Amoureux – A Love Letter to a Ham & Cheese Croissant

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 18, 2026

By Lowell Jons

Maybe, like me, you’ll first teeth the pool of toasted

parmesan spilled out its ends, firm—desert the main course.

Then the most divine initial bite with a subtle outer crunch compressing into a sponge of a hundred warm thoughts.

Not milk toast soft, no flakes flying all over hither tither.

The point of a croissant is not the flake; it is the sponge

on the tongue.

The waft of airy density emerges elegantly—a rich sunrise compared to a bare lightbulb. It is a depth of vision. The flavors

mixed in a treasure chest aglitter. As your mouth enters the chamber it strikes gold, with thinly sliced ham awash in aroma.

The walls of the cave aglow in a melody of butter and cheese.

This is a ham and cheese croissant for the ages, what I sought

in four weeks of Parisian mining only to find it back home

on our little island off the rugged west coast of Washington.

Thanks, Bakery San Juan, for a nugget of heaven.