Papa Beard's Cream Puffs

Adam saw an article in the Dig about a Japanese Cream Puff store opening up in Quincy Market so I insisted we check it out pronto. I've never had a Papa Beard Cream Puff, but I have many fond memories of the Japanese custard filled cream puffs of my youth. So ingrained are these custard filled puffs that I avoid any traditional whipped cream filled pastry. We trekked down to Fanueil Hall yesterday afternoon to check out Papa Beard's Cream Puff. Adam demonstrated a high level of patience and enthusiasm for this journey downtown especially since he can't really eat cream puffs.

The verdict, Papa Beard's Cream Puffs are truly delicious...even better than the ones I grew up with because they're freshly filled when you order them. The golden brown puff remains crisp and crunchy and it's the prefect complement to the custard filling flecked with vanilla bean. It's kinda like a freshly filled Modern Pastry cannoli, it's way better than a pre-filled Mike's cannoli.

Papa Beard's is serious about their cream puffs, they only offer three menu items and a handful of beverage choices. Get ready for this, the menu items are: vanilla filled cream puff, chocolate filled cream puff and if you're feeling really wild and crazy, an "éclair" cream puff that's the vanilla custard puff dipped in chocolate. And because they were running a special, I got a free iced coffee to boot with my cream puff purchase. $1.65 for a freshly filled cream puff and an iced coffee...not too shabby.

plasticmom has heard about the freshly filled puffs that are ubiquitous in Japan, but has never tried one. Next time she's in town, we'll have to trek down to Fanueil Hall or if they're already open, to Harvard Square. Blasphemous, but I think these cream puffs may supplant my devotion to the other Kremes, that is Krispy Kremes.