Colossus - San Pedro

A branch of Long Beach's most beautiful bakery sits right next to Choriman. 

The display case is so small, be sure to snatch up multiple offerings before they're gone. 

The Country Loaf is their basic bread, best for...eating. This loaf is dense and moist, almost wet inside with an addictively sour finish that makes you immediately reach for more. Makes beautiful sandwiches, equally pleasurable to eat alone, free of any adornments.

Here lies the first Pecan Sticky Bun that has made me look since Boston, back when I could walk to Joanne Chang's flagship Flour. Then there's a Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie, chocolatey but more bitter than sweet, perfect with earthy pumpkin. Classic Chocolate Chip is dotted with grains of sea salt which make the sweetness pop. 

Good bread, great bakes - you can tell they're made by a pastry chef. There's a polish to them, the way the flavors mesh and meld and harmonize, the way boldness mirrors restraint. The location may be subtle, but even the smallest storefront couldn't contain the greatness within. 

Bread Head - Manhattan Beach

I may not love the location, but I do love the story. A pair of new parents needed a work-life balance that their fine dining careers would have forced them to forgo, and their solution was sandwiches. 

Great bread, this thin and airy, beautifully crispy focaccia, so good the filling almost doesn't matter. 

Get the Combo Grinder but be sure to eat it fast. The dressing seeps into the bottom bread and soaks it through in minutes. The meats are  reminiscent of BCD's claim-to-fame Godmother in their tenderness and smooth texture, but I like their balance better. The salty salami, punchy hot coppa and smooth smoked ham just pop a little bit more, and the fixins are just enough to add some acid with the greens. 

I caught the newly released hot sandwiches, but I'm pretty meh about the Roast Pork & Broccoli Rabe. The bitter broccoli is far too forward, overpowering at tender super-savory, but much subtler pork. 

The Roast Beef suffers similarly, as two inches of bitter arugula hit tender, blander beef quite hard. I do love that mayo and the pop of fresh horseradish, but I feel I could have made this myself minus the bread. 

This little shop of fabulous focaccia has me quite conflicted. The focaccia is fantastic and its airy crumb and crunchilicious crisp is an undeniable draw, but the fillings fall rather flat. Sandwiches are often associated with comfort food and home cooking, but if I'm paying for someone else to make my sandwich, I'm looking for a taste of something I can't get from home. For me, Bread Head just misses the mark. The bread is an awesome start, but a bit more creativity, a bit more pop, a bit more focus on the filling could make them the best thing since sliced bread...and more than just sliced bread.

Bread Espresso & - Redondo Beach

There's been a lot of buzz about bread ever since the pandemic had people starting sourdough in their homes. Well move over, sourdough starter, it's time to make way for mou, the newest dough to hit the beach cities by storm. 

What's the hype all about? What is in these cute little cubes of coveted bread? 

They house ingredients savory and sweet, ranging from salty, savory curry beef and a fragrant, 

fatty bacon edamame to a sweet red bean

and a soft and airy custard. 

The fillings are exciting, but the original should not be missed. With nothing inside to distract from the texture, you can fully appreciate that spongy, chewy, lighter-than-air mochi-dough, and it's so good you'll just eat it plain. Just be sure to enjoy it the day you buy it. This is one of those things that ages by the hour. 

There are consolation prizes like this gorgeous chocolate melon pan with a crispy crust for when they're out of mou or for monsters who somehow hate mochi, but I think there are plenty of places that make these other pastries just as well.

Now that the hype has faded, there should still be a sensible selection at lunchtime so be sure to drop by when you can. It's just bread, but it's the only bread you'll ever need. 

Tommy & Atticus - Redondo Beach

It’s a big deal when the chef from Gjusta sets up shop in the South Bay.

The display case of flaky layered kougins and fluffy croissants flanked by racks of fresh-smelling loaves tells me that Tommy & Atticus is everything I had ever hoped for.

The daily sandwiches are simple, starting with a cool and clean Veggie Sandwich. Served between slices of their spectacular sourdough, the avocado-cucumber-cream cheese filling is refreshing albeit a little bit plain. I added a spicy hummus (purchased from the farmers market) to give it some extra pep. 

A baguette bolsters savory slices of turkey and ham in their sandwich of the day. Pickled onions add their acid, and mustard and arugula bring about the balance.

A Country Loaf is a must, with an iconic crust that crunches with an easy give, clearing a path for a chewy crumb. It exudes a delicate fragrance that has simultaneous subtlety and depth.

The pastries taste as pretty as they look. A hundred paper-thin layers flounce around the Blackberry Fruit Tart, filled with a light custard cream.

