City Baking Co. @ Caffe Bianco

Caffe Bianco is a cafe in the Financial District in SF that I desperately want to like.

It is a bit of a fixture on Sutter Street, located in a historic building, and has been in operation since the early 1980s.  It has elegant, old school decor.  You can tell the staff have been working there forever, the owner included, who is always around the front keeping an eye on things.

But, the thing is?  They aren't very friendly.  It is not welcoming, to those who aren't their regulars.  No warm welcome.  Barely any words spoken to me, actually.  Their regulars are treated remarkably differently from the rest of us though.  The woman in line behind me was spotted by the sandwich maker while we were still in line, and she leaned over to ask her if she wanted her regular, and it was ready before she even got to the register to order in the first place.  Same thing with a guy a few people back, the barista saw him, said, "Americano for ya?", and he had an Americano in hand before I even ordered.  This is fine, I get it.

But my issues are with more with customer service when things went wrong.  I don't need a warm greeting, but, when you charge me $500 instead of $5, it shouldn't take 6, yes 6,  follow-ups to get it resolved.  And that wasn't my only mispayment issue.  They have tried to embrace technology, but ... don't know what they were doing.

The first problem was with Paypal.  They accept Paypal payment, which I used for my coffee and pastry.  My total was $5.  I was charged $500, which I saw happen before my eyes.  I told them immediately  However ... they had already submitted the payment to Paypal.  They didn't know how to undo, but said they'd get it sorted out.  Days, a week, two weeks went by without it getting reversed.  I called once during that time to explain what had happened and ask for a status update.  Nothing.  I finally went to Paypal customer service to get THEM to help.  They needed to talk to the merchant.  Still nothing.  I finally went back to the cafe, and stayed there until they called Paypal and fixed it.  It was ridiculous.  It wasn't like they just slightly overcharged me, $500 is VERY different from $5.

The next was with delivery.com.  Another time I ordered online in advance, on delivery.com, a pickup order.  I was in a rush, and had the time set for pickup so I could swing by to grab my order quickly.  It wasn't ready, and they had no record of it, even though I had my receipt from delivery.com.  delivery.com charged me.  I asked them to still fill my order, but they wanted more payment.  Sigh.

So, as cute as it is, in outward appearance, I don't think I'll be returning, even to try paying the traditional way.  It isn't worth it, when there are so many other places to visit instead.

The Setting

The building is a historic building from the early 1900s, the Chancery building.  The atmosphere is really cute, amazing really.

Curb Appeal.

From the street, Caffe Bianco looks quite regal, with lush plants in the windows, and even visible columns framing the door.  "Espresso & Fine Food", the sign welcomes.  It looks like a swanky place.

Ordering Counter.

Step inside to find a fairly classic cafe ordering setup, with baked goods on display, a sandwich/salad prep area, and espresso machine.  Bags of chips, whole fruit, and other grab and go items are available near the register where all orders are taken.

Downstairs Seating.

Seating on this level is a bit limited, but there is plenty more upstairs.  The curb appeal extends through this area, with more columns, more plants, faux marble tables, real wood chairs.

On the side is a station for sweeteners and milk for coffee.

Upstairs Seating.

Upstairs is even more seating, open and overlooking the downstairs.  Tables are bisto style.  It looks like a great place to spend time, slowly beginning your day over coffee an a newspaper.

The Food

Caffe Bianco serves breakfast all day (oatmeal, scrambled eggs, egg sandwiches), and offers up salads, sandwiches, and soups for lunch.  I however haven't investigated any of those things.  I've only opted for the baked goods, to go alongside my coffee.  They use City Baking Co. as the baked goods provider.

Many cafes around town carry products from City Baking, so I've tried a number of their offerings from time to time.  City Baking makes a large variety of baked goods, but most places only offer a very small selection, and somehow never seem to carry the goods I'm most interested in,(like Prima Cafe, which carried only the most boring varieties of muffins and scones, or Diller's, which always seemed to be out of better varieties ... if they ever have them).

I've never actually really cared for anything I've gotten from City Baking before, but also, I've never been able to pick something I really wanted at other establishments.  Cafe Bianco was the exception to this.  The spread was very impressive!  Tons of muffins, including crumb topped, or low fat, or even gluten-free.  Croissants, filled or plain, cinnamon rolls, danishes, bear claws, morning buns, etc, etc.

Finally!  I had my chance to try the items I was interested in, some of the more fun scone varieties.

City Baking Co. Apricot Scone.  $2.50.

“Filled with dried apricots and apricot preserve, this scone is then topped off with a brown sugar crumble.”

For some reason, I was really, really craving a scone.  It was funny, because Caffe Bianco had every single type of muffin that I wanted to try, but instead, I went for a scone, even when I've tried several of City Baking's scones before in the past, and didn't care for them them, like the dry, crumbly, flavorless, round berry one I got at Diller's.  Or the equally flavorless triangle shaped blueberry scone from Prima Cafe.  And Caffe Bianco had only one type available on this visit, not a flavor I'd normally pick.

