The Cake Queen & Coffee Bar - Bakery, South San Francisco

132 Brentwood Dr, South San Francisco CA 94080
(650) 593-CAKE
Hours: Wed-Thurs 7am-3:30pm, Fri 7am-5pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-2pm, Closed Mon-Tues
Parking: street parking, nearby public parking lot
https://www.bayareacakequeen.com/

Last Visited: December 8, 2023

Food: 3 star ube tres leches

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Price: $$

Service: 4 stars

I had been hearing about The Cake Queen for some time and was hoping to try their ube cupcakes to celebrate a special occasion.  Unfortunately, they didn't have any and when I asked when they usually have them, the nice lady at the counter said that there isn't a specific day of the week when they show up, but you can always order them - dozen minimum.

She recommended that I try the ube tres leches since this is one of their most popular offerings, noting that people create tiktoks about it. While this latter fact wasn't what sold me, since I enjoy ube, I would settle for this which wouldn't be that bad.  

- Ube Tres Leches - The cake is pre-packaged in a plastic box and topped with whipped cream and ube dust.  The cake is heavily soaked with the pretty purple milk (if it's like typical tres leches, it's condensed milk, evaporated milk, and regular milk).  I thought this was a rather large amount of milk - you can see from the photo that it's not just soaked, but pretty mc swimming in the milk.  At first bite, it's quite sweet and the ube flavor is not prominent.  As you continue with additional bites, the sweetness is not as prominent.  One unusual thing I noticed after the two separate sittings of eating this cake is that I felt extremely thirsty after this.  I wasn't sure if it's because of the sugar or something else, but I rarely have that response to sweets.  

It's a pretty purple and the cake is thoroughly soaked, but I probably wouldn't order this again.  Service is friendly, but maybe their other baked goods and desserts would be better to try.   

CA Bakehouse - Bakery, San Jose

 979 Story Rd, Unit 7066, San Jose CA 95122
(408) 287-9188
Parking: mall parking lot

Hours: Thurs-Fri, Sun 12p-4p, Sat 12p-6p, Closed Mon-Wed
www.cabakehouse.com

Last Visited: February 5, 2023

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I have heard about CA Bakehouse for a long time, but their limited hours have made it challenging to visit.  Nestled inside the Little Vietnam plaza, you'll find this shop by the line outside. The idea of pandan waffles, ube croissants, black sesame choux pastry, honeycomb cake, and mochi cakes all together make their offerings the perfect blend of east meets west.  Since the pandemic, you can no longer enter the shop, but the display case is still available for you to see from the window.

Let me start with a few tips to save you time: 

1. Your best bet, due to the limited hours and resulting long lines, is to make your order online on their website.  That allows you to approach the front door in the much shorter pickup line.

2. Check your order - I walked to my car and fortunately, looked through my bag. My croissant was missing.  I went back immediately and was able to get my croissant - no questions asked.  It's pretty obvious from the way they packaged things that there was no room for a croissant, so this was easy peasy.

- Original Green Waffle - This is a family recipe that has been passed between the Le Monde Bakery to Century Bakery, and now, to this location under a new name, CA Bakehouse.  The waffle is a bright green due to the usage of fresh pandan leaves.  For those who are unfamiliar, the pandan flavor is a bit grassy and very fragrant, falling in the same category as how toasted coconut can be super fragrant.  You extract the juice from the leaves by blending or pureeing the leaves and separating the juice from the pulp.  The waffles came warm, but since I was sharing with friends, I didn't eat it right away.  I reheated it in a toaster oven, so I got to enjoy the waffle warm.  The scent is lovely - slightly grassy and how can you go wrong with a waffle smell.  It's a little chewy in texture like a mochi waffle and not too sweet.  Solid 3 stars. $2.50

- Ube Croissant - I was having a hard time deciding whether to go for an ube croissant or a kaya croissant (made of pandan) and since I had already ordered the pandan waffle, I opted for ube.  The color of the filling is a brilliant purple and the dough is also light purple.  If you've had a good croissant, you know how flaky and light it is.  This croissant wasn't particularly flaky and while the ube filling does taste like ube, it could have been stronger in its flavor.  I was disappointed and wouldn't get this croissant again. 2 stars $4.25

- Portuguese Egg Tart - The crust is one of the main differentiators of a classic Chinese egg tart and a Portuguese egg tart.  The Portuguese egg tart the crust is a puff pastry and light and flaky.  While these don't compare to what you can find in Belem, Portugal, I did enjoy the warm regular egg tart and its custard which wasn't too sweet.  The kaya egg tarts, while pretty to look at, were just ok. The kaya custard texture is not as smooth as the regular one. Several of us compared the two and all preferred the regular one.  If choosing between the two, I would select the regular one.  $2.75 regular, $3 kaya egg tart

My pick-up experience was very straightforward and service was friendly.  They were attentive and still friendly when I came back around a second time.  For me, a one time visit was sufficient, but I wouldn't be opposed if someone brought me a black sesame choux pastry, lol.

