Iowa Girl on the Go

Des Moines is fortunate to be home to a number of excellent bakeries. South Union is probably the best known; you can get sandwiches on this bread all over the metro. But La Mie — ooh la la. The bakers at La Mie are masters at practically everything, from the most basic baguette to the fanciest pastry.

In my opinion, this place can do nothing wrong. I am a huge fan of their scones (especially the raisin pecan). They are the absolute best scones I’ve ever tasted. The bakers at La Mie produce amazing baguettes and ciabatta bread. Their breakfasts and lunches are delicious. I have never eaten anything there that wasn’t fabulous. I absolutely adore their vegetarian sandwich with avocado, cream cheese, and pesto on foccacia bread. Other sandwich offerings include grilled brie and provolone; tuna with carrots, almonds, and currants; and portobello with spinach, red peppers, and chevre.

Salads at La Mie are equally delicious. Here’s one: roasted beets, walnuts, and roquefort. And how about apple, avocado, and almonds with feta and dried cranberries?

Breakfast features omelettes such as fromage (roquefort and brie), fresh asparagus with brie and créme fraîche, and shaved ham with baby Swiss.

But in my opinion the star of the show here is the bread: Challah, cranberry walnut, cinnamon raisin walnut, wheat, rye, olive ciabatta, and more. La Mie’s crusty European-style artisan breads are made by hand and baked on site.

Pastries include flaky fruit, cheese, and lemon danish; buttery croissants (plain, chocolate, ham and Swiss, spinach and feta, and a to-die-for almond); cinnamon rolls, pecan rolls, puff pastries, and more.

The best time to go to La Mie is Saturday morning. I love it on Saturday morning even though I’m not a big fan of crowds. And oh, believe me, it’s very crowded. You’ll be lucky to get a table, or even a stool at the communal bar. And you’ll stand in a very long line to buy bread and pastries or order food. But it’s totally worth it. Compared to other days of the week, the bread and pastry selection is better and the vibe is pure urban Parisian.

I haven’t mentioned desserts, mostly because with all the yummy pastries, who needs ’em? But they offer French macarons, opera cake, chocolate caramel tarts, and a selection of cookies and other tarts. I’m sure they’re as good as they sound.

La Mie is located at 841 42nd Street, right off of I-235 in the Shops at Roosevelt. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.