Bakery Crawl 2014

If you're just meeting me for the first time through this blog, there's something you MUST know.  I live to eat, not eat to live.  Food to me is comfort, a way to be social, something to be shared...so today I'm sharing.

Today was the Third Annual Pittsburgh Bakery Crawl.  Why?  This tradition was born out of pregnancy, literally.  Back in 2011, I was pregnant with twins.  I was a pretty miserable human and food, though I love it very much, was my enemy.  I had two growing baby boys who were taking up the majority of my body's core.  They left very little room for food.  I would eat and be sick.  It was awful.  I missed going to buffets, pigging out on snack foods, and eating anything more than would fit in a monkey bowl.  This brought about the idea of a bakery crawl to my friend Deanna and me.  I could go and visit different pastry establishments, be social, choose small items, eat what I could, and take home anything I couldn't.  It was perfect and a tradition was born!

The first bakery crawl was small.  I don't remember how many places we visited, but there are two bakeries that we continue to visit because of that first crawl. 

 I highly recommend La Gourmandine.  It's located at 4605 Butler Street, Lawrenceville, www.lagourmandine.com.  It's in an adorable, trendy neighborhood.  The owners are from France and make some of the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth creations.  The Tartelette aux Framboises and Tartelette aux Fruit are incredibly refreshing.  I can't even begin to explain how delicious these are.  Another of our favorites is the Croissant.  If you're a cream puff lover, this has got to be a stop for you.  It's a handful of light flaky pastry, cool, creamy delicious cream, and lots and lots of love.  There's no way something could taste that good without it being filled with love.

Our second non-negotiable stop is The Oakmont Bakery, 531 Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont, www.oakmontbakery.com.  When you open the door, you will feel like you've gone to bakery heaven.  Cases upon cases filled top to bottom with ANYTHING your heart desires, gourmet cupcakes, cookies, bagels, doughnuts, chocolate covered fruits...anything!  The Oakmont Bakery is not the type of place you stop JUST once.  It would be impossible to walk out the door and think you've seen it all, tasted it all, experienced it all.  Yes, you will have your favorites or your go to treats, but you will be drawn to something new with each trip.

With that being said, Deanna and I changed our strategy for this crawl.  We decided to compile a list of as many bakeries as we could gather.  We Googled, took suggestions through Facebook, "asked around", and did a White Pages search to make our list.  We ended up with no less than three pages of bakery listings.  From that list, we chose places that were recommended repeatedly as priority and then started moving outward from them.  We started in Monroeville (Moio's doesn't open until 9:00 a.m., so they missed us), moved to McKeesport, then to Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Oakmont.  We learned a lot about different neighborhoods and their diversity.  We learned that not all bakery listings are quite as they seem and we learned that accents can be good and bad.

Another part of our strategy was to inquire about signature items.  Bakery crawling can become VERY expensive if you aren't careful.  EVERYTHING looks good and we want to take it ALL with us.  By asking about signature items, we limited ourselves and engaged the person behind the counter in conversation about the item, the premise of the store, etc.  This proved to be very educational.  

Our first stop was Minerva Bakery, 927 5th Ave, McKeesport, PA 15132, www.minervabakery.com This bakery stop was recommended by Rick Sebak from WQED.  Minerva Bakery was established in 1923. This little bakery brought back lots of great memories for me. When I entered it, I was taken back to a place from my childhood. I grew up in Leechburg, PA. When I was growing up, my mom would send me to Dixon's Bakery. There are three things I remember distinctly about Dixon's; the wonderful smell, the string dispenser hanging from the ceiling to seal bakery boxes, and their Bismark doughnuts. All three of these things I found inside this sweet, old business. Behind the counter were three of the nicest, most welcoming ladies. They treated us like new friends.  Their signature items are the almond torte and cinnamon raisin bread. Both were delicious. We also sampled their warm, fresh out of the oven cinnamon scone. Another huge score! It's obvious why this business has stood the test of time. This is a must try if you're in the area of UPMC McKeesport. 

Our second stop was by complete accident. While looking for an address we happened upon
Gaby et Jules Patisseries et Macarons, 5837 Forbes Avenue, Squirrel Hill, www.gabyetjules.com
Gaby et Jules is colorful both in decor and in pastry display, as well as service. All of the beautiful selections are displayed on cold marble stones. There were endless macaron choices and these weren't just ANY macarons. The French gentleman, dressed in shirt and tie, who waited on us was extremely helpful and I could have listened to him speak all day. 