The label at Caffe Bianco just said "whole wheat apricot scone", so I didn't have any indication that this would have any interesting components.  And yet I still went for it.  I really wanted a scone!

And, I'm glad I did.  This was actually quite delicious.

The top was covered in cinnamon and brown sugar, sweet and delicious, along with a scattering of oats.  It reminded me of a dessert crisp or crumble topping.  There was just the right amount of it, not as heavy of a layer as you'd get on a coffee cake, but plenty to sweeten up the entire thing.

Inside were plentiful little bits of dried apricot, cut up into a tiny size just right for adding a fun little chew here and there, but never being annoying to eat.  The layer of apricot preserves added a ton more flavor and moistness.

I'm not entirely sure what the base was, since City Baking didn't claim it to be anything special, but Caffe Bianco said it was whole wheat.  It didn't seem particularly wheat-y to me.

The scone itself wasn't quite the style I normally prefer, as it was a bit cakey.  A tiny bit more moist than I would normally go for in a scone, but still quite good.  It was a bit crumbly, but not enough to make a mess at all.  I think I'd prefer it just a tiny bit drier, with a bit more crumb.

This was nothing like any of the other scones I've had from City Baking, and I honestly can't believe that the same bakery produces these.  This one had so much flavor, from the apricot and from the topping.  It was sweet, but not too sweet.  Never a flavor I'd really think of choosing, but quite enjoyable in the end.  I'd get another, and now I am excited to try more City Baking products in the future!

The $2.50 price tag was right in line with what other cafes serve City Baking's scones for, and was fine for such a large scone.  And large it was; if you paired it with a cappuccino, you could easily split it with a friend for a nice snack.  Or, just devour it yourself, as I did.

City Baking Co Apricot Scone.  $3.75.

A few visits later, I couldn't resist getting the apricot scone again.

It looked pretty much the same, but, alas, it was quite different.

The topping was the same, a nice sprinkle of brown sugar and oats, not too heavy, adding a slight sweetness and fun texture.

The scone itself was nicely cooked, not too dry, not a single burnt edge to be found.  It had a great tang to it, plus a heartiness from the whole wheat.

This was all good.  As were the little bits of apricot inside the base, adding a pleasant chew and sweetness.  But, alas, there were no preserves in this scone!  I wonder if someone just forgot to fill it?  Literally, no preserves.  They had added so much before!

Overall, it was fine, although a bit boring.  If I had never known it was supposed to have the preserves, I probably would have just thought it was a healthy, not quite sweet or interesting enough scone.  But I knew better.  It was supposed to have preserves!

Sadness.

Also, Caffe Bianco increased their prices.  When I got the scone the first time, it was $2.50, a reasonable price.  This time, it was $3.75, a significant increase, and, I don't think City Baking products are remarkable enough to justify this price.

City Baking Co. Raspberry Almond Scone.  $2.50.

"Almonds and a sweet crumb topping give this raspberry-filled muffin the perfect finishing touch."

On my next visit, I had a very hard time resisting getting the apricot scone again.  It had been such a success, particularly compared to any of the other City Baking offerings.  But, I really love trying new things.  My other scone options were strawberry, or raspberry almond.  The strawberry scones looked exactly like the blueberry one I'd had at Prima Cafe, that is, very plain, with a few berries inside.  The raspberry at least had almonds on top, and, I recalled that I thought one thing missing from the blueberry scone was a topping.

The scone was again large, same somewhat cakey-style as the others, triangle shaped.  It had a decent crumble to it.  The base flavor was again very boring, I really wish they'd give it a tang of some sort.  Inside was raspberries, a bit seedy for my liking.  I like having jam with my scones, and the berries inside almost provided a similar experience as eating a scone with jam, but, there wasn't quite enough berries to go around.

The topping was the part I was most interested in, as the City Baking website says that "almonds and a sweet crumb topping give this ... the perfect finishing touch".  Precisely what I thought was lacking from the other City Baking berry scones.  The slivered almonds did give a good crunch, and there was a tiny bit of sweet topping, but I certainly wouldn't call it a "sweet crumb topping".  Still, better than nothing.

Overall, this scone was fine. It wasn't remarkable, and there isn't really a reason to get it again, unless I was really craving a scone and had no other options.  It would of course be much better if served warm, with jam, and obviously some clotted cream.

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City Baking Co @ Martha & Bros Coffee Company

Martha & Bros is a small chain of coffee shops in San Francisco, with two locations in Noe Valley, one in Bernal Heights, and one in Inner Sunset.  Martha & Bros is not just a cookie cutter coffee shop however, it a legit coffee house, not just a cafe.  They roast their own coffee, daily.  The owners grew up on a coffee plantation in Nicaragua (and yes, it was started by Martha and her brothers).

They must be successful, since the two Noe Valley locations are only a few blocks apart, and the line was constant the whole time I was there.  The location I visited is the second Noe location, opened in 1993, the original has been there since 1987.

The coffee and baked goods were fine, but as they have no locations in areas I frequent, I doubt it will find a way on my rotation.

