Ever since a co-worker handed me a tiny cookie with a barrage of colorful sprinkles on top of it from a nearby Mexican bakery, I’ve been hooked.
That day, she told me she had picked up a bag of pastries to take home and offered me one to try. I tried it, and on the way home from work, stopped in and bought a whole bag of goodies (for less than $15) to take home.
It has now become a simple indulgence that I buy when I can (usually to finish off a work week). It has also been great for parties when I want to bring a platter of home baked goods (even if I didn’t make them myself), and they’re always a hit.
So, ever since that day, I’ve been in search of other bakeries in the Southern California area, but they’re hard to find online! I’ve since come up with this list (which in no way is meant to be comprehensive or reflective of what’s actually out there in the region), but if you too are on the prowl like me and don’t know where to start, try some of these.
Lola’s Mexican Bakery: This is a tiny store on the outskirts of downtown Riverside. They’ve got clear cabinets full of pan dulce and cookies. On the other side of the store are cakes. It’s self service, so grab a tray and tongs. On average, everything is about 50 cents or three for a dollar (which makes it hard to hold back if you’re on a diet). Try the package of mini cookies – eight to a container for $1.25. What’s also good is the sweet bread (croissant-shaped sprinkled with sugar, 3 for $1). They also sell tamales.
Where: 4026 Chicago Ave., Riverside
Tikal Bakery II: This is not a Mexican bakery. It actually is stocked with goods from Central America – Guatemala to be exact. They’ve not only got French and sweet breads, but also canned goods, including soups and sauces. Everything, of course, is from Guatemala. They also sell tamales.
Where: 3975 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside
Pepe’s Panaderia: As the name implies, they carry tons of fresh sweet bread and they’ve got the nicest service. (Sweet bread is a very soft bread sprinkled with sugar.)
Where: 3511 Madison St., Ste. K, Riverside
Moreno’s Mexican Bakery: Adjacent to the Moreno’s Restaurant is a bakery selling items such as flan ($3.95), ice cream ($3.25) and something called the “Flakey Delight” ($5.75). The restaurant is like going into someone’s kitchen. It has a homey feel serving up fresh tortillas, enchiladas, carnitas and tacos.
Where: 4328 E. Chapman Ave., Orange; Visit www.morenosrestaurant.com
Rollie’s Bakery and Mexican Cafe: A lot of people stop in here for lunch – or dinner. The food is delicious, but you can’t miss the sweet breads, cookies dipped in chocolate, cakes, crème-filled pastries and a myriad of other fattening, but totally worth it foods.
Where: 14071 Newport Ave., Tustin
La Poblana Bakery: If you are familiar with downtown Orange, La Poblana is just past the Orange circle on Chapman. They sell all kinds of baked goods, including pan dulce, a gelatin dessert in the shape of cute dogs and Mexican hot chocolate. They also sell fresh tamales for $1.75 each.
Where: 604 W. Chapman Ave., Orange
Tacos Don Chente: Ok, this isn’t a true bakery. They do sell some cookies (which are fantastic) and chocolate flan, but their claim-to-fame are the tacos – so good. They’re small, wrapped in corn tortillas. Try the chicken, or beef. They’ve also got quesadillas (and not your typical Del Taco variety either) and a great salsa bar with lots of choices. They’re a little bit more pricey, but the food is definitely worth it. On average, it’s about upwards of $10 per plate.
Where: 12505 Norwalk Blvd., Norwalk
La Mascota Bakery: Rows and rows of treats is what you’ll see when you walk it. If you’re on the hunt for pastries, you’ll feel like you’re in heaven once you’ve walked through the door. La Mascota has its own line of french-style bread, sweet bread, cakes and cookies (my favorite being the payaso, a neopolitan-flavored, triangular cookie).
Where: 2715 Whittier Blvd., Los Angeles www.lamascotabakery.com
Grand Central Market: Sensory overload is the best way to describe Grand Central. Not only is there an array of food, from Chinese to Middle Eastern, but there’s fresh produce and meat, but since the angle of this is bakeries, make your way toward the back of Grand Central. In a little corner of the market, you will find a small panaderia set up. It’s self-service and you have your choice from huge cookies sprinkled with colorful toppings or chocolate chips. Then you’ve got your variety of choices of sweet bread. It’s so fresh the bread is usually warm when you pick it up with the tongs. You can usually fill a small paper bag with pastries for under $5.
Where: 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles; M-S 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., one hour free parking with a $10 purchase; parking entrance is on Hill Street
