brown color and waves of textured sheets. Then you bite in and your mouth is filled with a warm, buttery sweetness and the slightest whiff of yeast. And there are so many layers of laminated dough that you’d lose track if you tried to count them all.

You’ll experience a very similar sensation in the Pain Au Chocolat, which is similar structurally to the croissant but shaped differently. This pastry is more circular and domed, with a brilliant buttery glaze on top.

But the biggest difference is that thin bars of rich Belgian chocolate are embedded in the layers of flaky dough, adding a milky sweetness that complements the butter in the rest of the pastry very well. This delight combines chocolate with a strong buttery aroma and a light, open texture.

These pastries are somewhat familiar to the average Omaha palate, and you can have an awesome experience if all you ordered at Reis’ were things you recognized. But if you’re bold enough to step outside the box and try something new, you’ll be rewarded here.

The best example is the Kouign-Amann (pronounced “queen ah-mahn”), the dense, sweet cousin to the croissant. This treat still has plenty of butter and flaky layers, but it’s much more sugary and has a nice caramelized exterior. Its combination of salt, sugar, and butter, not to mention a crunchy outer texture, make it a must-try item.

Also on the sweet side are the Liege Waffles. These small versions of a Belgian waffle are dense and have deep grooves, but you won’t need to fill them with syrup. Once you break through the crispy exterior, which has a sticky, caramel-y glaze, you’ll find a soft, fluffy interior with Belgian pearl sugar. These little sugar BBs not only add pops of sweetness, but a surprisingly texture contrast when you run into one.

For all the wonderful pastries Reis’ Bakery creates, it can make some darn good bread, too. The classic French Baguette is long and thin with a crisp crust that protects soft, moist innards. It’s basic, but delicious enough to eat on its own or with a pat of butter.

What’s not basic is the Provossata Loaf, a thick, dense bread that is studded with provolone cheese and sopressata salami. The meat adds fat, salt, and crispy texture, while the cheese melts into the dough to inject every bite with a buttery, nutty flavor.

The service at Reis’ couldn’t be friendlier. You’re likely to meet Judy at the counter, and she not only makes you feel at home, but she’s happy to explain any of the options you may not be familiar with. Though there’s no space to sit inside the building, it still has a welcoming, homey feel that makes you want to slow down and wait for your warm pastries to emerge from the oven or waffle iron.

Every pastry that comes from Reis’ was baked that day, likely within an hour of you ordering it. No pastry tastes stale; rather, they all seem lively and eager to coat your lips in warm butter.

Reis’ Bakery brings something new and authentic to the Omaha pastry scene. I’ll let my boss, whose parents live in France and tried Reis’ one day after returning from a visit with them, sum it up best: “This is the closest I’ve had in America to what I had in France.”