Kouign Bakery in Wallingford-Just the Right Amount of Sweet

In a small shopping center off a main thoroughfare in Wallingford, CT, across from a McDonald’s and a Rite Aid, a unique bakery is challenging the status quo of baked goods in central Connecticut. At Kouign, Chef Chelsea Tripp is giving classical Patisserie a facelift, creating innovative pastry concepts like cranberry brie danishes and blueberry cardamom scones in an area that has historically lacked culinary distinction.   

“It was a lot of chocolate on chocolate when we opened here in 2021” Tripp says with a wry smile. As someone who’d “rather eat a cheeseburger than a slice of cake,” Tripp creates pastries that meld sweet and savory in unexpected ways, with a menu that changes each week. “People find it weird at first, but then they try it and enjoy it,” she says, describing how she incorporates ingredients such as miso and turmeric into her sweets. “It just works – I promise I won’t steer you wrong,” she declares. 

And she certainly doesn't, as customers consistently clear out the bakery's offerings. Kouign operates only Friday through Sunday, and Tripp regularly sells out of her pastries before the official closing time of 1 PM. Her tip is to visit on Fridays when it's typically less busy, or arrive at 7:45 AM on weekends for a guaranteed selection. Quality over quantity is the name of the game for Tripp: “A lot of people don’t understand or get mad when things sell out, but if I’m going to put a product out there, I want it to be 100% and not 95%.” 

Kouign’s most popular items are iconic staples like chewy-crisp chocolate chip cookies and plush cinnamon rolls that don’t shy away from spice. But Tripp gets the most joy from her salty-sweet and savory creations. Recent standouts include a BLT danish, featuring a flaky ring of puff pastry filled with a cheesy, fluffy egg custard, crispy bacon, and bursting cherry tomatoes, topped with tangle of arugula, plus a brown sugar miso scone made with locally sourced miso from Moromi, a small-batch soy purveyor based in Mystic.

The sweet treats are equally impressive, especially her chocolate croissant, with two plump veins of succulent Valrhona running through her towering, buttery crumb rather than the standard single log of chalky chocolate. And there’s a reason people keep coming back for the chocolate chip cookie; one bite and we were hooked on the dough’s intense toffee notes, thanks to Tripp’s exclusive use of European butter, and similarly high quality chocolate. 

Born and raised in Wallingford, Tripp never thought that she’d be slinging pastries from her own bakery in her hometown as an adult. Initially aspiring to be an artist, she shifted gears when she realized art school wasn't her calling. Following in her executive chef father's footsteps, she enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America to specialize in pastry. After more than a decade working in kitchens across the country (notably winning an award for best dessert in Chicago in 2019), she returned home in 2021 to establish Kouign, putting her creative inclinations to work. It's now a family affair, with her father working alongside her in the kitchen and her mother assisting with business operations on the weekends.

Tripp chose the name Kouign (pronounced “Queen”) because it was short, cute, and catchy; she was inspired by one of her previous jobs, where she and her colleagues would cheer each other on with a “Yes, Kouign!” to lighten the mood of an intense restaurant kitchen. It’s become a personal motto at this point; she even has the word tattooed on her ankle. Of course, it’s also a tribute to her signature pastry, the traditional french Kouign-Amann, a type of caramelized croissant that she only makes on weekends due to its laborious nature.

Beyond the exceptional baked goods, Kouign has a greater purpose. All surplus food is donated to a local food pantry, Master's Manna, and waste is minimized. "If I'm using lemon zest and juice in baking, I will literally make lemonade with any leftovers," she explains. Tripp's dream is to become a therapist for  hospitality workers, who often grapple with mental health challenges and lack support. In the meantime, as she pursues her Master's in psychology, her near-term goal is to open another Kouign in a different location to expand her reach, ensuring that whether it's a quick pick-me-up pastry or long-term support, Tripp will always be there to brighten our day.

Kouign 600 N Colony Rd # 11, Wallingford