Setting

The location I visited was medium-sized, with seating inside and outside, a handful of tables on the sidewalk.  More people took things to go than stay, but, it was full of people at all times.

So many baked goods.

The ordering area had extensive baked goods displays.

Here you can see cookies, bars, quickbreads, muffins, danishes, coffee cakes, and more.

More Baked Goods.

Croissants of all varieties, so many flavors of muffins, tea cakes and loaves ...

Sandwiches, pizza, cakes, teas.

The cooler case had pre-made sandwiches, burritos, slices of pizza, and cup cakes.

Drinks

The drink lineup is what you'd expect: coffee, espresso drinks, hot and cold, with some choices on milk, syrups, etc.  Tea is from Mightly Leaf.  Bottled beverages are also available.

Decaf Iced Coffee, Medium, $2.50.

It was a nice warm day, so I opted for an iced coffee.  It was fine, unremarkable.  The only notable fact is that they actually had brewed iced decaf.  Most places only have regular iced coffee, and make an iced americano for decaf.

Condiment Station.

The condiment station is well stocked, with multiple types of milk, assorted sugars (in packets or loose), along with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cocoa.  There were multiple shakers of each kind of topping, and multiple containers of each milk.  It is clear that they are used to having a heavy flow of traffic, and need to serve many people at once.  I appreciated the good spread of condiments, although there was no soy milk available.

Baked Goods

Like many coffee shops around town, Martha & Bros sources their pastries from City Baking Co, and their cookies and bars from Ultimate Cookie, both of which I've reviewed when I've found them at other cafes in town, and both of which can be a bit hit or miss.

They offer up a huge lineup of scones, muffins, quick breads, danishes, croissants, cookies, bars, coffee cakes, and more.  Seriously, an insane lineup.

They also serve sandwiches, salads, pizza, bagels, and more, but, I had eyes only for the baked goods.

City Baking Co: Maple Scone. $2.25.

"Dark maple icing compliments the rich maple flavors and crunchy walnuts that make up this flavorful scone."

I was totally overwhelmed by choice, even once I decided I wanted a scone.  I've seen City Baking products at many cafes all over town, but no where has ever had this many to choose from!  I was able to easily eliminate a few, like the blueberry scone that I tried at Prima Cafe, and the mixed berry scone that I tried at Diller's.  I almost went for the apricot scone again, since I loved it at Caffe Bianco, but, I decided to take advantage of the fact that they had many varieties available that I hadn't yet encountered.

The pumpkin scone caught my eye, loaded up with cinnamon sugar topping.  But there was one that kept beckoning to me: the maple scone.  For one and only one reason: maple icing.

I'm amused that City Baking offers both round and triangle shaped scones.  As far as I can tell, there is no reason why they pick one shape or another for a particular scone.  The maple scone was round.

The scone itself wasn't very crumbly, these are more cake style than crumble style.  No tang to the base flavor, but it did have some chunks of walnuts inside that I appreciated.  Overall though, the base didn't have that interesting of a flavor, just a bit sweet.  The icing was maple-y and sweet, and saved the scone, as I hoped, but in general, this just wasn't my style of scone.  I like more of a crumbly nature, and I like some tang in the base.  And, usually, I like a scone that pairs with clotted cream and jam, although those obviously wouldn't go with the maple.  Since I was having a scone plain, I opted for one that I hoped would stand alone.

This was better than the blueberry or mixed berry scones I've had from City Baking, but I am unlikely to get another.  I think that in general, I'm just not into their cakey style.  $2.25 price was standard for City Baking products offered at coffee shops.

City Baking Co (?): Almond Croissant.  $2.25.

"Sliced almonds sprinkled over our croissants and house made almond filling make these the perfect treat for any occasion."

I've been really craving a delicious croissant, since the phenominal ones I had from Espresso Roma.  I went to Martha & Bros intending to get a scone, but, once I saw almond croissants, I changed my mind.

Bad move.  The croissant wasn't good.  It wasn't just not as good as the Espresso Roma one, it just wasn't good.

It was dried out, stale tasting.  It wasn't crispy on the outside, it wasn't moist inside, it wasn't flaky.  It was just dry and almost spongy.  Inside was a little bit of almond paste, not enough to add any moisture, and not really with any flavor.  The only part I liked was the sliced almonds on top.  I certainly will not get another croissant there.

I think this came from City Baking, since all of their scones and muffins are sourced from there, but it doesn't match the photo on City Baking's website, so I'm not 100% certain.  $2.25 price was pretty standard.

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Baked Goods from Prima Cafe

You may remember my review of Prima Cafe a long time ago.  They serve my absolute favorite frozen yogurt in the city.

But, they are also open for breakfast and lunch, and have a good looking baked goods selection in the morning.  You know I love breakfast baked goods, but Prima was originally only open Monday through Friday, so I never had the chance to try them.  Until now, as they recently added Saturdays hours too!

Prima Cafe sources their baked goods from City Baking Co, so I quickly looked up the offerings online.  I've sorta been on a scone and muffin kick, so I was excited to try them out, since I know many cafes use City Baking Co, and some of their products sound quiet tasty.

