I read an interview with the owner once where they asked him about how dark everything was and he said he liked them that way and he was far enough along in his career that he had decided that Bread Furst was where he was just going to make things just for himself/ the way he wants them. Basically that he has spent his whole career appeasing customers and now just wants to appease himself. So I guess you can thank the cranky-old-mannishness of Mark Furstenburg for the well done croissants?