Lung Fung Bakery, Chinese

1823 Clement St, San Francisco CA 94121
(415) 386-3775

Parking: Street parking

Hours: Tues-Sun 7am-6pm, Closed Mondays

Last Visited: December 21, 2021

Food: 4 star egg tarts

Atmosphere: 2 stars

Service: 3 stars

Price: $

The Bay Area Eats Facebook group had a debate on where the best egg tarts in the Bay Area could be found. Repeatedly, Lung Fung bakery kept coming up in conversation.  So of course, I had to bring my mom to try it because if anyone can spot a good egg tart, it's my mom.  My mom and I once had a conversation about how many egg tarts she has probably eaten in her lifetime and we're talking hundreds. 

- Egg tart - With one bite, my mom was hooked.  She said it's the closest pastry shell to what you can find in Hong Kong and that's no small feat.  We've gone to many bakeries, and even Golden Gate Bakery doesn't meet her standards. With a flaky pastry shell (certainly containing lard), and a delicate egg custard that isn't too sweet, this is definitely a 4 or dare I even mention, a potential 5 star egg tart.  You definitely need to try this.  Prices keep changing.  

We think it was about $2.20

Other items they're well known for are BBQ pork buns, curry pie, and chicken pie, so of course we had to try these out.

- BBQ Pork Buns - These pork buns are quite ample in size and meaty with a gorgeous brown top and fluffy texture.  However, there is a slight tinge of sourness to it (maybe they have a SF starter that leans sour).  If you don't mind this slight aftertaste, you'll enjoy this bun.  $1.80

- Curry Pie - This is often called a curry beef turnover at other shops.  Similar to the flaky crust of the egg tart, this is equally light and flaky.  One bite and shards of flaky goodness fly all over.  This is filled well (sometimes you bite into a half empty turnover at other shops), and there is a good ratio of crust to filling.  Not too salty and nice yellow curry flavor - spiced, but not spicy. Beautifully golden brown.  One tip - the salesperson told us that curry pie is often not available until after noon, so don't be surprised if you don't find it in the morning.  I had to go twice in order to try it.  $2.80

- Chicken Pie - Similar to the curry pie, this is another pastry with a flaky crust.  This is also filled well with a good ratio of crust to filling.  It's also seasoned well - no complaints. Beautifully golden brown also and filled with chicken.  $2.80

If it's a major Chinese holiday or getting close to the end of the day, you'll want to call ahead to reserve your egg tarts because they often sell out.  Note that they will give you individual plastic bags if you buy less than six items.  More than or equal to six items will get you a box, otherwise, you need to purchase the box.  Also note that it's cash only.  

Parking is relatively easy.

Tartine Manufactory - American/California, San Francisco

595 Alabama St, San Francisco CA 94110
(415) 757-0007
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-5pm; Dinner Daily 5:30pm-10pm
http://www.tartinemanufactory.com/

Last Visited: May 28, 2017

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars

Price: $$$ to $$$$

Tartine Manufactory was well marketed even before it opened up.  With the closing of Bar Tartine, along with its somewhat unusual (maybe too creative) menu, Tartine Manufactory offers a more reasonably priced alternative that more people can understand.  Originally open only for breakfast and lunch, the Manufactory has expanded its offerings to include dinner service. The spacious warehouse space is decorated simply with wood tables and chairs and white lantern lights reminiscent of balloons, creating an airy and light feel.

We arrived about half an hour before dinner started and easily got a table even though the reservation system was full.  Those whom came later without a reservation was seated at the bar.  Service was friendly, but there is still room for improvement as described below.

Our server asked if we had been to the Manufactory before and when we told her it was our first visit, she patiently explained how the menu is designed for sharing small plates family style and was happy to give guidance about our choices.  As we got there early, a fellow patron in line whom had visited several times gave us some recommendations - ribs, bone marrow, and prime rib.  He suggested we ask for the swordfish rare if we chose to get it and to avoid the chicken.  We listened to his suggestions and ordered a variety of dishes, ending with the special of the day - aged prime rib.

- Warm Bread & seaweed butter  - The bread was great - lots of holes in the bread and a crusty outside.  It was served warm with fluffy seaweed butter which is essentially butter with nori mixed in.  The seaweed butter could use more salt and didn't have enough seaweed for my taste, but there was no salt on the table.  I would suggest buying the country loaf for double the price and you'll get a lot more slices. Okay to skip this one. $5

- Halibut Ceviche - Rayna recommended this dish.  Lime and cilantro are used to prepare the halibut.  Although the menu said there were chili's, the flavor was extremely mild.  The tender ceviche is topped with greens, a dollop of avocado based sauce, and chopped quicos (think corn nuts, but without the frying).   On the side were two young, tender, red lettuce cups. The serving style was less like a regular ceviche and more like a salad with a very refreshing lime dressing.  The quicos give the dish the needed texture difference by adding crunch. Good flavor, but more impressive than the taste is the artistic presentation of the dish with its greens (even though some of the greens had some browning at the bottom of the stem).   $17

- Pork Ribs - Five pork ribs are braised in an sauce that has some Asian seasonings (I thought of hoisin sauce when I had my first bite).  It's served with a pumpkin seed salsa (pepitos blended fine with olive oil and some herbs) and a thick,  savory yogurt.  A small serving of sliced pickled rhubarb accompany the plate.  The meat from these ribs fell off the bone and the sauce is just a little thick to evenly coat the meat.  Very good - must try.  If you have a salad or other appetizer, this could easily be a main dish for small eaters. $18

- Prime Rib - Our last entree was the 21 day dry aged wood roasted prime rib served with fried potatoes, horseradish, and jus.  This serves two if you are enjoying other dishes.  When you ask for medium rare, you'll definitely get a medium rare steak here. While the crust of the prime rib has developed a bark quality and is quite salty, the center is tender.  I have to admit that the aging was not as noticeable on this particular prime rib.  The star of this dish is actually the fried potatoes that are served on the side.  Garlic, rosemary, and cheese are used to season well-fried whole small yukon gold potatoes until they are a dark brown.  Inside the potatoes, the texture is creamy and rich - if I could, I would just get the potatoes!  Prime rib is good, but the potatoes are wonderful. $45
Several dessert options are available including an affogato, ice cream, chocolate tart, and lemon posset.  We opted for the popular gateau basque.