Blueberry Scone.  $2.25.

City Baking Co makes a large variety of scones, including glazed options, like a maple walnut scone with maple icing or an iced lemon curd scone.  Or, equally delicious sounding, but slightly less decadent, scones with other toppings, like a brown sugar crumble topped apricot scone or an almond and sweet crumb topped raspberry scone.  Mmm!  They also have a host of standard fruit scones (strawberry, ollalieberry, currant, pumpkin, etc), and low-fat versions as well.

I was of course excited for one of the topped ones, but Prima Cafe only carries two varieties: cranberry or blueberry.  Both standard scones, no topping, not fun.  But perhaps more breakfast appropriate.

Since I never like dried cranberries, I went for the blueberry.

It was an incredibly boring scone.  It wasn't bad, but there was just nothing to it.  Slightly dry, but not too bad.  The blueberries were all in a layer in the middle, tiny Maine blueberries, and really just had no flavor, and didn't add much moisture.  The base had no flavor.  I would have loved some buttermilk tang or something.  The top was equally boring, it could have used a sugar topping, or something.

This was a large scone, a good price for $2.25, and clearly fresh, but just really boring.  Would not get again.

Carrot Muffin.  $1.95.

Since I didn't care for the scone, on my next visit, I went for a muffin.  Just like the scones, City Baking Co makes a slew of muffins that sound fantastic.  Mixed berry with a brown sugar topping!  Raspberry and almond filled with a crumb topping!  But alas, Prima Cafe also did not carry any of those.  They really seemed to be picking only the healthier options.

I settled on the carrot muffin, having fond memories of my mom's carrot cake.  Rookie mistake: bad idea to order something when I wanted it to be something else.

Described as: "Made with freshly grated carrots, pineapple, and coconut this flavor packed muffin is sure to give your morning a “kick-start”."

It wasn't a very good muffin.  It wasn't dry, but it also wasn't moist.  Just a very consistent, boring doneness.  It was loaded with plump sweet raisins, and a few tiny bits of pineapple.  The whole thing seemed very oily.  It wasn't very spiced.

This really seemed like it should be better than it was.  Maybe I just wanted it to be my mom's amazing carrot cake.  I dunno.  I would not get again, but the price was right for a large muffin.

Almond Croissant.  $2.50.

On my final visit, I decided to give them one more chance, and tried the final baked goods category: croissants.  I went for the most decadent looking, the almond croissant.

It was a classic croissant, stuffed with almond paste, topped with sliced almonds, and covered in powdered sugar.

It seemed like it might have been baked without the filling, and then had it added in later, as the croissant was physically sliced in half.  That didn't quite make sense to me.  Maybe Prima sliced them?  I'm really not sure.  Anyway.  It was also a monster.  We have little almond bear claws at my office that I have at breakfast sometimes, and I think I could have fit ... 6 of them in this thing.  HUGE.

The croissant itself was good enough, a bit moist, a bit flaky, a bit crispy.  Not remarkable, but better than most generic croissants.

There was TONS of filling.  It originally looked like way too much to me, but I liked the filling so much that I didn't mind.  Almond paste, sweetened.  But wow, there was a lot of it.

The slivered almonds on top provided some crunch, and powdered sugar sweetened it further, and made it that much more messy to eat.

Overall, not amazing, and I certainly wouldn't go out of my way for it, but it was good enough, and quite satisfying.  I'd get another if I wanted a sweet treat that I was pretending to be acceptable for breakfast.  It went very well with my black coffee.  And $2.50 is a fine price for such a beast!

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Baked Goods (and coffee) From Diller's

Diller's is a deli located in the Financial District, catering to the business crowd, open for breakfast and lunch weekdays only.  Since I usually eat those meals at my office, I don't often have occasion to venture out, but sometimes, I just want something different.  I've had my eye on their apple fritters for literally years (more on that below).

I also like to try out new technology.  Lately, I've been really into paying with the Paypal app on my phone.  It seems like the least clumsy of all the payment systems I've tried, no handing over your phone, no awkward scanning of QR codes.  You just check in on your phone, and tell them your name.  Very easy.

Anyway, Diller's wins the award for using just about every single food delivery and payment system available in San Francisco.  You can order online on Seamless or Orderhead.  Back when it was running, you could use GoPago to order from your phone.  And to pay, you can use LevelUp, Paypal, or LeapSet.  I think there are more.  The front door is covered in stickers for all these services.  I was amused, but also, I applaud them for embracing technology and giving their customers options!

On my first visit, I went for a breakfast pastry, but I also decided to get coffee since it was cold out, and figured I'd appreciate something warm for my walk back to the office.  They had a selection of brewed coffees, perhaps 6 total, one decaf, a few flavored, all self-serve.  I predominantly drink decaf these days, but I couldn't resist making up a mix of 1/2 decaf, 1/4 hazelnut, 1/4 french vanilla.   I haven't been somewhere with multiple coffees and self-serve in years, I'm pretty sure the last time was at a gas station.  I kinda liked this freedom.  The coffee wasn't bad, particularly for not freshly brewed, cup-at-a-time coffee.  I really enjoyed my creation.

