Bakery | gas•tron•o•my

Archive for the 'Bakery' Category

Pappa Rich – Pasadena

Published

on March 17, 2010

in Bakery, Chain / Multiple Locations, Pasadena and Restaurant Review

. 21 Comments

Located on the corner of De Lacey and Green in Old Pasadena, Pappa Rich is the first American outlet of a wildly popular chain of Korean bakeries called Pappa Roti.

Opened late last year, the shop has an undeniable log cabin vibe due to its bevy of wooden furniture and accents. The air smells strongly of mocha. Pappa Rich’s aesthetic is reminiscent of Tous Le Jour, a competing chain of Korean bakeries that The Astronomer and I adored while living in Saigon.

After receiving our order of Pappa Rich’s famous buns ($2.99), we stole two seats and tore right in. As promised by Jonathan Gold, the buns were “fat, warm, [and] breast-shaped”—my three favorite qualities in a baked good.

The Astronomer and I were both taken aback by how gloriously soft, crisp, and inexplicably airy the bun was. Best of all, toward the center was a hidden pat of melted butter that melded decadently with the pastry. Sweet, savory, and rich, this bun was indeed the “Father of All Buns.”

Out of curiosity and hunger, The Astronomer also ordered a white chocolate sugar cookie with strawberry cream cheese spread ($2.75). The cookie was tougher than undergraduate work at Swarthmore, while the frosting was ice cold. Both The Astronomer and I tried our darndest to take a clean bite from top to bottom, but it was a mission impossible.

Even though the sandwich cookie was poorly constructed and practically inedible, I will be making my way back to Pappa Rich for another taste of the “Father of All Buns.” Korea has the tastiest chain restaurants in the world, wouldn’t you say?

–

Pappa Rich
100 W. Green Street
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-440-0009

Porto’s Bakery – Los Angeles (Glendale)

Published

Gastronomer

on December 17, 2009

in Bakery, Cuban, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review

. 21 Comments

Strolling around Porto’s Bakery on a bustling Saturday afternoon, it’s hard to imagine that the shop began over 35 years ago as a home-based business in Cuba. Since its humble beginnings, Porto’s Bakery has garnered a devoted following, outgrowing several locations and eventually settling into a 20,000 square foot building in the heart of Glendale.

Of all the fantastic restaurants in the city of Los Angeles, it’s Porto’s Bakery that has as come up time and again whenever a friend or acquaintance has recommended a local place for me to try. After receiving a half dozen solid endorsements for the place, I made a mental note to stop by the next time I found myself in Glendale.

After procuring a wickedly sweet suit for The Astronomer at the Glendale Galleria a few weekends back, we made our way to Porto’s Bakery to see what the fuss was all about. I knew that the bakery was beloved by many, but the crowd waiting for their piece of the Porto pie was truly staggering. The staff on hand managed the amusement park-esque lines smoothly and professionally.

Taking a cue from the customers ahead of us, The Astronomer and I ordered way more food than we had room to eat. The potato ball (85¢) was the lone savory item on our tray. The papa rellena was comprised of breaded and fried mashed potatoes filled with seasoned ground beef. The crunchy texture of the breading had me at first bite, while The Astronomer enjoyed the chili-like filling.

The guava strudel (65¢), one of Porto’s most famous baked good, was as tasty as everyone told me it would be. The mildly sweet guava jam smothered in between flaky layers of buttery puff pastry really made this little rectangular sweet shine.

The guava and cheese refugi (left – 65¢) and the cheese roll (right – 65¢) were on par with the guava strudel. The cream cheese filling in each one reminded me of Danish breakfast pastries. Puff pastry is an ingredient that I adore, but it quickly gets overwhelming. After taking a few bites from each one, we packed up the rest to go.

I knew ordering a creme brulee ($2.50) at a Cuban bakery wasn’t the smartest move, but oftentimes my gluttony gets the best of me. Much to my surprise, Porto’s creme brulee was completely competent and exceeded my expectations by a mile. The sugary crust was uniformly caramelized, and the smooth custard contained tiny flecks of vanilla bean—two hallmarks of a great creme brulee.

After just one visit to Porto’s, I totally understand why every other Angeleno is crazy about the place. The vibe is fun, the prices are more than reasonable, and the food is perfectly enjoyable. Win. Win. Win.

–

Porto’s Bakery
315 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
Phone: 818-956-5996

Edgar’s Old Style Bakery – Birmingham

Published

Gastronomer

on November 10, 2009

in Bakery, Birmingham, Chain / Multiple Locations, Dessert, Restaurant Review and Southern

. 10 Comments

Lately, I’ve been spoiling my appetite by consuming rich desserts moments before sitting down to dinner. I don’t mean to disrupt the natural order of things, it’s just that bakeries tend to close up early, and keeping my hands off freshly purchased sweets is nearly impossible. Gluttony and lack of self control seem to compromise my usual good sense.

The latest episode of appetite spoilage occurred while visiting Birmingham. The Astronomer and I were on our way to the Cajun Steamer for a family dinner when I spied a branch of Edgar’s Old Style Bakery a few doors down. Even though we were minutes away from breaking bread, I insisted that we step inside to quickly peruse the selection. After oohing over the goods, I unsurprisingly walked out of the shop with a red velvet cupcake in hand. The sensible move at that point would have been to save the sweet until after supper, but where’s the fun in that?

I’ve indulged in many red velvets in the past, but this was my first truly authentic Southern one. The dainty crimson cupcake was topped with a neat swirl of cream cheese frosting and dusted with cakey crumbles. The mildly flavored cake was moist, yet firm, while the well-portioned frosting teetered tastily between sweet and tangy. The size of the cupcake was also just right—we finished off the final bite right as we walked through the restaurant’s door.

Full disclosure: I ate another dessert after dinner at the Cajun Steamer, deep fried cheesecake to be exact.

–

Edgar’s Old Style Bakery
180 West Main Street
Hoover, AL 35244
Phone: 205-987-0790