Pastry Chef Na Young is doing truly great things with butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Her tart crusts are short and just the right amount of sweet. Her custards and creams have clean, vibrant flavors. The croissants still sell out before 10 a.m., but there's much more to taste even after they're all gone.

It seems criminal that Karen Hatfield, who has been making desserts at Hatfield's for years, kept her salted caramel pecan sticky bobka a secret for as long as she did. When the bakery sells out of these perfect spirals of caramel-coated dough and sweet-salty nuts for the day, a blackberry-hazelnut tart and cup of Stumptown coffee saves the day.

People forget that this place has a pastry department. Is it the circus-like decor? The adorable French waiters? Who knows. Next time, pay attention at the Little Next Door because Pastry Chef Romain Drocourt's technique is flawless. From the construction of his tarts (with a surprise interior in each one) to his eclairs and viennoiserie, he's made this one a pastry shop to watch. The macarons here are some of the best in town.

Here, Zoe Nathan is making pastry that doesn't sound like it should taste good at all — cheddar-rye biscuits, gluten-free cookies — but, for good reason, it flies off the pastry pedestals each day. In the mood for something savory? Do try the rich, meaty quiche lorraine.

Brittainy Turnquist (a Keller graduate) is creating buttermilk biscuits and granola bars that look like they are right out of the pages of Saveur. Meringues the size of a fist; tall, elegantly frosted cakes; and double chocolate cookies make this a quintessentially Californian bakery with European nuance.

Hans Röckenwagner makes some of the best loaves of European-style bread in town. But don't stop there: his pastry selection is nothing to sniff at. The holiday-themed butter cookies are right out of grandmother's oven. Also worth a taste are the financiers — buttery almond cakes in miniature.

Jane Lockhart has captured LA's heart and taste buds with her triple layer cakes, large slices and swirls of frosting. This is a traditional American-style bakery. The deep dish cherry pie (not too sweet, with a cookie-like crust) is worth a taste.

The French technique here is flawless, especially when applied to items like faux-Oreos, croissants (think: almond with fresh fruit) and even a cake-like blueberry muffin.

Maison Richard is one of LA's oldest French pastry shops. Though Michel Richard is long gone, Huguette Coffyn has directed the shop since 1987. In it's present location, slightly hidden off Melrose, it remains a charming place to brunch. Better yet, the pastry kitchen continues to push out Michel's apricot "sunny-side up" pastries — two apricot halves atop a bed of soft pastry cream, nested into a sugared oval of puff pastry. It's a package of pastry perfection.

Though the bread is top notch, they do much more than bread here. Owner Ran Zimon is also a wizard with butter and sugar; his danish and croissants are some of the flakiest specimens in town.

Though the selection of pastries is small, the chocolate croissants here are perhaps the best in town. Caneles, madeleines and brioche are also worth trying.

Chaumont opened on Beverly Drive just a couple of months ago and it's already giving other bakeries in the area some stiff competition. The pastries and bread are made on premises, daily, and the freshness is clear. The raspberry religieuse is, as its name suggests, divine.

While ramekin doesn't make pastry so much as dessert, that they serve everything à la minute (made to order) makes ramekin a must-taste. Jason Park (Maru) is behind the menu, which changes daily and includes house-made ice cream.