I was very impressed with the coffee add-ins station.  There was standard half and half and skim milk, but also soy milk.  And flavored Coffee Mate.  And powdered creamer.  Something for everyone!  And an assortment of sweeteners.  And cinnamon.  And nutmeg.  And cocoa powder.  So many ways to jazz up your coffee!

Service was friendly and efficient on all of my visits, never any lines.

The overall space was great for grabbing a quick bite, featuring a long counter with single stools along the window, perfect for a solo diner, with great sunlight and people-watching.  There were also regular tables in the back.

I only went for baked goods, so I can't say anything about the actual deli, but they also make breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, and have a salad bar.  And an insanely impressive selection of chips and bottled drinks.  Seriously, any brand of chips you ever possibly want, you can find here.

I love the feel of Diller's, as it seems so down-to-earth.  The other patrons all seem like "real people".  It  can be really refreshing sometimes to step away from the world I normally live in, and just blend in.  I plan to return.

Mixed Berry Scone.  $2.50.

I've actually stopped in Diller's before, when I used GoPago to get a donut months ago.  It was a Rolling Pin donut, which I'd heard good things about, but I didn't really like it.  On this visit, I still wanted a baked good for breakfast, but not another donut.  I was hoping for a fritter, but alas, I arrived too late.  The other items didn't call out to me, so instead, I went for a scone.

Now that I'm looking at the options, I think their non-donut baked goods (muffins, danishes, scones, quickbreads, cookies, bars, brownies, etc) come from City Baking Co, but I'm just guessing.  City Baking Co makes scones in both round and triangle shapes.  I had a triangle one before from Prima Cafe, and I really didn't care for that scone.  If I'd known the Diller's ones were from the same bakery, I probably would have gone for something else.  The more you know.

I also find scones to be problematic.  I tend to feel that they have about a 30 second shelf life.  A warm scone, fresh out of the oven, slathered with clotted cream and jam can be quite delicious.  But most often scones are just dry and boring.  Sometimes they can be slightly redeemed by having a great buttermilk tang.  Or a delicious glaze.  But generally ... not my baked good of choice.  I'm not sure why I selected one on this visit, given that I tend to feel this way towards scones.

But alas, I got the scone.  For some reason it looked good, bursting with berries.  I inquired as to what kind it was, and was told "mixed berry".  I'm not certain what type of berries there were, I think raspberries at least.  

The scone was not very good.  Dry, crumbly.  It looked like it would be moist from the berries, but it wasn't.  The base had no flavor, no tang, just plain.  Plain, plain, plain.  And the berries?  Not many at all.

I brought it home, warmed it up, and slathered it with my mother's jam, which slightly saved it, but only slightly.  I won't be getting another.  Price was standard for a fresh baked scone.

Apple Fritter $2.25. Medium Self-Serve Coffee $2.00.

On another visit, I finally lucked out.  They actually had an apple fritter remaining!  I've literally been trying to get one from Diller's for almost two years.  Sure I don't go every day and check, but I've never make it there early enough, and they always seem to sell out of the fritters first.  On this visit, I got the last one.

The fritter was huge.  Massive.  I wish I put something into the photo for reference so you could see how large it was.  The size of ... 4 regular donuts?  I don't know.  This should be illegal.  Or come with a sugar and fat warning label.  Or maybe not, because then I'm pretty certain they wouldn't sell out :)

Luckily for me, it turns out, my crazy quest to get a Diller's apple fritter wasn't all in vain.  It was quite delicious.  Once I recovered from the fact that I was about to eat a ridiculously unhealthy monstrosity, I just dug in, and took it all in stride.

The outside was crispy, coated in a sweet glaze.  The coating was very thick, but that helped make it incredibly crispy on the exterior.  So sweet.  Sugar bomb.

The dough was clearly fried.  It did taste like fried dough, but it wasn't horribly oily like the apple fritter from Henry's.  It was moist in the interior pockets, spiced with cinnamon swirls, and studded with little chunks of apple.  I was a bit disappointed by the small amount of apple, it certainly could have used more.

But overall, it was exactly what an apple fritter should be.  Sweet, crispy, fried, decadent.  Totally not a "breakfast", but we'll pretend.  I only managed to eat 70% of it in my initial sitting (which, I attest is still far more than any human SHOULD actually eat at once), so I brought the rest back to my office for a mid-afternoon treat.  It held up fine for the few hours I managed to ignore it.

$2.25 for such a ridiculous beast of a pastry was a great price, although, I really would prefer if it were smaller.

I also got another coffee, since how do you eat a donut without coffee alongside?  As on my previous visit, I was impressed with the slew of creamers, sweeteners, and spices available to jazz up my coffee.  The coffee was pre-brewed, self serve, but was hot and fresh, even the decaf.  I again enjoyed my coffee, although I made it a bit too sweet, particularly when pairing with my crazy dessert totally-breakfast-appropriate baked good.  I'd happily drink another.

