Mortensen's Danish Bakery UPDATE - Solvang, CA

They've cleaned up since I last saw them, and their abundance of pride and BLM stickers in the doorway caused some fondness before I even entered. 

The pastries are rich, and beware - some things are super sweet. The Danish Waffle is like a giant, crunch cookie sandwich full of very sweet cream. 

My kid got a chocolate covered cookie sandwich filled with chocolate buttercream. Don't worry, we didn't let her eat it all. 

My favorite is the Raspberry Danish because it's Danish. It's a chewy pastry with a great texture, and it's significantly more balanced in sweetness. 

A much better experience this time around, a better bakery overall, I think. I don't know enough about pastry to truly compare it with the rest, but I would definitely make more "educational" visits here. 

Olsen's Danish Village Bakery - Solvang, CA

A little late-evening excursion brings us to the indulgence of Olsen's for some sweets. 

We start simply with a Cinnamon Crisp, a flat spiral of fluffy fried pastry, light and covered with a layer of cinnamon sugar dust. There are so many choices it's hard to get just a few, but this frisbee-sized dessert can feed a whole family. 

The crisp can be a bit much, but this Florentine made us fight. That ooey-gooey caramelized base is covered with a rich layer of chocolate, a giant disc of toddler delight. Too much sugar for someone so small so be prepared to break off a piece and hide the rest or take giant bites fast to get to it first. 

A great start to a lovely trip, but I don't think I can accurately judge. There are so many bakeries in Solvang, and I don't know enough about the Danish to decide which one is best. I did like Olsen's, though, so I'd gladly come back for something else, maybe a Danish or a kringle. 

Mortenson's Bakery - Solvang

You can't go to Solvang and not try something baked. But choose wisely because not all bakeries are created equal.

The Chocolate Rum Ball, for example, is definitely a bit of a miss. Chocolate is great, but the rum doesn't make it better, and the texture is definitely a bit like Playdoh.

The Danish Waffle is better, much better. Crunchy puff pastry sandwiching light, sweet cream is hard to diss, but it doesn't really make waves so it's easy to dismiss.

Mortenson's Bakery wasn't all I'd hoped for, but I suppose it was enough. I just wish that the vibrant storefront wasn't just a cover for a space that was so sterile and sad.