Whether you’re the kind of person who likes to splurge on brunches and baked goods or an adventurous soul who wants to get out and go for a drive, East Bay towns are perfect for enjoying scenic views and grabbing something sweet with a cup of coffee. To take some of the work out for you, my mother and I went on what we dubbed the “East Bay Bakery Tour” – starting with Warren and working our way through Barrington and Bristol – to discover favorite small businesses specializing in pastries and sweet treats. I suggest spreading the tour across a few weekends, and many offer curbside pickup to match all comfort levels.
Blue Tile Bakery: Tucked away in a plaza next to Family Dollar, the Blue Tile Bakery is easy to miss, but inside it’s fully stocked with zeppole, chocolates, and cakes, along with soups and savory offerings. Their red velvet truffle cake with blueberries is to die for and the zeppole are filled with a delicate, not-too-heavy cream.
The Perfect Sweet Shoppe: A gem on Joyce Street, walking around this bakery is like walking through a field of colorful flowers – every dessert offered is impeccably arranged. I recommend their cookies and cream, pistachio nut, milk chocolate, anything fruit-flavored, and salted caramel macarons.
Blue Kangaroo Cafe: Though technically a cafe, you can still find a variety of baked goods among their deli lunch specials. We couldn’t pass up a slice of blueberry cheesecake, which is washed down nicely with a hot or iced Raspberry
Beret or the decadent Max’s Turtle Latte.
Vienna Bakery: Out of all of the bakeries we toured, this was certainly among the most notable for their authentic European pastries. Ask a staff member for their recommendation and they’ll quickly say the Bismarck pastry, a German raspberry-filled donut, their specialty. Our favorites were the chocolate and peanut butter tart and chocolate chunk cheesecake.
Batista Bakery and Pastry Inc.: Though the last stop in our trip, Batista is great for a morning visit as their perfectly flakey pastries including elephant ears (their most popular offering) pair well with a cup of coffee. Transactions are cash-only, so make sure you hit the ATM before stopping by. 401-253-9832
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