- Warm Apricot Gateau Basque  - Served with a scoop of toasted almond ice cream and topped with raspberry compote.  It's a moist cake with apricot and custard in the center.  The crust is lightly sugared and crunchy.  While it was good, I may have had too high of expectations just because it's Tartine.  Good balance of flavor, but the ice cream could be creamier.  The nuts in the ice cream were still crunchy, so it held up well to the freezing process. $10

The Manufactory has  a surcharge for employee benefits.  All in all, it was a good experience, and while I would go again, next time I would go for lunch/brunch instead to try more pastries or the porchetta.

Where the Manufactory failed me was with my order of a Country Loaf ($9.50) to take home.  For that, I dropped them a star for service.  When I came in, I asked my hostess about how to go about ordering a loaf and she said she would set one aside for me.  When my server took our order, I let her know I had asked the hostess about the loaf and she assured me that she would bring it over at the end of the meal.  When my leftovers were packaged before dessert, the boxes arrived without a loaf, so I thought perhaps the loaf would come when my check arrived.  After dessert, still no loaf, but when the bill came, I was clearly charged for it.  As I was leaving, I asked the hostess near the door if I picked up my loaf then, and she said she would be happy to get me one.  Then she asked whether or not I had paid for it - so disappointing considering how they seemed so good about attention to detail (refilling water, cleaning the table, giving me the right leftover boxes).  

In any case, I recommend that everyone busy a loaf to take home - I was so inspired by the experience that I made my own toast - Chinese roast pork with arugula topped with shaved parmigiano reggiano and a goat cheese with fresh peaches drizzled with honey.  I also sought out smashed potato recipes with the goal of remaking those potatoes and came close.

Overall, it was a positive experience even if the place was very full at the end of the day and I had to keep asking about my bread, but the pork ribs and potatoes are amazing.

Starbread Bakery - Filipino, South San Francisco

2211 Gellert Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94015

(650) 878-9524

Parking: street parking

Food: 0 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 0 stars
Price: $ 

I'll just summarize this review - don't eat here.  Plastic is not what you want in your bread.

Although the senorita bread tastes pretty good, it's not right to find something in it. The way they handle foreign objects found in the food is very disturbing.  I found a piece of broken plastic (about the diameter of a dime) in my senorita bread and called Starbread to tell them about it.  The woman who answered the phone told me to bring in the plastic before her shift ended and I did.  However, when I arrived, she told me she couldn't do anything about it since the boss wasn't there.  This doesn't make sense.  Why would you require that I come at a certain time if you don't have decision making power?  There was no apology on the phone nor in person. At first, she seemed to indicate that it might have come from something in their kitchen, but no sooner did she say that before she changed her mind.  She had me leave my name and number and the foreign object with her, but here we are more than 48 hours later, and nobody has called me back.  The lack of customer service is horrible and more disturbing is that they wouldn't even say sorry.  Completely disappointing!

Two Ladies Kitchen - Mochi, Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii

Best: Strawberry Mochi
274 Kilauea Ave, Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-4766
Parking: street parking
Hours: Wed to Sat 11am -5pm

Last Visited: October 2012

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: 3 stars
Price: $

Two Ladies Kitchen was highly recommended by Jay and Brent, and as someone whom has always loved Chinese style mochi, I was excited about trying something I enjoy so much in a new way. 

It's rather unassuming from the outside, and when I went into the small shop, there was nobody out front.  This family who owns this business can be seen hard at work in the kitchen.  The women who came to the register took our orders and let us know there would be a short wait - it was definitely made fresh for our order. 

I had recently tried a kaiseki style meal which is a multi-course traditional Japanese meal.  For dessert, they had a grape wrapped with mochi.  That was my first introduction to fresh fruit and mochi. 

- Strawberry Mochi - Jay had mentioned that I needed to go early to make sure that they didn't run out of their strawberry mochi, so I got there right before they opened.  A whole sweet fresh strawberry is covered with tsubashi-an (sweetened red bean paste) and wrapped in mochi.  If you have never eaten mochi before, it's made with sweet rice flour (aka sticky rice flour).  The glutinous texture is a little chewy and very soft - it makes for a delightful experience whether flavored or filled.  The addition of fresh fruit gives an amazing freshness and juiciness to each bite.  It's no wonder Two Ladies is known for this in particular.  Note that these don't last long because of the fruit, but once you've had a bite, it's hard not to be addicted.  $2.75 each

- Lilikoi Mochi - The same sweet rice flour as described above is flavored with lilikoi and cut into squares.  Lilikoi is similar to passion fruit in its flavor - they're from the same family.  The pulp of lilikoi is more tart than passion fruit.   Each square was super soft and delicate. 

