Anna Narinian cuts the rhombus-shaped croissant in half while excitedly explaining what makes her creation unique to a guest sitting across from her at a small cafe table. 

“First of all, you see its huge pockets,” Narinian says on a mid-December morning. “They are equal and grow equally from the center. They are not wet in the center. When you cut it, you can try to smell inside. It should be buttery.”

The inside artwork is unlike any croissant found at the local grocery store. The buttery smell Narinian mentioned hits the nose almost immediately, and when eaten, the butter and sourdough flavors jump out. 

Narinian sells fresh croissants, other Viennoiserie products and pastries at D’Caramel Patisserie in Southlake, where she is both owner and chef.

The perfectly layered, golden-brown croissants fill up half the counter with flavors like butter, almond, chocolate and hazelnut. Croissants never stay on the counter for more than one day, even though they remain fresh longer. Naranian explains that she donates any unsold croissants to local organizations like the fire and police departments.

A colorful, flat croissant topped with cream and fruit called a Mille-Feuille pops inside a glass display and pulls the customer into an enticing selection of pastries. 

Each pastry resembles something one might see in daily life. The seasonal red Christmas ornament contains cranberries, oranges and spices, while the acorn has several layers, including hazelnut mousse. A coffee bean of Mascarpone mousse, coffee cremeux and almond and caramel crunch  replicates Tiramisu, and the raspberry is ideal for chocolate mousse lovers. 

The pastries are almost too pretty to eat, a sentiment that disappears after one bite. 

“My focus is flavors and taste,” Narinian says. “And this is what I strongly believe—taste first and then work on design.”

D’Caramel also offers cakes for pre-order or same-day pickup and coffee to pair with the sweet treats. 

Narinian opened the patisserie last October at 2211 East Southlake Blvd. Her husband’s job brought them and their two kids to Southlake eight years ago from Europe, where they spent time in France. 

Baking has always interested Narinian, a former human resources professional, and she took advantage of the time overseas by studying under different pastry chefs. 

That education has continued in Texas. Narinian occasionally returns to Europe for classes, the most recent in early December, where she studied at École Bellouet Conseil under Chef Jean-Michel Perruchon.

“He’s a legendary chef,” she says.

Opening D’Caramel took about three years after the initial planning started. Narinian sold croissants at Keller Farmer’s Market to help build a customer base that has followed her to the brick-and-mortar location. 

Many more customers have found her over the past year. All the traffic has come from natural growth, Narinian says, since she spends nothing on advertising. Although, she admits that a viral social media video has helped bring in visitors. A quick look for D’Caramel on TikTok brings up the video with 1.8 million plays from an independent user reviewing the food. 

D’Caramel now has its own channel as well. 

“TikTok helps us a lot,” Narinian says. “I was surprised.”

Customers do not seem surprised by what they have found at D’Caramel. On this particular morning, a steady flow of customers take goodies to go while the tables have constant visitors. It’s the perfect setting for an early morning treat with coffee, an outing with friends or a date. Local artist Jeanne Akita’s fiber and felt artwork enhances the relaxing atmosphere. 

In the kitchen, Narinian’s team is busy preparing for the days ahead. Croissants require three days to make, including a multi-day fermentation process and time in a retarder proofer, which functions as a freezer, cooler and proofer all in one device. 

“Long fermentation gives you more flavor,” Narinian says. “More taste, but not too sour.”

Narinian sources ingredients worldwide, only selecting high-quality and authentic items. French butter is a key part of the picturesque croissants. It is dry and has a higher fat content than other varieties while retaining elasticity.

Belgian and French chocolate, Madagascar vanilla beans and Texas dairy products are staples on D’Caramel’s kitchen shelves, ingredients used to fill one of those eye-catching pastries. The pina colada, for example, sits on a vanilla biscuit with French waffles, coconut mousse and pineapple carefully layered inside a chocolate shell. A meringue base holds the pavlova, featuring lemon ganache, peaches and fresh lemongrass.  

The pavlova is gluten and nut-free, as is the Basque cheesecake, adorned with fruit and a chocolate shell. Some pastries undergo flavor changes throughout the year. Narinian is considering sea buckthorn, a berry popular in Europe, for the next pavlova, while others receive minor tweaks. 

D’Caramel’s fingerprints are already seen throughout the local community as some restaurants serve the patisserie’s treats. High school students from Keller ISD’s Keller Center for Advanced Learning have also gained hands-on experience at D’Caramel. 

Over the past year, Narinian’s team has expanded from three to seven bakers. She envisions even more growth soon, with plans to open a second location in Dallas. Narinian will also continue her culinary education and make sure D’Caramel remains focused on producing unique, flavorful treats.  

“You just catch different visions from different chefs, and you build your own understanding, your own style,” Narinian says. “I never try to copy this or that chef. No, I’m working on my own style.”