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Mia's Brooklyn Bakery

Update Review, December 2024

Short visit to New York, and one of my priorities was clear.  I needed another lobster tail from Mia's Bakery.  I still consider the one I had several years ago to be one of the best pastries I've ever had.  And ... they now have a location in Manhattan!  w00t.  With easy access to the lobster tails (via DoorDash) this was a no brainer.

Delivery Bag.

I was already excited to get my Mia's goodies, but seeing the hand drawn happy little man on the bag made me smile and genuinely feel extra-valued as a customer.

Americano. Decaf. $4.

I ordered coffee, for delivery, my first time ever really.  I had low expectations for how it would fare, particularly in a city, where the deliveries are all done by bike.  

I was quite impressed when I opened the large bag to find the americano entirely intact.  It was wrapped in two layers of plastic wrap (one under the lid, one over it), and in an box insert. It literally did not spill at all.  Wild, I guess they figured out hot beverage delivery in NY.

As for the americano, the decaf had no funk to it, but was a bit weak flavor-wise.  No complexity, but also seemed kinda watered down.  ***.

Pistachio? Lobster Tail. $8.

I was pretty thrilled to pull out my lobster tail.  I could tell as I picked up the little paper bag that it was just as hefty as I remembered.  The shape of it was actually quite different this time - much thinner, and more horn shaped, previously it had a very wide base and more triangular shape.  But it still looked quite inviting, with crispy layers, and powdered sugar coating.  I wondered if the different shape was just for the pistachio version.

I couldn't wait to get into it.

Lobster Tail: Inside.

"Flaky pastry shell filled with creamy ricotta cheese and dusted with powdered sugar."

Alas, as I cut it in half, I was met with some disappointment.  The pastry shattered beautifully, but ... it sure looked like regular pastry cream filling.  I expected it to perhaps be green, or at least tinted, or have some pistachio bits?  One taste and I knew that I sadly not received the pistachio version.  The filling was definitely just regular pastry cream.  I was disappointed, as I really did want the pistachio one ($0.50 more!).  That said, it really was a great item, just one I had already tried before.

The exterior, insanely crispy, insanely messy, awesomeness.  Really just a unique style, far crispier than any other laminated pastries, with the choux-like layer underneath the shell.  The powdered sugar gave it just the right touch of sweetness.  It was as fresh as can be really.

And inside, the cream filling.  It was loaded full of cream, all the way through.  Very thick, very rich, akin to creme brûlée really.  Their menu says it is ricotta cheese filling, like a cannoli, but it really wasn't.  This is more like Bavarian cream.  Or diplomat maybe?  I don't know my baking creams all that well.  Perhaps just standard crème pâtissière.  Anyway, thick, rich, great consistency, lovely vanilla flavor, not too sweet.  Very good filling, just sadly not the one I ordered.

Overall, this is a fabulous item, but a bit more plain that I was seeking out.  ****+.  (Side note: it made me kinda want a version with a chocolate component, either chocolate chips within or chocolate shell perhaps, sorta like a Boston cream lobster tail ...). 

Update Review, September 2024

My last day in the NY office, and I stumbled upon some extra cake.  Sadly, not my precious Empire Cakes (this was actually my first visit ever to that office where I didn't encounter extra Empire Cakes cake or cupcakes), but I was still happy to try another treat from Mia's.  While the one cupcake I had from them before (and the cake pop) were not that great, I still drool thinking about their lobster tail, which, to this day, is one of the best pastries I've ever had.

I'm glad I went running when I saw the chat about extra cake, as it proved to be another Mia's winner.

Oreo Cake (Custom Design). 10". $85.

"For All Of Us Who Want To Be 12 Forever… Chocolate Cake, Our Oreo Mousse, topped with Fresh whipped cream and Oreos."

This cake was for a co-worker's birthday, and his teammates had the photo of his own cake on the cake.  I didn't see it in its full form, but this is something Mia's does regularly.  The cake was three layers of chocolate cake, with Oreo mousse (studded with Oreos) in between the layers, and a whipped cream style frosting on top.  

It was a very good cake.  The cake was a very open sponge, quite moist, strong chocolate flavor.  The style of cake I really do like.  **** chocolate cake.

The Oreo mousse was sweet, fluffy, and tasted quite a bit like Oreos, as it had Oreos within (that were nicely soft).  The frosting on top was equally sweet, but lacked the actual Oreos.  Neither were cloying sweet, but, definitely sweet.  They made it have very strong Oreo vibes, which isn't what I normally opt for, but, this was very good. **** mousse.

So overall, yes, a very good cake, and wonderful if you like cookies and cream / Oreo flavors.  **** overall, and it made me want to try their other cakes.  It was considerably better than the cupcake I had a year prior from Mia's.

I think this was the 10" for $85, slices are also available for $9.25. 

