Choux, Cream Puffs in the Lower Haight

Choux
248 Fillmore Street (at Haight)
Web: www.chouxsf.com
Status: Opening today

The stretch of Fillmore Street at Haight has finally completed its recovery from the devastating 2011 fire that shuttered shops and displaced apartment residents. Three Twins Ice Cream and Estela's have returned to their vacant storefronts, and today they welcome a new neighbor in the form of cream puff shop Choux.

The bakery is the passion project of Laura Athuil, a French-trained chef/baker hailing from Nice, France. Inspired by a visit to San Francisco, she decided to open up a cream puff outlet in as central a location as possible, an aim which landed her squarely in the Lower Haight.

Hoodline got a first peek at the space, which features white tiles, a heartwarming floor-to-ceiling image of Athuil in the kitchen with her mom, and plenty of Francophile flourishes like a map of Paris on the ceiling and a strict Nespresso-only coffee offering.

Named for Althuil's friends and supporters, each cream puff is carefully crafted with toppings and visual flair that rival the trendiest of cupcakes, with a menu of flavors that includes coffee, chocolate and raspberry, chocolate coconut, salted caramel, passionfruit and more, plus seasonal flavors that will rotate in and out.

Catering will form a bulk of Choux's business, with custom orders available for parties and events. As such, the interior of the shop is decidedly grab-and-go, so don't expect to sit down and stay awhile.

Starting today, the shop is open daily from 10:30am-7:30pm, with the exception of Saturdays, when sugar-seekers will have to make do with ice cream from Twins Twins two doors down.

· New In The Neighborhood: Choux, The Cream Puff Bakery [Hoodline]
· Three Twins, Back in the Lower Haight [~ ESF ~]
· Estela's, Sandwiches in the Lower Haight [~ ESF ~]