Cardiologist Arthur Agatston designed the South Beach diet, a diet plan that essentially eliminates carbs. I too have designed a diet. It is called the Hell No Am I Going to South Beach Anytime Soon diet. It consists of only eating ham and cheese croissants, macarons, cupcakes, and banana pudding. Below are my favorite bakeries in San Francisco and New York.
La Boulange
You can find a La Boulange anywhere in San Francisco, with recently opened branches in Palo Alto. I go there at least once a day, very often twice for breakfast and lunch. They have really great brunch items (as I mentioned in my brunch post), and the most delicious sandwiches and salads, and some great pastries that they usually have samples of.
Goat Cheese and Pear Tart
Turkey and Brie Mini-Sandwich
Creamy Mushroom Open-Face Sandwich
Portabella Mushroom Sandwich
Rasberry Financier
Magnolia Bakery
The Spring semester of my sophomore year, I had to go to New York for an interview with a summer internship. At this point in the semester, I had become very close to two of my friends, but I was not that comfortable and secure about our friendship yet. But I decided to take a chance and timidly asked if they would maybe, only if they want to, come with me to New York, but ONLY IF THEY WANTED TO. Thankfully, they did, and after my interview (which was more of a side note), we went from bakery to Apple store, to bakery to Apple store, doing Apple store dances and stuffing our faces (I guess mostly my face) with baked goods. And then to a Korean restaurant in K-Town where I nervously watched them take their first bites of Korean food, to a Karaoke bar where we had a very drunken heart-to-heart confession session that solidified our friendship, and then finally to a club where we owned the dancefloor and one of my friends pushed me off the stage, until we took the train back home. Magnolia Bakery happened to be one of the many bakeries we stopped by. All I have to say about it is this: Banana Pudding. I don’t care if you don’t like bananas (I don’t either), but this is literally artery clogging in a cup—in the best way possible.
Banana Pudding
Marble Cheesecake
Bouchon
One of the bakeries we hit up on that fateful NYC trip. Best macarons in the states. Go.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Susie Cakes
I recommend the 7-Layer bar, the Red Velvet cupcake, or your classic cheesecake.
7-Layer Bar
Red Velvet Cupcake
Sprinkles Cupcakes
You’ve heard of these I’m sure. Sprinkles is located throughout the states, including Beverly Hills, where there’s also a Sprinkles Ice Cream Shop (mentioned in LA food post). The cupcakes are very, very rich, and good, but it’s more for the experience that I would choose to go there than the actual quality of the cupcakes. I’m going to be a little bit adulterous and say that I would actually recommend Crumbs, Magnolia, or Susie Cakes for cupcakes.
La Baguette
I’ve been going to La Baguette since I was a little munchkin of a food vacuum. I think they’ve only gotten better. You can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches. Located in the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.
Specialty’s
Best semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies ever.
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