Two Ladies has a very large variety of flavored mochi including sweet potato, peach, brownie, and much more.  If I were a local, I would definitely be back to try the other flavors.  If you're in the area, the strawberry mochi is a must try.

Sift - Bakery, Cupcakes, Santa Rosa

404-A Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa Ca 95401
(707) 703-4228
Parking: street parking
Hours: Mo-Th 10am-8pm, Fr-Sa 10am-9pm, Su 12pm-6pm
http://www.siftcupcakes.com/

Last Visited: July 17, 2011

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars

Price: $

Walk into Sift and smell the sweet scent of sugar throughout the shop.  The case displaying sweet treats is very inviting and calls you to peruse it.  Cupcakes at Sift Cupcake and Dessert Bar go for $3 each or $30 per dozen.  They also offer cupcake chocolates for $2 and frosting shots (the thought of that just scares me) for $1.50 a piece.  French macaroons, ice cream sammys, whoopie cookies, and profiteroles are available too. 

I opted to try one of their Sonoma County famous cupcakes - Peach Me I'm Dreaming - It's a vanilla cake with a graham cracker crust, filled with peach jam, and topped with peach mousse and white chocolate shavings.  I found the cupcake to be good.  I would have liked the cake to have a lighter texture and not to fall apart quite so much, but that's just my preference for cake.  I appreciated how the filling and frosting weren't overly sweet, but a nice balance of quantities as well as the attention to detail.

It's hard to judge a place by one cupcake alone, so I'm definitely willing to go back, but would look to trying one of the chocolate or red velvet versions.

Chinese food to-go boxes make this an easy treat to pick up and share with a friend.

There are also now locations in Cotati, Napa, and there's even a cupcake truck. 

Cookies Quartet - Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Shop 1B G/F, Central Mansion, 8-14 Cannon Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, 2382-2827

G/F Fuk Lo Tsun Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 2382-2817

Shop 1A, G/F, Shing Ping House, 62 Sing Woo Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong, 2575-2282

Hours: 11am - 8pm
http://www.cookiesquartet.com/

Last Visited: November 2010

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$ to $$$

Eating is for Energy, Health, Beauty, and Pleasure. That's the motto at Cookies Quartet.

Cookies Quartet was opened up by a Chinese actress. Her palmiers (aka butterfly cookies) are known to be some of the best around.  We received a box of these from a friend and really enjoyed their buttery flakiness.

The packaging is fancy which makes for a great gift and certainly, their presentation such as smiley faces on the almond butter crisp and devil chocolate cookies are adorable.  Fancy glass jars house golden cookies and samples are also available in the store.  Their prices match in fanciness as well.

Their offerings show their creativity - hazelnut pepper cookies, five grain cookes, and coffee & walnut are just a few of their more unique offerings.  I would love to try their macadia cookies - yum! 

This is worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood!

Rustic Bakery - Cafe, Novato

1407 Grant Ave, Novato CA

(415) 878-4952

Parking: street parking
Hours: Daily 7 am - 5pm
http://www.rusticbakery.com/ 

Last Visited: April 8, 2011

Food: 3 to 4 stars

Atmosphere: 3 stars

Service: 2 to 3 stars

Price: $ to $$

A local bakery with great pastries and great bread.  Isn't that what everyone longs for near their house?  Drop by for a snack or leisurely, but simple, weekend breakfast?  That's what I was looking for here.  When you walk into Rustic, you'll see the counter on the left with a case featuring lots of pastries, seating on your right and adjacent to the window in front of the counter, and the kitchen in the rear has a window so you can see what is being done in the back (the photo above shows the window to the kitchen). Some fresh flowers are in vases throughout the room.

Two young ladies were behind the counter and while they were not rude, they weren't particularly warm either.  After ordering at the counter, I sat at one of the tables on the right.  Although my friend had ordered first, my sandwich and soup came first.  These are some of the pet peeves that I have - unless they tell you ahead of time that your order will take a long time, it should come in a reasonable amount of time - I don't know why my panini took 15 minutes to make since they weren't that busy.  The second pet peeve is that the food should be served in the order that it was ordered in.  In this case, my friend had a grilled cheese, but mine still came first.  For these reasons, service falls from three stars down to two to three stars.

- Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Soup - Today's soup was minestrone.  I was pleased with the heartiness of the soup.  There was a lot of carrots, onions, some tomato, and small macaroni.  The croutons were very good (but you do expect that at a bakery) and the soup temperature was hot.  The grilled cheese and ham sandwich was very good - probably because the bread was outstanding and the thin slices of ham gave it all a wonderful texture. Good flavors and good quality ingredients.  $8.95

When my plate came, they forgot to give me a spoon for the sopu, and while it's unclear whether or not silverware is self-serve here, they had run out of spoons and I had to wait for them to wash some spoons before getting one.  That only added to the wait time.  After another three to five minutes, my dining companion got her food too. 

While the sandwich and soup were good, the service has a lot of room for improvement.  Hopefully they have worked through the kinks since my visit - they were still fairly new at the time.  Otherwise, their dine-in orders will probably drop a bit.

