Orange County Register

Forgive me fellow eaters, for showing you a picture of a sandwich with a giant bite out of it. It could hardly be helped when a sandwich is this good. I didn’t expect to find it at C’est Si Bon in Newport Beach, a bakery I’ve driven by constantly but didn’t bother to stop into until recently.

The secret, I’m convinced, is the baguette. It could quite possibly be the most perfect baguette I’ve ever had. I can still hear the crispy crackle with each bite. The golden loaf is soft but the crust isn’t hard — and despite that just-right crunch factor, the bread doesn’t break down into a crumble of flakes either. Then come the sandwich ingredients, which range from the usual deli meat and cheese suspects such as turkey, ham, salami, roast beef — with cheddar, swiss or provolone. But here, you can also have delicious havarti or brie added for about a buck more …

I got the turkey baguette with the dijon mustard, sprouts (a must-have for my version of a first-rate sandwich), a slice of that creamy havarti and lettuce and tomatoes ($6). The dijon mustard, it should be noted, provides a searing kick to the nostrils, but it plays well with the cheese and sprouts.

The pasta salad is a great side dish: Bow-tie pasta tossed in a zippy vinaigrette and dotted with fresh pine nuts.

The bakery case is filled with tempting fruit tarts, crisp chocolate croissants, decadent mousse cakes and creamy truffles. The Bomb Cake (shown above, bottom left -$36 whole, $3.50 a slice) is a rich mousse cake in the shape of a dome. The chocolate croissants were filled with what appeared to be chunks of chocolate so it provided a nice texture. I especially enjoyed the whole wheat raspberry scone, which was drizzled in what looked like a caramelized gel. The truffles, which looked like mini-cupcakes, were also divine, perfectly whipped and smooth swirls of chocolate.

There are only four or five tables in the decently-sized dining area — making it seem like to-go orders were strongly encouraged at C’est Si Bon. Word is that the deli/bakery supplies several neighboring OC restaurants with its bread, like Sabatino’s and Billy’s. Come at 9 a.m. to get first dibs on the freshly baked baguettes ($2.10 each) and croissants ($1.65) — reputed to be the best around (they were sold out during two visits, so I didn’t get to try.) There’s also a good selection of artisanal cheese wedges from creamy bries to sharp goat cheeses (like Humboldt Fog). And don’t forget their great dark-roasted coffees.

C’est Si Bon

149 Riverside Ave. (near the post office)

Newport Beach, CA

949. 645.0447

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