“Everyone has that restaurant they frequent often—the place they take all their out-of-town friends to show off the local food scene—a place that creates good feelings and strong emotions.

Mine is Fillings and Emulsions Bakery. Every single item at this bakery has been crafted to be excellent. You’ll find treats such as Red Velvet Croissants, Mushroom Béchamel Everything Brioche, brightly colored macarons with flavors like Vanilla Salted Caramel, Blueberry Mojito, Pistachio Black Cherry, and Double Espresso.

One head turner that is especially fantastic is the Churro Dulce De Leche Cruffin. For those of you that don’t speak “Foodie,” that’s a hybrid between a croissant and a muffin that’s been filled with dulce de leche and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Yep, it is a real thing.

The flavors, textures and combinations at Fillings and Emulsions can be unexpected and foreign sounding, but once you try that first bite, you’ll find that it’s a tried and true combination. It’s a culmination of hard work, experience and passion—not unlike the executive pastry chef and owner of Fillings and Emulsions, Adalberto Diaz, or as I know him, “Chef Al.”

I met Chef Al on my very first day of culinary school when he was the instructor for my baking class. I learned that he had been a refugee from Cuba, and came to be a professional baker in the US by working hard and honing his craft with pure passion. He is now the owner of a successful business and considered to be one of the premier bakers in the country.

Everything at Fillings and Emulsions is a testament to his passion and is worth ordering, but the pastry that I never leave without is the Kouign Amann. If a croissant and a creme brûlée had a love child, it would be a Kouign Amann (pronounced Queen Ah-mahn). I know it’s a mouthful to say, but one of the tastiest mouthfuls of your life. It is baked perfection: buttery brioche dough, laminated with rich European butter and Gahara vanilla bean sugar, baked until well caramelized. See? Perfection.

With an ever-evolving menu that adds seasonal items such as pies for Thanksgiving, macaron towers for special occasions, chocolate yule logs for Christmas, and gelato, there is ALWAYS a reason to visit. So, the next time you have friends visiting from out of town, you know what to do. Take them to Fillings and Emulsions for a Kouign Amann (and one of everything else), and for perfect pastries with a Cuban flair right here in Utah.

Fillings & Emulsions
1475 S Main Street, Salt Lake City
(385) 229-4228