Original Review, August 2023

When I recently spent time in New York City, I was determined to eat some excellent things, which, if you've ever been, you know it is quite easy to do there.  But on my list of tasty things was, as always, wonderful dessert and baked goods.  I had an overwhelming number of options, for every style of dessert I was craving.  As I narrowed in my research to bakeries, and in particular, to ones in Brooklyn where I was staying, two names kept coming up over and over: Martha's Country Bakery, and Mia's Brooklyn Bakery.  I made an agonizing decision to pick Mia's for my first venture into the NY bakery scene.  

I don't know much about the bakery, nor its history.  They have only two locations, the one in Brooklyn that they are named for, and an offshoot near Times Square.  The menu is seriously extensive, and I tried to hit most categories in my single order: pastry, pie, cake.  Sadly, I skipped the puddings, cheesecakes, danishes/muffins/croissants, tarts, cookies and bars.  Next time.  (And yes, there will be a next time, because this place was fabulous).

I did not visit in person myself, opting rather to get my goodies delivered.  Since it was delivery, I wanted to "make it worth it", and thus, ordered far too many things than was reasonable, but, I was not upset with this move.  Everything arrived well packaged, although the delivery took quite a while, more than 1.5 excruciating hours!  

Pastries

Mia's carries two styles of pastries, breakfast pastries such as muffins, danishes, and croissants, and more dessert style pastries, which is where I focused.

Pastry Lineup.

The pastry section of the menu includes items that I do traditionally think of as pastries, but also a bunch of custards such as panna cotta, flan, creme brulee, plus bread or banana pudding, and bars and brownies.  I was of course very tempted by all the puddings and custards, given that I have label dedicated to them on my blog, but, I had just had panna cotta the week before from Cellermaker, and had been eating incredible mousse and pudding and trifle every day at my office (they specialize in homemade puddings of all kinds!), so, I managed to look past those items.

Assorted Classics

Mia's further breaks the pastry menu down into a group of "assorted classics" that contains, well, some Italian classics such as cannoli (in two sizes, both regular or chocolate covered), lobster tails (with regular or Nutella filling), orange pie, and ... baklava.  Well, as they say, "assorted" classics.

I originally planned to get a napoleon from Mia's, one of their signature items, but couldn't stop thinking about the epic lobster tail I had seen mentioned.  Both involve flaky pastry and thick custard filling, so I didn't want both, and at last minute, I switched to the lobster tail, because it just seemed more fun to eat.

This was an excellent decision.

Lobster Tail.

Ok, wow.  Wow, wow, wow.

This lobster tail was, in a word, incredible.  First, of course, it was MASSIVE.  It may be hard to tell from the photo, but, this could feed 4 people and not leave any of them unsatisfied.  It was a monster.  A delicious monster.

The pastry was insanely crispy.  Flaky.  Delicious.  Hard to describe if you haven't had a pastry like this before, as it isn't softer/eggier choux like a creme puff or eclair, but also isn't quite like a croissant either.  It is essentially a layered laminated dough (like a croissant) with a thin core of choux, if that makes sense.  The pastry was incredible, and the powdered sugar dusting completed the deal.  ***** pastry.

Lobster Tail: Inside.

And then we get to the filling.  The filling is why, besides the sheer size, that the lobster tail weighs a ton.  It was filled, to the brim, with diplomat cream.  Here you can see the cross-section of the tiny tail end.  Stuffed.  

And the cream?  Also phenomenal.  Thick.  Rich.  Vanilla bean flavored.  Essentially, think of the best creme brulee custard you've ever had, and that is what this is.  I think it easily fit 3 full size creme brulees inside of it, just, sans torching of course.  *****, perfect cream too.

Add all that together, and you get a truly stunning dessert.  Crispy, flaky, creamy, light, rich, everything, all in one.  If I could make it just a touch different, I might drizzle it with chocolate just because I was in the mood for chocolate, but, it was absolutely stunning as it was.  Perfection.

But do note that it is 1) huge and 2) has very little shelf life, as the cream filling needs refrigeration and that would ruin the flaky pastry, so, go very hungry, or prepared to share (although I promise you won't want to).

Perfect *****, one of the best pastries I've ever had.

Pies

Whole pies (8" or 10") are available in a variety of flavors for $30-40, and most are also available in slices.  Options include your fruity standards: apple, blueberry, cherry, or triple berry (all available crumb topped or double crust), all 8", or, custard pies: key lime, pumpkin, coconut custard, or pecan, all 10".

Pie Menu. $8.25/slice.

The by the slice lineup also included a few more: banana or chocolate cream, and did not offer any of the crumb topped, only the double crust.  All slices are $8.25/slice.

I selected two slices for my order, but truly would have been happy with any.

When my order arrived, I learned that "slice" here means ... 1/4 of a pie!  Really.  These are massive slices, 2 servings according to my family's already large slice definition, and easily could be 3.  Essentially, a 10" pie is usually a round 8-10 slices, and they clearly were making it just 4.

Blueberry.

Since it was summer, a fruity pie seemed appropriate.  I first selected cherry, then at last minute swapped to blueberry, although I had a moment of remorse that I hadn't picked the triple berry.  Really, all the fruity options sounded good to me.  Although I like crumb tops, I like great pie crust even more, so was glad the by-the-slice options were all double crust.