Della Fattoria - Bakery/Cafe, Petaluma

141 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma, CA 94952
(707) 763-0161
Parking: street parking Hours: Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays 7am to 3pm, Fridays 7am to 9pm, Sundays 9am to 3pm, Closed Mondays
http://www.dellafattoria.com/

Last Visited: May 12, 2007

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 1 star
Price: $$ to $$$

Della Fattoria’s new bakery had been mentioned in the local newspaper several times, so I thought Mother’s Day would be the perfect day to take mom to try some sandwiches made with wonderful bread and possibly enjoy a few scrumptious pastries.

Just outside Della Fattoria, there are a few tables by the window so you can enjoy the nice weather and watch the people going by.

Upon entering the building, a glass case is on the right featuring lots of delightful treats. Just above the counter are the menus, and apparently, you can order there and pay or you can order and then pay later. The procedure is unclear since the person in front of me had the latter experience while I had the former. This lack of process and procedure seemed to be an underlying theme of our visit. After ordering, you seat yourself. I don’t know why, but some tables received bread, while ours did not. I thought perhaps they had ordered it, but it didn’t appear that way since the table next to me had not ordered any bread. I was disappointed by this first lack of an equal experience. We sat at the table closest to the glass case. Unfortunately, one of the members of the waitstaff continually bumped into her chair without apology.

I was expecting a treat – if not for service, at least for the food. Unfortunately, my Della Fattoria left me disappointed, not so much with the food, but with the entire experience.

- Provencal Picnic Plate – The provencal plate is comprised of marinated Skyhill fresh chevre, Fra’Mani Nostrano salame, Barnier olives, and a large field greens salad and baguette. Perhaps this was not the best choice to try the bread, but I thought from the description that I would get at least half a baguette or thereabouts. However, it turned out that there were only three slices of baguette. Although the plate was full of tender leafy greens that were fresh and delicious, I found the quantity of bread a bit disappointing. The olives were wonderful – especially the green olives which had a delicious texture about them – with slight crunch. The cured black olives were okay. However, more bread could have made this plate fabulous. The quality of ingredients was nice, but just not enough bread. $13.50

- Fattoria Sandwich: Spring Lamb – This sandwich was listed on the blackboard outside, so it seemed to be the best choice for the day. Grilled Sonoma Direct leg of lamb is braised with Dijonnaise, shredded, and served with a mix of grilled baby artichokes, sweet peppers, onions, and fennel. The contents are served on toasted Meyer lemon-rosemary bread. A small green salad made of mixed greens is dressed with a citronette. The bread is cut thick and the contents are chopped small. The bread was toasted very lightly, and I prefer my bread to be toasted more if it is toasted. The sandwich halves were difficult to pick up without all of the contents dropping through, especially as one is taking a bite. Although the flavor was nice, and the salad greens were extremely tender, I found the whole dish to be just okay. $14.50

- Almond Financier – This sweet cornmeal cake is shaped into a small rectangle and has an almond slice or two placed in the center. It’s baked in its own mold, and dusted with powdered sugar. It’s a scrumptious dessert or snack – both light and not too sweet. I only wished it were bigger. $3

Primarily, my disappointment stemmed from service. We noticed that the owner/manager or whoever she may be continually talked to the tables around us, particularly the one adjacent to us. They did not seem to have met before, and she was quite pleasant towards them. However, although she appeared to exchange a pleasantry or two with our table, it seemed to be less sincere, or perhaps just less detailed than that of the table next to ours. Somehow, the treatment of our table did not equal that of those around us, and for that, I felt discomfort. Likely, I would not return to Della Fattoria for the food. For the cost of the food in this type of atmosphere, well, you pay elegant prices for an experience that to me, wasn’t worthy of the cost. At most, I would drop in for bread.

Kam Do Bakery - Chinese, Vancouver

Best: Wife Cake Pastry
8391 Alexandra Road, Richmond, BC, Canada
(604) 231-9216

Last Visited: July 2, 2009

Food: 5 star wife cake
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: N/A
Price: $ to $$

James and Winnie gave us a heads up to try out this bakery while we were visiting the Vancouver area. Apparently, they had spent several days eating at the strip mall next door at McNoodle House enjoying their wonton noodle soup.

It's no wonder that Kam Do Bakery was a must try place. When I was little, my grandpa lived with us and he loved wife cake (also known as sweetheart cake - a nicer translation). Those melon paste centers surrounded by pastry were just okay to me. Kind of dry in fact. I just remember thinking that although the center was soft, it wasn't that exciting. That is, until I tried Kam Do's wife cake. The center melts in your mouth. The flaky pastry on the outside is a beautiful golden brown and the winter melon center has a nice melon flavor without tasting fake. It's scrumptious. Really.

For those that are unfamliar with wife cake, consider the center to have a texture such that when you bite into it, it resists a little - like a soft centered chew of a See's candy confection, but not as gooey. You can bite into it cleanly. The pastry is shaped like a disk and about half an inch thick. It's called wife cake because back in the olden days, when a couple was announcing their marriage, these pastries would be shared with friends and accompany the announcement as a gift to those receiving the news. The ceremonial gift included these cakes as well as Chinese barbecued meats.

If you're in the Richmond, Vancouver area, you absolutely must try the Wife Cake at Kam Do. It's the best I've ever had.

