Category Archives: Bakeries

Three New Places To Check Out in 2018

Posted on by 2 comments
he famous Doughnut Wheel at Charlie Palmer Steak Napa. (photo by Paige Green Photo)

The famous Doughnut Wheel at Charlie Palmer Steak Napa. (photo by Paige Green Photo)

Charlie Palmer Steak

Just before Thanksgiving, Chef Charlie Palmer opened the first California location of his American steakhouse concept. Charlie Palmer Steak Napa marks his fifth steakhouse across the country.

Housed inside the new Archer Hotel Napa, the 4,000-square-foot restaurant is headed by Executive Chef Jeffrey Russell.

Enjoy raw bar specialties; pig ear pad thai ($16); a 21-day dry-aged, bone-on tomahawk chop for two ($130); and A5 Wagyu from Japan at $100 for 4 ounces.

The Bottomless Brunch ($38) per person includes unlimited Bloody Marys and Mimosas for two hours, the choice of a main course, and either a charcuterie board for the table or a “doughnut wheel.” The latter is sure to become an Instagram sensation with its cinnamon-sugar, chocolate-glazed, and almond-chocolate doughnuts stacked on a wheel with caramel and raspberry dipping sauces.

New Pastry Chef for Bacchus Management Group

Bacchus Management has hired its first executive pastry chef to head all of its restaurants and bakeries.

The new Nutella baby cake at Mayfield Bakery & Cafe, and the Village Bakery & Cafe. (photo by Carolyn Jung)

The new Nutella baby cake at Mayfield Bakery & Cafe, and the Village Bakery & Cafe. (photo by Carolyn Jung)

For the first time, one person will oversee the baking and dessert programs at The Village Pub in Woodside, The Saratoga in San Francisco, Spruce in San Francisco, Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Palo Alto, The Village Bakery & Cafe in Woodside, and four Pizza Antica outposts in the Bay Area.

Janina O’Leary grew up in Texas, graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York, and went on to work in such top-tier, fine-dining establishments in Manhattan as Per Se, Del Posto and Restaurant Daniel. She also worked at Bouchon Bakery in New York. When she moved to Austin, she became famous for her doughnut pop-ups, whimsically named Play Dough.

Read more

Carb Heaven At Jane Bakery

Posted on by 3 comments
Ginger cookie, Nutella brioche, and kouign-amann from Jane bakery.

Ginger cookie, Nutella brioche, and kouign-amann from Jane bakery.

 

On bustling Geary Street in San Francisco, a former KFC/Taco Bell hybrid has been transformed into something far sweeter.

Jane bakery opened its doors in December, producing glorious long, slow fermented loaves and fabulous flaky pastries in this former fast-food franchise spot.

This is the third outpost in the city for Jane, which is named for founder Amanda Michael’s now 18-year-old daughter.

A couple weeks ago, my friend Deborah and I were invited in as guests to sample some goodies on the menu.

You'll find it hard to narrow down your choices here.

You’ll find it hard to narrow down your choices here.

Michael, who grew up in San Francisco, once wrote reviews of computer hardware for a tech industry magazine. She hated it, and found solace in cooking. So much so that she went on to take classes at Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco. It wasn’t long before she turned her back on the tech writing to pursue pastry gigs working at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, and PlumpJack in Squaw Valley and San Francisco.

Read more

Eating My Way Through New York: Won’t Break the Bank

Posted on by 3 comments
The smoked chicken sandwich at Roberta's.

The smoked chicken sandwich at Roberta’s.

Roberta’s

The iconic New York pizza may be a huge, greasy, foldable slice. But Roberta’s in Brooklyn is where true pizza connoisseurs flock.

At this funky place, you enter this cement fortress of a building through scuffed wooden doors to a alpine-lodge-like dining room crammed with long, wood communal tables.

A bird-eye view of the pizza making.

A bird-eye view of the pizza making.

The dining room at lunch time.

The dining room at lunch time.

The massive wood-fired pizza oven is to your right. You get a clue as to how much attention they pay to the pizzas here when you see a pie go into the oven. It’s never left alone for long. The cook is regularly rotating it, and lifting it, leaning the edge of the crust toward the flames to kiss it with char before turning it again and again.

Read more

Eating My Way Through New York: Sweets and Snacks

Posted on by One comment
Behold the Triple Black Donut at the new SuperMoon Bakehouse.

Behold the Triple Black Donut at the new Supermoon Bakehouse.

Supermoon Bakehouse

Wacky. Weird. Wild.

At Supermoon Bakehouse, you’ll find some of the most mind-blowing baked goods you’ve ever laid eyes upon.

But then again, they are the the handiwork of baker extraordinaire Ry Stephen, the creator of the Cruffin and co-founder of Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco.

What luck to have it open its doors in the Lower East Side the week we were in New York, too.

At this place, there's a sense of fun in everything they do.

At this place, there’s a sense of fun in everything they do.

Pastries displayed on a long counter make photo-taking easy.

Pastries displayed on a long counter make photo-taking easy.

You’ll find Cruffins here, and a whole lot of other unique pastries that sport a strong foundation of crisp, buttery, airy layers — then go wild with imaginative fillings, colors and designs.

Read more

« Older Entries Recent Entries »