L.A.'s bread and cake scene has been exploding in recent years, with bakeries from all over producing inventive buttery, flaky, rich creations. Leaning into carbs? Gluten-free? Vegan? Check, check, check.
On Monday, LAist 89.3's AirTalk host Austin Cross asked listeners to share their favorite places, along with LAist associate food and culture editor Gab Chabrán. The calls rolled in — clearly people are passionate about their baked goods.
Here's what they told us, starting with Gab and Austin's recommendations:
Gab: "In my hometown of Long Beach, there are some really great operations, like Gusto Bread, which was a finalist for a James Beard Award, and Colossus over on Second Street in Belmont Shore."
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"If I'm thinking more toward the station, we have Zhengyalov Hatz, an Armenian bakery in Glendale, which we wrote about for Cheap Fast Eats. They specialize in one thing only, a flatbread that's filled with 12 different herbs."
"Bub and Grandma's in Eagle Rock is another great place, and if you're looking for pie, there's Fat + Flour which has a spot in downtown LA at Grand Central Market and now a spot in Culver City too.
Austin: "27th Street Bakery in South L.A. It's stellar. It's just not as widely known or as appreciated as it should be, but it is an incredible place for pies."
"There's a wonderful La Monarcha in Lincoln Heights, right next to a barbecue spot, Moo's Craft Barbeque. So if you're planning a party, you can get an incredible coffee or strawberry cake and then, on the same block, some fall-off-the-bone ribs or something like that. It's just the best combination."
Shelley from Studio City: "A huge shout out to Aroma Coffee and Tea in Studio City on Tujunga Avenue. Not only do they have the best cakes, pies, cupcakes, and scones, but for me, because I have a daughter who's allergic to dairy, eggs, and nuts, Aroma has the best vegan cinnamon roll. They warm it up, it's soft, it's dripping with sugar, and, I mean, it's relatively guilt-free."
Rochelle in Duarte: "Delight Pastry on Raymond in Pasadena."
Julian from West Hollywood: "I grew up in Glendale, so I have a soft spot for everything Armenian. My favorite place is Art's Bakery on Chevy Chase Drive. I always have to get at least a dozen of their extra puffy nazook, my favorite Armenian pastry that's buttery and flaky. I'm not Armenian, but it was a staple of my childhood."
Brian from Los Feliz: "This cute little bakery in Frogtown that's right off the L.A. river, Just What I Kneaded. They've got an awesome selection of vegan pastries and hot sandwiches."
Asher from Van Nuys: "Rose Bakery on Vanowen in the San Fernando Valley. They've been around since the seventies and I love their coffee cake. It's actually a chocolate cake with a coffee frosting, which is amazing. But if I'm going there, I'm getting all of the cookies they have in their case. Typically I'm grabbing more of the chocolate rugelach than anything else."
Robin from Leimert Park: "Baked Bar LA in Culver City. I love it because I'm gluten intolerant and they have some of the best gluten-free items. Their sourdough is fantastic. I throw parties, and I don't tell anyone that it's gluten-free until the gluten-free people come up and I whisper in their ear, "Everything's gluten-free!" It's the best."
Michael from New York City: "I was born in France. I know something about croissants. I recommend Lou, the French on the Block in Burbank. There's a lot of wonderful places all over L.A. but this is literally world class. I just spent a month in Paris and I did not have a better croissant than I had at Lou's. They sell out really early and they're only open till 2:30 p.m. But at the risk of increasing the lines and the wait, I have to share it as an act of altruism."