Basque Boulangerie - Bakery/Cafe, Sonoma

460 1st Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 935-7687
Parking: street parking

Last Visited: June 14, 2003

Food: 3 stars, 5 star pastries
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

First, let’s remind ourselves that this is a café, so when I talk about service, you’re really talking to someone behind a counter to order and then you hear your name when your food is ready. We’re not talking about a full service operation. You will even need to get your own silverware should you need any. Now that this is out of the way, we can officially begin.

Basque Boulangerie is a café bakery. There is a bar and small tables near the walls and windows as well as several tables outside. It’s a great place to go on a lazy Saturday morning for pastries and it’s excellent anytime for French bread. The menus are above the counters and the place reminds me of small cafes in Berkeley, but with a French twist. You’ll find locals and tourists alike in this place. The glass display counters show a variety of fresh pastries, both savory and sweet, and of course, cakes are available too. They also have a fine wine selection with the bottles on the wine rack above the bar.

The story behind Basque – once upon a time, the Sonoma French Bakery (SFB) was the place to go to get your French bread. It was well known by all, and tourists still as where it went. Well, back in the late 90s, SFB sold to another owner, and with it, they also sold the recipe for their great bread. An agreement was made that the previous owner would not open near that place for x amount of years, and just past that agreement date, Basque Boulangerie opened several doors down from SFB. Ah, the saga begins. Of course, the locals knew which place had the original owner, and the original owner of SFB was able to realize their dream of opening a café bakery.

There is a lot of variety available – soups, sandwiches, salads, pastries. There are always daily specials which include unique items. Daily soups, salads, quiches, sandwiches, etc are listed on a white board above the counter.

- Bread – Get any of their breads. They’re soft on the inside, and crusty on the outside. Great for parties too. They are available in many sizes and varieties – sourdough, sweet French, bague, baguette, seeded, etc. They’re so popular that Basque also sells its products to local supermarkets, baked fresh daily.

- Pastries/Cookies – You really can’t go wrong here. I love the pastries. Not much to say – they’re excellent.

- Sandwiches – Basque makes great sandwiches, especially the corned beef sandwich with sauerkraut. The roast pork sandwich can be a little on the dry side for my taste, but the prosciutto and brie is also great. Their chicken salad sandwich can be really nice too.

- Soup – The soup comes in those huge coffee cups. They’re great. Always hearty – be daring and try a soup that you might not normally go for. I haven’t been disappointed yet. They make a great chicken noodle soup.

My only bad experience here
- Salad – all in all, this was my only bad experience. Salad comes with bread. Nothing wrong with that. Most of the time, their mixed green salad with champagne vinaigrette is terrific. One time, it was like the greens weren’t washed and all I could taste was sand/dirt. You could feel that crunchy feeling in your mouth that isn’t supposed to be there. You could even scrape the plate with a fork and hear the granules. Gross. Aside from this, all the other items I have tried are without fault.

What café/bakery is without coffee. Everything that is brewed smells great. I usually go for the soup, so you’ll have to judge the coffee yourself. The hot chocolate is good though.

This is a terrific place to go to get a feel for Sonoma. When I’m at the Sonoma Plaza, I always try to stop off at Basque for lunch. They have such great bread – everyone loves it. It’s quaint charm is inviting, and it will continue to serve Sonoma for a long time to come. If you’re bored, go outside and sit at one of those tables. You’ll enjoy watching the people strolling the plaza. This place is a must try.

Bakesale Betty - Bakery, Sandwiches, Oakland

Best: Cookies

5098 Telegraph Ave, Oakland CA 94609 (between 49th St & 51st St)
(510) 985-1213
2228 Broadway, Oakland CA 94612 (between Grand Ave & Franklin St)
(510) 251-2100
Hours: Closed Sundays and Mondays, Telegraph branch 7am -2:30pm, 11am – 2:30pm
http://www.bakesalebetty.com/

Last Visited: December 18, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 to 4 stars
Price: $$

I first heard about Bakesale Betty’s by watching fellow classmates check-in there on Facebook. Every now and then, a photo of one of their famous fried chicken sandwiches would pop up on somebody’s mobile upload. After talking to some fellow foodies that reside in the East Bay and said it was worth having at least once, I decided to go to the Telegraph branch. It was a wet and drizzly day which meant eating outside at their famous sidewalk ironing boards wasn’t going to be an option. The good thing about the fair weather was that the line was only about a dozen deep. You’ll find that on a beautiful Saturday, the wait can sometimes go four and five shop lengths deep. Today, I had brought my mom, a self-proclaimed fried-chicken lover, to see if their fried chicken sandwich was indeed as good as its reputation.

Bakesale Betty is Australian cook Alison Barakat. After a firsthand experience of viewing their front-end operations, I have to say that much of the reason it works is because of location. Let’s start from the beginning. Located at the corner, there aren’t any signs indicating that you have arrived at Bakesale Betty’s, but the line is a good indication that you’ve arrived at your destination (partially because I’ve seen pictures of the notable lines). Once in line, you walk past the brown paper signs posted in the window showing the four items available for order that day. Just inside the door, immediately adjacent to the entrance are freshly-baked still warm cookies sitting in a glass case. I don’t know if most people are able to say no to the cookies, but being that this was my first visit, they looked appealing enough to try one. A woman took my order and proceeded to put the cookie in a bag. She called out my sandwich order (today they offered a fried chicken sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, and one more offering). Once I got to the end of that counter, I paid for my order and you could hear the others numerous staff members calling out orders too.

