Bakery in Parker strip mall makes New York Times list

Poulette Bakeshop, nestled south of Denver in Parker, just got some love from one of the largest news publications in the country.

The New York Times published “22 of the Best Bakeries in America” on Christmas Eve, with the bakery being the only Centennial State representative to snag one of the coveted spots on the list.

The article is quick to point out that the suburban bakery is situated in a strip mall, making it all the more unsuspecting. The shop, located at 19585 Hess Road, Unit 107, opened in October of 2021, after its owners, husband-and-wife team Alen Ramos and Carolyn Nugent, ran a more temporary pop-up for just over a year on Ulster Street in Denver.

Although their menu of various breakfast pastries, savory pastries, treats, tea cakes and loaves changes regularly, the NYT article notes that “There are croissants and kouign-amann, yes. But to stop there would be like climbing the first few hundred feet of a 14er. Continue onward into éclairs, macarons, brioche, crème brûlée and even a killer biscuit sandwich,” hinting at some of what the shop is known for.

The newspaper categorized Poulette as a “destination for world-class French pastry.”

This kind of recognition has been decades in the making.

Ramos and Nugent have been taught by decidedly accomplished chefs in many areas of the world. According to their website, they met when working for French chef Joël Robuchon, who was named “Chef of the Century” by the Gault Millau guide in 1989. The two worked in restaurants across Europe in an effort to master the cuisine in France, Switzerland and Spain. After their stint abroad, the couple spent time honing in on their craft in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. In 2020, Nugent was chef assistant to chef and chocolatier Amaury Guichon on Netflix show “School of Chocolate.”

Having their bakery applauded by the NYT is only one of their many trophies on the shelf, so to speak.

In 2024, both Ramos and Nugent were James Beard Award semifinalists for the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker award.

Commenting from Poulette’s Instagram account, the duo commented on the feature, writing that “Coming from a background in prestigious restaurants, national recognition like this has always felt like a distant dream, taking a back seat to the daily realities of running a small, bustling bakery.”

Poulette Bakeshop is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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