One Redditor, who claims that they used to work at Sprouts, says that Sprouts' bakery items actually arrive at the store frozen. That may lead you to believe that you're not actually getting very good quality, but the commenter said that, despite that fact, the cookies and pastries are actually quite delicious. They specifically called out the jalapeño-cheddar muffins as being especially tasty.
Easter desserts are the crown jewel of the holiday meal. And no, we're not talking about chocolate bunnies, Peeps, or mini eggs from a kid's basket-though those are welcome too. We mean shortcakes gilded with cream and fresh berries, tart lemon meringue pie, a tower of chocolate and praline, and stunning layer cakes fit for a celebration.
If freshly baked focaccia is one of your vices, you'll want to check out Liguria Bakery in San Francisco. This Italian-owned bakery has been open since 1911, and not much has changed about the location since. It's placed on a modest street corner, has large vintage windows, and the interior is small with just enough room for customers to line up and place their orders.
Freeze ribs as soon as they reach room temperature - even cooked meat left out for more than two hours can develop harmful bacteria. You'll also want to ensure the meat freezes quickly. Apart from the food safety aspect, a fast freeze will help prevent ice crystals from forming, which can negatively affect the texture.
The pretzels are next level. Seriously though Lidl's bakery has no business being as good as it is. One customer described Lidl's brownies as life-changing, and another shopper called Lidl's pain au chocolat the best found outside of Paris.
In a unique and charming twist, this shop is owned by a grandfather-granddaughter pair, Steve Satterlee and Alisa Louangaphay. Louangaphay started helping Satterlee bake at their family-owned inn when she was just four years old, and her love of baking only grew over the years.
It's the sixth location for the local chain, with others in Campbell, Palo Alto, Oakland and elsewhere. Since opening its first brick-and-mortar in 2019, Square Pie Guys has been credited with introducing San Franciscans to Detroit-style, crispy-edged square pizza. Oddly enough, its owner is from New York. The pizzas feature a cheddar-cheese edge, which gives them the signature crunch that differentiates Detroit from other styles.
Onsu, an Asian-inspired bake house and patisserie, opens its doors in Soho on January 15. The sweet treat haven at 55A Dean Street is fronted by chef Michael Kwan, a multi-title pastry champion and the former executive pastry chef of the Dorchester. Kwan's career has also included stints at Ladurée, Hakkasan, and the three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck. The new spot will combine Asian flavours with classical European style baking.
London's bakery scene has got to be one of the best in the world right now. As well as an abundance of croissants and sourdough, there are bakeries doing everything from Italian maritozzi to Japanese milk bread and pretty much everything in between. The weekend pastry run has become a ritual (bonus points if you literally run to the bakery) and bagging goods from Toad or Chatsworth Bakehouse before they sell out is a social flex.
Duck Donuts opened its Walnut Creek shop in early February at 2920 North Main St. That would be south of a Donut King and east of an Allstar Donuts, for Californians who navigate best with fried treats. It is the company's first Bay Area location, which are rare in the state; there are only three others, all located in the L.A. area.
Aldi's bakery section has a lot of tasty goodies that you should add to your cart, from delightfully soft carrot cake sandwich cookies to buttery blueberry muffins. But there's one item I love to purchase for both its fantastic flavor and what I can make with it: The Specially Selected chocolate chip brioche that's imported from France. While many loyal customers like to whip up French toast with the Aldi item, I use the loaf to create an undeniably drool-worthy bread pudding.
There is something inherently comforting about a bakery. Walking past one early in the morning, breathing in that warm, sweet scent, can bring back memories of childhood or at least provide some solace on a cold day. But that scent also sets up expectations, and there's nothing worse than following your nose into a bakery just to find that the donuts are stale, the cookies are old, and the bread tastes mass-produced.
Let's talk about holiday baking that goes beyond cookies! These are the festive winter bakes to try. The list includes an ultra fragrant gingerbread cake, a bright citrus loaf, and the perfect flourless chocolate cake. Few people love baking holiday cookies more than me, but a good amount of my favorite December baking happens outside the cookie platter. Think fragrant spice cakes, all things citrus, buttery, and bright - or deep, melty chocolate on the frostiest nights.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The most famous French bakery in San Francisco is expanding outside of the city. According to the Palo Alto Weekly, Arsicault is opening up in Palo Alto in the fall. This will be its first shop outside of San Francisco. It will serve the same popular pastries as its other locations, along with baguette sandwiches. An exact opening date has not been announced.
Their croissants are arguably the best in San Francisco: sinfully aromatic and buttery, with a flakiness that erupts like weightless shards of gold falling into your lap. Now, after a decade of waiting, another Bay Area city is set to finally lay claim to some of the most legendary pastries around. Arsicault Bakery, which has locations in the Tenderloin, Mission Rock and Inner Richmond, is expanding outside San Francisco for the very first time, landing in the Peninsula in late 2026.
Ilcha, a Korean restaurant in the Marina that's been lauded for its fried chicken, is closing after Valentine's Day, and the SF Business Times has news of its replacement. Coming soon to 2151 Lombard will be Kava, a restaurant serving Nepalese, Himalayan, and Indian cuisines, from Nepalese owner Kamal Kandel of North Beach's Yarsa Nepalese Cuisine. The menu, which will have some similarities to Yarsa, will feature Nepalese curries, momos, chaat, tandoori, and biryani dishes.
Its origins lie in the county's mining past, where it was devised as a complete, portable meal. The crimp acted as a handle, and some pasties were even made with different fillings at each end, offering both savoury and sweet in a single bake. Debate over the perfect pasty remains lively, but the classic combination of beef, potato, onion and swede is still the benchmark, and for many, still the one to beat.