The rear of the “café” area has an assembly line going. With the music blaring, you can see that the staff members seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. One person mixes the slaw, another cuts large homemade rolls, and yet another assembles the sandwich. These get put into a bag or box, depending on how many you order, and then you are on your way. Hot sauce containers are on the side in case you want to spice up your sandwich further. There are enough tables indoors to seat about eight people comfortably – more if you are willing to pack in tighter. On a nice day, the ironing boards outside could sit about another ten or twelve.

- Fried Chicken Sandwich – Of course, we had to try the fried chicken sandwich. The sandwich is pretty large and it comes with a fork. If you’re wondering why there is a fork, it’s pretty clear once you unwrap the sandwich. A large piece of thick chicken breast is coated in seasoned batter and fried until golden. Sandwiched in a fresh homemade roll along with some cabbage slaw made with jalapenos, red onions, parsley, and vinaigrette, the slaw starts to spill out the moment you pick it up. Without the slaw, this would be just another piece of fried chicken in a sandwich – the meat is slightly warm or room temperature. The serving size is large and the batter is nice, but by itself, the meat would be moist to start and quickly dry by the end. In my opinion, what makes this a notable sandwich is the slaw. There is just enough spice from the ingredients and the balance of tartness from the dressing give you a moist mouth feel. The extra slaw that spills out makes you feel a bit like you’re eating a salad in addition to the sandwich. Personally, I would like to have the top half of the bread roll hollowed out a bit; however, it might not look quite as pretty. It was a good meal, and if I lived or worked close by, I could see myself getting one on occasion, but it’s not worth the hour drive it took for me to get this one. $8.20

- Cookie – I ordered a chocolate chip cookie with walnuts. This cookie might be worth driving for. It caught me by surprise that the edges were just slightly crisp and the center was perfectly soft. My mom, whom can pass up a cookie just about any time, actually wanted more of these. Be sure to save room for dessert and get yourself a cookie! $1.25

- Lemon Ice – Although it was a cold day, the lemon ice was smooth and had just the right sweetness. Good stuff. $2.75

So what makes Bakesale Betty’s special? I think location is very important in their success. While good food is essential, this business model wouldn’t work in many places. First, it looks like a lot of locals are hired – that often helps with success. Their employees seem to be having fun – happy employees make for happy customers and you get better employee performance. Their clientele is also diverse – I saw a multitude of ethnicities, age, and people from different groups (e.g. multiple piercings, preppies, etc). Try to put this restaurant in San Francisco, and it would probably survive in the Castro, Fillmore, or other heavily populated areas. If you put Bakesale Betty as is without any changes in Sonoma or Napa, it would probably fail miserably. The price of the food, the atmosphere of being close to a college town in an urban environment, the tastes of local people (more in search of good food than ambiance), and the high foot traffic location allow it to be profitable and frequented by a number of people.

I’ve also heard that if the line is really long, they’ll start to give away free items – usually cookies (another plus in their business model - if you treat your customers right, they'll keep coming back). The line I was in went pretty quickly, so no such luck for me today. While I didn’t try them, other items available include a variety of cookies, pumpkin pie $20, apple pie $25, and chicken pot pie $25. From what I’ve heard, the strawberry shortcake is good too. If you happen to be in the area, it’s worth a trip to Bakesale Betty – I put their cookies on my must try recommendations list!

Creekside Bakery & Cafe - American, Novato

1719 Grant Ave, Novato CA 94945
(415) 892-7655
Parking: in shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: June 21, 2010

Food: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$

If it weren't for Martha, I probably wouldn't have even known about Creekside Bakery. You could drive by the shopping center a million times and never even know it's there. Tucked away in the Downtown Novato Shopping Center on Grant and 7th Street, you'll find Creekside Bakery.

Martha likes to come here for quiche. Enter the bakery and it's almost like entering a time warp. You could be in the 1980s with the wood furniture; the decor is very traditional and homey. I could see elderly ladies coming here for an afternoon tea. It seemed that a number of moms brought their kids for lunch during my visit today. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that the library is just across the street.

The staff is friendly and you get the feeling that Creekside has been around a long long time and hasn't changed much - the pace just feels slower in terms of how things are done here even though the staff isn't slow. The display case doesn't show fondant over cakes - instead it's more traditional items and a few more modern looking pastries.

We came for a leisurely lunch and although the quiche and soup sounded appetizing, I opted for a sandwich today.

- Reuben Sandwich - Served with a choice of green salad or soup, the reuben is served on toasted rye (which they make themselves) and stacked with sliced corned beef. The sauerkraut looked like it was homemade. I prefer my sauerkraut to be very warm and tart; this was room temperature and not particularly sour so it was just okay. The mixed greens salad on the side was somewhat small and dressed in a vinaigrette. Nothing to write home about.

- Croissant - Flaky on the outside and soft on the inside just as it should be.

- Apple Turnover - Good. Meets the standards that you would have for a turnover.

Prices are fairly standard for the pastries compared to other bakeries. The whole bill came out to just under $15 for these three items with the sandwich about $8.

