Exploring the Bay Area

  The Baked Bear   The Baked Bear was a great find! They served me the type of dessert that left me hungering for more. One bite of my cookie and ice cream sandwich already had me falling in love. I've been here more than once because I find the desserts here so irresistible.  The Baked Bear is a dessert shop that sells ten delicious flavors of sweet, ice-cold ice cream ready to be scooped to order. But The Baked Bear isn’t just a regular ice cream stand; it also specializes in fresh-baked, delectable cookies (they have at least as many cookie flavors as ice cream flavors) and brownies. The cookies are on display, so you can see how pretty they are. You can order any of these items solo or as a combination; they sell ice cream with cookies, ice cream with brownies, but most notably, they sell ice cream sandwiches with a healthy amount of their signature creamy ice cream stacked between two cookies. Examining the great wealth of cookie type options, I was particularly dra...

Piccino Piccino coffee bar sits in the Dogpatch next to a proper restaurant by the same name, which I have not yet tried. It’s merely a small room with a refrigerator holding sandwiches and cookie dough and a counter in front of their espresso equipment and kitchen, displaying some yummy pastries. It has no seating, but it is always well-staffed, so the service is rather prompt. The menu has a variety of coffee, espresso, and tea beverages; they proudly serve caffeinated and non-caffeinated options, and everything is carefully prepared for quality assurance. For example, they have lattes, including vanilla lattes, mochas, chai tea, and hot chocolate, among others, and everything tastes professionally made. Prices are what you’d expect from a San Francisco coffee shop, and the bitterness of the coffee or tea flavor tends to be mild, and the temperature and the consistency of the milk always hit the spot. All these things make it a great spot for a little pick-me-up. In my opinion, thoug...

Hella Bagels Hella Bagels is a small cafe in Albany that rolls, boils, and bakes fresh bagels in-house each day they’re open. You can taste the freshness in the chewy, buttery bite of the bagel. The bagels are buttery on the outside, dense and chewy on the inside, and very appetizing as a whole. The entire cafe smells like fresh-baked bagels! Like other cafes, they also serve coffee, espresso beverages, and salads. However, this shop specializes in fresh bagels, fresh bagels with spreads, and fresh bagel sandwiches. They offer seven types of bagels, including plain, everything, onion, garlic, salt, sesame, and poppy, as well as eleven types of spread, such as butter, berries and cream, spicy mango peach, veggie, Nova Lox, garlic confit, jalapeño cilantro, chili crisp, and horseradish lemon dill.  They are not skimpy with the amount of spread! A fresh-baked bagel is only $3, and a fresh-baked bagel with spread is only $5 here! They have smoked fish, vegetable, fruit, and egg sandwic...

Dessert N Spice This cute little bakery can be found along University Avenue in Berkeley. The bakery is not large, so there are only about three tables and a few more stools along the bar against the wall. It's a nice place to stop for or pick up a sweet treat. Entering the bakery, you will see sunlight streaming through the big windows and three big glass cases illuminated by bright lights. Inside these cases are premium pastries like specialty cakes, muffins, baklava, croissants, cookies, and macaroons. Each one looks like a work of art.  They also serve caffeinated beverages. They have an americano, a caramel macchiato, a latte, a caramel latte, a dark mocha, a white chocolate mocha, steamed milk, hot chocolate, and chai tea. They also have a selection of canned sodas.  When you have decided which of the pastries you want from behind the glass, you can order and pay at the counter, where they accept contactless payment. The service is very good; the people are polite, and ...

Masse's Pastries  Masse's Pastries is a small and European-style bakery located in Berkeley. It has two glass cases and five tables in its small eating area.  Because of its small size, it has a limited selection of options. They specialize in exquisite cakes (small and large, perfect for any occasions), breakfast pastries, cookies, and macaroons. Although there are not as many options as other bakeries, this place clearly emphasizes quality over quantity; the pastries are delicious!  Although the pastries are very attractive and yummy, the pricing is very affordable. The shop is also very cute, and they have free wifi. It is a great place to either pick up a snack or sit down and stay for a while.  1469 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709

Mariposa Baking Company Mariposa Baking Company is a bakery committed to making baked goods that are gluten-free but do not sacrifice taste, texture, or appearance.  I came across this business by word of mouth. Several of my acquaintances spoke very highly of it, so I decided to give it a try.  Despite being a small shop limited to gluten-free items, the business is filled with options. They carry pastries such as muffins, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, and cookies. They also carry breads, pastas, flours, and pizza doughs, as well as a menu full of gluten-free sandwiches. Everything is gluten-free but tastes incredible. Looking around, the walls are lined with pastries, especially beautifully decorated cookies. The shelves and freezers hold the breads, pastas, and pizza doughs. Behind the glass case are more pastries like muffins and cinnamon rolls. There is also a menu of sandwiches that they will make fresh for you sitting out near the register. Nonetheless, there is plenty of ...

Cupcakin' Bake Shop These are more than just your regular cupcakes and cookies! They are made specially to be the most exquisite and creative take on cakes, cupcakes, and cookies that you will ever encounter.  Entering the shop, you will see an assortment of cupcakes and cookies arranged neatly behind the glass. You will notice a variety of colors and many original flavors.  Each cupcake is a work of art, crafted out of fine ingredients and made with a recipe that is moist, yet airy and fluffy. Each one has a buttercream frosting that is decadent yet attractive. Admire it in all its beauty before biting in--and see if you can resist devouring the entire creation in seconds!  The store has some vegan and gluten-free items in its selection for those who have dietary restrictions.  It also sells day-old and two-day-old cupcakes at a discount.  Cupcakin' Bake Shop has multiple locations all over the Bay Area and takes orders online. BERKELEY - TELEGRAPH 2391 Telegra...