The pie looked like a high quality homemade pie.  I was drawn in by the pearl sugar on top, and actually appreciated the fact that the back crust was slightly dark, as it made it look not mass produced.

The crust was fine.  A bit better than your average grocery store crust, but it wasn't particularly flaky, buttery, or special.  So, average for a bakery, something a home baker would be happy enough with.  *** crust.

The filling had a lot going right for it.  First, it was very generously filled.  Bursting with blueberries.  Big juicy berries.  Just the right amount of goo.  Not too sweet or cloying.  Really, excellent filling, in most ways.  But ... it had a spicing I didn't quite care for, it seemed perhaps citrus, orange maybe?  Just a touch too strong, and not a flavor I was anticipating.   So, again, just not quite my style, making this a **+ for me for the filling.

Overall, **+, not one I'd get again.

Pecan.

Next, I had a slice of one of my favorite classic pies: pecan.  Pecan is always the pie I request when my mom makes pies for the holidays.  This order was also a strategic move on my part, because I knew it would keep a few days, and freeze beautifully, and, given how much I was ordering, I wouldn't get to it right away.  

But of course I did try it right away, because, how could I not?  It was a very nice pecan pie.  You can see how loaded up with whole pecan halves it is, no skimping here.  The pecans were lightly glazed on top.  All perched on top of a sweet custard filling, not too sweet, just the right level of sweet you want from a pecan pie.  Which is sweet, don't get me wrong, but just not cloying as some generic pecan pies can be.

The crust was similar to the blueberry pie, fairly average for a bakery, not particularly buttery nor flaky, but not stale or too processed tasting.

Overall, a high quality pie, clearly well made, and full of premium ingredients.  **** overall, and would get another half star if the crust was better.

Cakes, Cupcakes, Cake Pops

Cakes, and related items, make up a big portion of the menu.  Massive layer cakes in a slew of flavors, from the classics like chocolate fudge, vanilla, black forest, German chocolate, Brooklyn blackout, red velvet, strawberry shortcake, carrot, etc, to more unique offerings like Oreo, Nutella, or burnt almond.  And then there are all the assorted cheesecakes, cupcakes, and cake pops.  And napoleon cakes.  So many choices.

I nearly went for a slice of the burnt almond cake, as it certainly seemed unique, or the well regarded napoleon cake (available regular or with berries inside), but decided in the end on one cupcake, and one cake pop, so I could try two things for the price of one larger slice. 

Cupcakes

The cupcake lineup doesn't mirror the full size cake lineup.

Cupcake Menu.

Instead, it has more basics (vanilla and chocolate, with vanilla and chocolate frosting, in all varieties) and filled cupcakes of all kinds like Boston Cream, or even a creme brulee filled and topped one.  There are a few vegan offerings as well.

Cupcakes range from $4.50 - $5.25 each, depending on the variety.

I ordered the cookie dough cupcake, with cookie dough filling inside, and a mini homemade chocolate chip cookie on top, but, alas, they were sold out.

Vanilla Vanilla Cupcake. $4.50.

"Vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting."

And thus, I got the simple vanilla-vanilla.

It looked fairly average.  Average size, not particularly large.  Average amount of frosting.  Slight decoration from a couple little white pearls.  

It wasn't my style of cupcake.  The cake itself was a very light sponge, almost akin to an angel food cake.  Which just isn't the type of cake I prefer.  I like it denser, sweeter, American style butter cake.  The frosting was nicely sweet, fluffy, but just plain vanilla, so not all that interesting.

Sadly for me, this was a meh, just due to preference in cake style really.  Those who like a lighter, less sweet cupcake would probably enjoy.  **+.  For me, Empire Cakes still makes my favorite cupcakes in New York (update review coming soon!).

Cake Pops ($3.75)

Cake pops are available in 4 flavors: chocolate, red velvet, salted caramel, or Oreo.

When I ordered, they had only the salted caramel and Oreo available, so I went with the Oreo, even though I really do not like Oreos and dislike "cookies and cream" style things.  I was really craving chocolate.

Oreo Cake Pop.

Luckily for me, there was very little Oreo about this.  If you asked me what kind it was, I would have told you it was a dark chocolate cake with white chocolate shell.  Definitely a darker style cake than standard chocolate cake, more like a Brooklyn blackout cake.  And definitely a sweet shell, but, really tasted like just standard sweet white chocolate, not particularly Oreo creme like.  Which was fine with me.

The pop was bigger than most cake pops I've had, more than a few bites, but still smaller than a cupcake.

Oreo Cake Pop: Inside.

Here you can see the inside.  Like I said, deep dark chocolate.  Nice cocoa flavor, very moist, presumably there is some buttercream mixed in here as is customary with cake pops.  Sweet and chocolately, and exactly what I was craving.

The shell was a nice thickness, good snap to it, classic sweet white chocolate flavor.

Overall, nothing earth shattering here, but, a good, slightly large, cake pop.  ***+.

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