Crème Bakery

The inspiration

Her vision was a simple but luscious community bakery where everything, from scones to bread to cookies, is made from scratch¹ .

Who's behind it

Proprietress Erica Hartig Dubreuil spent over thirty years in retail food, as an executive at the DC bakery chain Marvelous Market and, for two decades, at Whole Foods Market, rising to regional vice president before retiring at the end of 2016 to create Crème^1,2 . She holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from UCLA, earned in 1988, and is a third-generation Southern Californian raised in nearby Alta Loma³ .

What to order

• Saucisson Sec baguette sandwich: dry Italian salami, fontina, Dijon mustard and cornichons on a house baguette .⁵
• Apricot danish: a favorite of Dubreuil's, with a flaky croissant base, slightly sweetened cream cheese and a juicy apricot center .⁴
• Cakes and tarts: the menu includes Chantilly, carrot, chocolate ganache and coconut cakes, plus fresh fruit and lemon meringue tarts .

What people are saying

Press coverage describes the shop itself as elegant and intimate, somewhere at home in Paris or London, with a warm welcome from Dubreuil even when the line stretches out the door^5,4 .

Why you should try it

Crème sits in the walkable heart of Claremont Village, surrounded by the cafes and shops that made Dubreuil pick the block^1,5 .