Sliced salami and cornichons on a plain baguette. $4.50
La Boulange de Noe, San Francisco
How can you go wrong with sliced hard salami on a baguette!? Add some cornichons and you’ve got a winner! This sandwich doesn’t need the help of any condiments, it’s perfect in its simplicity. My only gripe was that the baguette was a little chewy and stale. I think it’s because these “Grab & Go” sandwiches are premade and kept in a plastic sleeve. They’re easy and tasty regardless.
Wow, this was a whole lotta donut goodness! And I loved the beautiful, large cubes of sweet apple hidden inside. The apple fritter was larger than most and had a beautifully crunchy sugar glaze. Perfect! $1.75
Bob’s Donut & Pastry Shop, San Francisco
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011
I’ve been on a chocolate and hazelnut kick lately, which isn’t a bad thing. These flavors are delicious and simply amazing together. This is my favorite croissant at La Boulange and I get it often – I’m a pig, I know! My only gripe is that the sliver of chocolate inside is kinda small and is always pushed off to one side. I wish there was more of it and evenly distributed. Other than that, this croissant always makes me smile. $2.75
La Boulange de Noe, San Francisco
I’ve made it my personal mission to try all the different macaron flavors I come across, lol! La Boulange has a colorful array of flavors displayed in their pastry case and they look absolutely beautiful. I loved the nutella macaron – it was dark, nutty, and not too sweet. The chocolate hazelnut flavor was prominent but not overpowering, and the chopped hazelnut bits on the outside were cute and provided a great texture. The raspberry macaron was a bit of a disappointment. It was too soft and almost disintegrated upon the touch. I guess I don’t like my macarons that flimsy. $1.50 each
La Boulange de Noe, San Francisco
Nutella macaron
Raspberry macaron
Sweet pastry shell filled with rich lemon cream, topped with unsweetened whipped cream and garnished with a dahlia petal. $6.25
Tartine Bakery, San Francisco
Wow, this tart was absolute perfection! I’ve heard people rave about this lemon cream tart, and now I know why! The lemon cream is so silky smooth, sweet and with just the right amount of tartness. The pastry shell is also amazing and the large dollop of unsweetened cream puts it over the top. I ate this during the weekend so the calories don’t count, lol!
And did I mention how beautiful it is!? I almost didn’t want to cut into it because as SO perfect looking. That hesitation didn’t last long though, and I couldn’t stop myself after I tasted the first bite. SO GOOD – NOMS!
This is one of Susie’s signature “frosting filled” cupcakes, in one of their most popular flavors. And yes, that indentation on top is intentional, all of the cupcakes had them (personally, not a fan). Something else that I wasn’t impressed with was that they throw these cupcakes into a paper bag for you to take home. Needless to say, my cupcake was smashed on the sides when I got home. Who wants to eat an ugly cupcake, am I right!? I tried patching it, but it still looked sad and defeated. Even Mission Minis boxes their tiny morsels for take-home. The red “sprinkles” on top are actually red velvet cake crumbs. This cupcake was OK. Perhaps a frosting overload with it both on top and inside, and I couldn’t get over the smashed look to it. $3
SusieCakes Bakery, San Francisco
Luscious ginger flavored cookies, perfectly molded, dusted with sugar and stacked in a cute container for your enjoyment! These cookies were delicious, and the ginger flavor was not overwhelming. They had a bit of a crunch and a faint nutty flavor. No wonder these morsels made the 7X7 Big Eat list!
Miette Patisserie, San Francisco
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012
French shortbread cookie with marzipan filling and apricot and raspberry jam.
Victoria Pastry Company, Greenbrae CA
I’m not quite sure of the technical differences between a cookie and a pastry. The shop called this a cookie, but I would’ve been more inclined to call it a pastry (and probably erroneously). Maybe because it was quite large, glazed, and had marzipan and two different jams. In any case, it was scrumptious! It was so soft and not overly sweet. The marzipan gave it a nice almond flavor and the jams were delicious. I don’t make it out to Greenbrae very often, but I will swing by Victoria Pastry Company for another yummy treat the next time I do.
And, yes, I still had a Philz Coffee New Manhattan with me from the SF commute. They tasted pretty amazing together! Mmm, gotta love Philz Coffee…
Chocolate lavender, hazelnut, and chocolate macarons.
Miette Patisserie, San Francisco
I remember having macarons once or twice as a kid, but it’s only recently that I’ve truly “discovered” these amazing confections! They’re like magic in your mouth – a dizzying combination of chewy, soft, crunchy, silky, grainy, and sweet. There are so many flavors and colors that each time you try a different one, it’s a completely new and exciting experience. Miette serves some of the best in town. Of these three flavors, I liked hazelnut the best!
Cute ice cream cone cake pop with a raspberry flavored chocolate cake inside and sprinkles on top.
Goodness Gracious ‘Divine Confections’, San Francisco
My friend George had a bday gathering and these were one of the sweet treats he offered. I guess his friend makes these super cute cake pops. There were different shapes and flavors, but I thought these were the cutest. I’ve never had a cake pop before, and I thought that the cake on the inside would be dry, but this was very moist (probably from the addition of the raspberry liqueur?). I’ve recently noticed the increased interest and demand for cake pops and I’m glad. They are adorable and easy to serve and eat. You can contact Goodness Gracious through her Facebook page if you want some of these delicious treats!
Still in its wrapper with ribbon.
Red velvet buttermilk cake with classic cream cheese frosting topped with red sprinkles. Mexican rice milk cake with classic cream cheese frosting topped with freshly ground cinnamon. $1 each
Mission Minis, San Francisco CA
These mini cupcakes are SO cute! I’ve purchased dozens of these delicious treats to serve at parties and everyone enjoys them a lot. The staff is really friendly and it’s super easy to place and pick up orders. Mission Minis has a variety of flavors to choose from and you can even request custom flavors. At $1 per cupcake, I think they are a perfect treat. Sometimes they even offer discounted deals through Groupon and other deal websites.
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2010, 2011, 2012
Vittle Monster 