Impossibly thin layers of golden sheets circle into a Caramelized Kouign, a simple delight with a lightly burnt, seared-sugar skin.

Apple Pie Kouign is a decadent fave - every pie should have a crust like this. 

And last but not least, a giant slab of Brownie. Fall-apart crumbly, just gooey enough for those who are fond of fudge. 

Their focus is on all things baked, sold early, fast, and fresh. Quality will cost you, but they charge about what you'd expect. Their strip mall location is convenient, with plenty of parking and some sidewalk space for outdoor dining, though this bounty is best boxed up to go. Whether you stay or go, just be sure to get there. 

Cadoro Bakery - Inglewood

Drive slowly as you weave your way through back streets of warehouses, slow down when you see the sign they sat in the middle of the street. Park along the curb and head up to the bright yellow take-out window, a stark contrast to the sterile white of the warehouse. 

Their sliced bread is probably the best thing since sliced bread, full and half-loaf options cut fresh for your order. The sourdough is to die for.

The cafe menu has a selection of sandwiches, also a few offerings of salad and soup. The Short Rib Panini will set you back $16, but it's worth it for the melt-in-your-mouth shreds and caramelized onion. 

Oh man, this is good. Come for lunch and get some bread to go. No place to sit, and the view isn't picturesque, but the sandwiches are all you need to see. 

Pinwheel Bakery - Torrance

There are a few for-real French bakeries in the South Bay, but I never did think I'd find one that served real Escargot. 

Get 'em at Pinwheel - they'll make them at any hour! Seriously, I asked around 8 AM and they offered. Without judgement. 

They're alright escargot. Plenty of butter, no shortage of garlic. Not the best I've had, but as good as any cafe in the streets of Paris. 

Best when washed down with French Onion Soup. Also not the best I've had, but also a perfectly fine broth with a handful of onion and plenty of bread bits. The compulsory gruyere crust is there as well. 

They also do plenty of quiches and a variety of sandwiches. My fave (and only) so far is the Brie Sandwich, with apples and arugula stacked over slices of brie on a finger-thin ficelle. 

Of the breads, the Baguette is bomb. Crispy crust and a chewy center. The baguettine lacks the crust so go big or go home. 

But don't overlook the bread of the day either. I like the one with olives, but the one with dates is divine. 

The pastries are pretty great. Flake away the layers of a barely-sweet Kouign Amann,

or opt for a classic Apple Turnover. Caneles are drizzled with honey, and every fourth one is free. 

The Apple Tart is cute but pricey. 

Like 'em all, love 'em all, but you're it's the scones where they really shine. Plenty of flavors; lemon lavender, cranberry orange, blueberry, blahblahblah. Skip straight to the Fig and Honey Scone because it is the best baked good. Ever. Anywhere. 

I love Crossroads shopping center because everything is there, but good stuff tends to get buried, especially amongst the flashier fronts like Whole Foods or Lunasia. Pinwheel is tucked into a corner and won't win over Sidecar, but it's always been my pick when I'm craving a great taste of France.

Erick Schat’s Bakkery UPDATE - Bishop, CA

 

We took a toddler on a 9-hour roadtrip to Reno and it wasn’t as terrible an idea as we thought. 

She slept for most of the first leg, and we only made one stop for sandwiches at Schat’s. There’s a park with a playground across the street, perfect for a picnic of Roast Beef on white and multigrain with Turkey. The meats are freshly sliced, but let’s be real - it’s all about the bread at Schat’s. 

It’s all good here, and it’s all good to go. We got some Shepherder’s and some Dutch Crunch for the road, and I recommend their cinnamon pull-apart Monkey Bread if they have it. The Pound Cake can be part of a complete breakfast, and we completely ate it in a day. The bread is good, and the bakkery is solid. Just wear pants with an elastic waist.

Bree’Osh - Santa Barbara

Brioche. What, really, is brioche? I thought I knew but I really had no idea until I tried it here. A textbook will tell you it’s French bread with a lot of egg and butter, but there is no way that gives you any idea what you’re getting. 

So THIS is Brioche. A loaf that weighs like a boulder, slices like butter, weighs in your mouth like a dream. Make it a sinful sandwich or slather a slice with Brie and jam. Have it as you want, eat it as you will. There’s nothing you can do to this loaf that won’t leave you wanting more. 

And wow, what a sandwich you can make. An Eggs & Salmon Brioche has plushy scrambled eggs and smoked salmon that slides like velvet. 