 Most folks are familiar with chocolate and almond macarons. Gaby et Jules had countless creative choices, such as white chocolate basil. We chose classic flavors; lemon, raspberry, and almond. We also sampled passionfruit/chocolate. The brightly colored treats were delicate and just right in every way.  If you're looking for a little treat and fabulous service, stop by and give Gaby et Jules a whirl.

Stop three was a game changer for us.
Gluuteny, 1923 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill, www.gluuteny.com
Gluuteny is a wheat-free and dairy-free bakery. They also have vegan options.  There are probably a lot of people who share my former attitude about gluten-free baked goods.  I always thought that they didn't taste as good as "regular" baked goods.  As soon as we entered the bakery, we were drawn to the small bar that contained cookies, brownies, muffins, tarts, and cupcakes.  Everything was brightly colored and filled with fresh fruits.  The store manager educated us by explaining how their products are different than other bakeries and how that can be beneficial.  One example was a delicious berry muffin that Deanna and I split.  We were both skeptical when she handed us the plate.  We each took a small bite.  Yes, the texture was different, but the flavor was spot on.  She explained that most of the products are made with rice flour.  This particular muffin is made from a grain that is grown in Ethiopia.  It contains more protein and fiber than other grains, which is beneficial to folks with Celiac disease, because they have difficulty getting the fiber they  need.  I would strongly recommend this to my Celiac friends, my vegan friends, and my bakery snob friends.  Your mind will be changed about gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan baking.

If you love breads, this is your place!

Allegro Hearth Bakery, 2034 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill, www.allegrohearth.com

Do you need crustry bread, sandwich bread, dipping bread, snacking bread?  Allegro has it all.  They can slice it thick or thin.  We sampled Kalamata olive bread.  It was yummy!  It would have been great paired with a dipping oil.  The Tuscan bread was beautiful.  Almost too beautiful to eat!  

Our next stop was something we weren't expecting.  It is a Korean style pastry shop.

Sumi's Cakery, 2119 Murray Avenue, Squirrel Hill

When we arrived at 10:45 a.m., we found the door locked.  We stood in the doorway due to the rain, discussing our next move, when we heard the lock tumble behind us.  To our surprise, the store was opened early to serve us.  Neither Deanna, nor I had ever had Korean pastries.  We were pointed in the direction of the pastry shelves by the Korean woman who opened early for us.  She was stern, but kind.  I'm never really sure if I'm being yelled at or not by folks with Asian accents.  We looked over the interesting pastry names and made a few selections.  My favorite choice was red bean bread.  Since I have no background on this type of food, it tastes like a sweet flat bread filled with sweet, mashed red beans.  It tasted similar to dates.  I really enjoyed it.  If you're a Boba lover, you can find it here, as well.

Stop six was a quick stop.

The Cake & Cookie Stop, 2108 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, www.cakeandcookiespot.com

The signature treats here are their cake shots.  They're beautiful and there are TONS of choices.  They are tiny layer cakes contained in a double shot glass.  This is a clever idea!  There was also a small selection of cookies, such as Russian Tea Cookies.  Every one looked delectable.  

The next stop was definitely a fan favorite in the suggestion category.  

Prantl's Bakery 5525 Walnut Street, Shadyside, www.prantlsbakery.com

If you're not familiar with this bakery, you need to get with the program!  They are nationally, yes, I said NATIONALLY known for their Burnt Almond Torte.  These hot items can be ordered and shipped.  If you aren't in the mood for a whole cake, they have other options, Burnt Almond cups and Burnt Almond bars.  Prantl's isn't just burnt almond heaven though.  They have a selection of breakfast items, cookies, pepperoni rolls.  You could make all three meals of the day happen here!

If you're keeping track, that's seven bakeries!  This is just a small part of the list of bakeries we want to visit.  We are hoping to get back out there soon to continue the quest for amazing pastries.  

These trips are more than just tasty treats.  We are able to meet wonderful people who love to talk about their places of business and share their pride in what they make.  We see neighborhoods from different points of view.  We have experiences that cannot be duplicated.  We laugh, we do U-turns (over and over), we see sketchy places, girls singing for college tuition, and we love every minute.  We literally see the city of Pittsburgh from different perspectives than we would if we were traveling route 28 or interstate 79 into the city for a show, a game, or dinner.  These trips make us appreciate this beautiful little diamond in the rough that is chock full of history, ethnicity, and pride.