text: I love love love love love this bakery.  It's been so difficult to find a good bakery/pastry shop around Pittsburgh.  Before La Gourmandine, my boyfriend and I have been going to Allegro Hearth in Squirrel Hill and Whole Foods.  However, neither have left us satisfied.  We heard news of La Gourmandine this summer and we decided to give it a try one Saturday and we were not disappointed.  We come here often on Saturdays for the pastries.  They are definitely authentic (my French boyfriend verified it).  My favorite are the croissants aux amandes (almond croissants) because they are just simply warm, gooey, and delicious.  If you're lucky to get them just as they come fresh from the oven, you will need a fork and knife to enjoy them.  These are dense, sweet and buttery on the inside (filled with almond paste--though the word paste doesn't do it justice) and crunchy and crispy on the outside.  In fact, they are unlike any other croissant I've ever tasted before.  The flans patissiers, pains aux raisins, tarlettes aux pommes, choux a la creme,and mousselines are good too.  Pretty much all of their pastries.  We have never tried the breads there simply because I'm not a fan of Parisian style breads (They tend to be darker and dry). Considering the quality of their pastries, prices are very reasonable, especially compared to what we've paid at Whole Foods and Allegro Hearth in the past.  I love this place!  I wish it would be open more (like on Sunday and later in the early evening).  Also, it would be lovely if they have an espresso machine.  There's nothing like dipping your warm pastry in a cup of espresso for breakfast.  Yum!