I was also given a graduation cake from here - the cake was done in whipped cream and was a yellow fruit basket cake. The fruit was fresh and the writing done nicely. While it's not a gourmet bakery and I can't say that any certain item is wow, it's a good old-fashioned hometown bakery for your everyday needs.

Butter Cream Bakery - American, Napa

2297 Jefferson St, Napa CA 94559
(707) 255-6700
Parking: in parking lot or street parking
Hours: Cafe open daily for breakfast and lunch only, Bakery open daily

http://buttercreambakery.com/

Last Visited: February 4, 2007

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

I stumbled across Butter Cream Bakery as I was driving on Jefferson Street. The light pink and dark pink paint alternating in a vertically striped design on the sign and on the outside of the building drew me in immediately. Enter Butter Cream and smell the sweet aroma of baked goods. The glass display cases house napoleons, donuts, cakes, pies, Danish, and more. On the counter sit a plate of donut holes to try.

From the outside, you can see the soup special of the day, and at least one other special to note. The front windows stream in natural light and against one wall are a counter and counter stools facing the open kitchen. Along the other side of the wall is a long bench and above it are windows allowing you to view the bakery within. Funny signs on the wall entertain guests. There was ample seating today, but on a busy day, you probably would need to wait for a table.

The colors are fairly bright, but the focus is the pastries. It’s an old fashioned style place with great food – diner style. Hamburgers, sandwiches, soups, and breakfast items fill the menu. And with the bread baked fresh, it’s no wonder everything is a treat.

- Reuben Sandwich – Corned beef is sliced thin and placed within two slices of white bread along with sauerkraut and a slice of cheese. Choice of French fries or potato salad available. The texture of the corned beef is perfect and the melty cheese gives the sandwich extra flavor. It wasn’t too salty or too soggy, a problem found with many Reuben sandwiches. This was just right, although, the portion may be a bit small, but still excellent for the price. The potato salad is light and available for sale on its own. Yummy. A great Reuben. $6.90

- 1/3 Pounder – A ground beef patty is grilled and served on a toasted bun with tomatoes and lettuce. Pickles are on the side. Fresh hot French fries or potato salad are your choices for a side. It was a delicious and juicy burger and the fries were fabulous – crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Terrific. 4 stars. The second time I had this, I ended up forgetting to ask for no mustard, and this time, the burger was not as moist as the last – I suspect because our rather large party required more wait time between cooking and distribution. Only three stars this time and many places could rival them. $6.95

- Clam Chowder – Available in cup or mug, the clam chowder is hearty. It’s a bit on the starchy side for me, not because of flour, but because the potatoes have been in the soup a while and the consistency has changed. Accompanying the soup are four packages of crackers. Good, but not the best I’ve had. Ample medium sized pieces of clam. This is the main reason for the 3 to 4 star range as opposed to 4 stars.

- Club Sandwich – This triple decker contains a layer of bacon, lettuce and tomato and a layer of turkey, ham, tomato, cheddar, and lettuce. All of the bread is slathered with mayo. The sandwich is then cut in quarters, held together by a long toothpick and served with fries or potato salad. Fresh and good. $7.25

- Éclair – The éclair is available filled with custard or whipped cream. I opted for custard. It’s generously filled with custard and topped with a squiggle of chocolate cream. The pastry is light and delicious. For me, the size was perfect to be shared and leave you content. The chocolate can be a bit sweeet, but the combination of the custard with the pastry has just the perfect blend of sweet and a touch of salt. $3

- Apple Turnover – A large puff pastry filled with chopped chunks of apple. It’s the real deal. Delicious. If you can’t eat it there, buy one to take home. $1.40

- Croissant – I took this home and found it good. Not the best I’ve had, but better than store bought from the grocery store. The butter flavor could be stronger, but still quite enjoyable.

- Coffee $1.75

I have to lower the service from three stars down to the two to three range because the last two times, the service has been mediocre - not just fair, but mediocre. Today, I went for lunch, and they forgot silverware for half the table, and though they brought the drinks that were made to order, they forgot to bring water. They also didn’t come back to refill water. When we asked for it, which is the same time the food came, the waitress said, of course I’ll bring you water in a way that seemed to indicate she was planning on it, but by no means should patrons need to wait more than 20 minutes for water to arrive. Also, the last time I ordered the burger, despite my asking for fries, the same waitress forgot and brought me chips. I overheard her telling the short order cook that she didn’t know you could get fries with the burger, but the menu clearly says fries or potato salad. How I ended up with chips, I don’t understand. Finally, when taking our order and going around the table, she stopped asking what we wanted to drink after the second person. So I had to make my request at the end, and then she asked me if I had ordered yet. With a memory like this, it’s a wonder our dishes arrived at all. During my 2007 visit, the wait time also exceeded 20 minutes. My waitress this time was much more pleasant and on top of things, but wait time was still quite long. For an unknown reason, the food also made me very thirsty several hours after. This is atypical, especially since I have ordered these dishes before, but noted.

The burgers are huge and they have a great selection of desserts and pastries. Their apple turnovers are quite yummy. Sit behind the counter and watch the person at the grill – entertaining, a bit stressful, and a lot of action. A great find and a local hot spot.

This is still a terrific place to stop for a pastry ring though - I've had a number of them and they're always great.