Or keep it simple with the Eggs & Cheese Brioche - I love that even better. Same scrambled eggs with a goops of gruyere are a most delectable glue, connecting the eggs to a soft, sweet, fluffy bun.

Grab a Sourdough Baguette if they have one but don’t bother to get a bag. One bite and you’ll never put it back. They make it with spelt flour and probably the best starter I’ve ever seen.

And never skip either type of Cinnamon Roll. Dazzling delicacies that couldn’t be more different. One is moist and layered,

The other is airy and comparatively crisp.

That’s all I could justifiably try in a single trip, but I’m not above swinging back to Santa Barbara just for more of this because every mile would be worth my while.

I would always roll my eyes when someone says you can “taste the love” in the cooking, but here at Bree’Osh it’s true. The name alone makes you smile, and the breads will warm your heart. 

D’Angelo’s Bakery - Santa Barbara

 

Is there anything better than breakfast at a bakery? 

There is nothing like a proper Cappuccino and a plate of something sweet. This one has foam art that is too cute to bear.

You’re only as good as your ingredients, and the Bananas Foster French Toast is the best bread that’s ever been made into toast. They slice up a real French baguette into soft and soakable slices of chewy fluff, and the flavor of the flour stands strong underneath the fruit and flambé. 

A side of mixed fruit comes with so many berries. It’s a bit frozen but I’m happy to say the berries are ripe. 

The Classic American Breakfast is just that, eggs with thick, crispy bacon. Sourdough toast is a show-stealer lest you forget their baking prowess. 

Go inside if you can. Gorgeous loaves of bread are just asking to be bought, and they all look perfect for a pickup, a picnic, a pick-me-up, or just a simple pleasure. 

Day 1 - Hawaii Kai, O’ahu - Nanding's Bakery

Getting up for a 7 AM flight is brutal. The squinting stumble to the Uber is unwilling, as you crawl through the peri-dawn chill. Slog through the TSA as they confiscate your bottle openers and limit your cosmetics for the common good, and fling yourself into your assigned seat so you can pass out promptly. The silver lining to your sleep deprivation is that napping shortens the ride.

Our landing is smooth, and we get the rare bonus of an airport pickup, a car full of friends who immediately understand we’re starving.

We fuel up at Nanding’s Bakery first, basking in the pastry smells and savoring the purple swirls of an Ube Ensaymada. The dough is all air, and the top is dusted with sugar and a summation of sweet potato and sweeter cream cheese.

A veggie Lumpia costs a mere dollar, and it’s a mini spring-roll cave of wonders. Shreds of simply-seasoned cabbage crunch within layers of paper-thin crispy wrapper.

I’m starting to get the swing of the island as we unwrap the third and final Glazed Custard Roll. This one shimmers like a silver dollar, and each bite is a little bath of custard and glaze.

A small back-lot bakery on an island full of back-lots. Even the malasadas weren’t this good. Well, I may not have loved Oahu food the first time around, but something tells me I just need to dig a little deeper this time.

Erick Schat's Bakery - Bishop, CA

There's is no other reason to stop in Bishop. After the pizza in Independence, I would have driven through Bishop as fast as their unreasonably crawling speed limit would let me...if not for Erick Schatz. 

Any trip through Bishop is pretty pointless, but picking up a load Sheepherder Bread lets you pretend you have a purpose. It's worth the leg-stretching stop for a bit of the purest white bread you'll ever see, made from all sorts of natural well water and flour, unbleached. The crust is chewy, the heart of the bread is cotton-soft and floats on air. Don't bother making a sandwich - the bread by itself is treat enough.

Come for the bread but skip the Sorbet. The watermelon isn't real sorbet; just sugar, water, and a red dye. The lemon is more refreshing, though. Sugary frozen foods are usually my guilty pleasure, but this is too fake for even me to like.

If you're looking for the sugar-rush, go with the Pull-Apart Bread instead. It's sweet and chewy with sugar and cinnamon, the texture is so moist it's practically bread pudding, and it's an opportunity to literally break bread with your friends...(groan). 

Don't want bread? Can't eat bread? Let them eat cake. The Dutch Coffee Cake, to be exact. A flawless breakfast boost: firm, not so crumbly as to be inconvenient, and evenly and impossibly moist all the way through. The glaze on top is just perfect.

Independence was desolate enough! Bishop is pretty barren aside from that small strip of town on the 395, and there is no way I would stop for anything other than gas if not for the bakery of Schat's. Ready-made bread is a camping staple, convenient for long roadtrips and super-light for backpacking hikes. I wish Bishop were closer so I could get this bread more often. for now, I will plan on stopping by every time I pass though!