Several people who know me felt the need to point out that Dozen Bake Shop closed their doors last week. I guess since I have written mean things about Dozen they expected me to gloat or something. But while I will talk trash about anyone, I generally don’t take pleasure in someone else’s loss. Well, except for the Lakers and the Yankees. Those guys can kiss my ass.
Anyway, with Dozen gone, you might be asking yourself, “where should I go for cake?” Four places.
First and foremost, you should go to Jean-Marc Chatellier’s French bakery in Millvale. In addition to the best croissant that I can remember having anywhere in the Eastern United States, the guy can also make a good basic cake.
Second, you should go to Vanilla Pastry Studio in East Liberty. Yes they make cupcakes. But they also make good cake and a few neat novelty items. Try their Whoopie Pies.
Third, you should go to La Gourmandine. I haven’t actually had cake here. But, the tarts and the brioche are fabulous. So you should go here anyway.
Fourth, you should get the various pound cakes they make at Mediterra. The lemon “traveling cake” is particularly excellent.
As an aside, there used to be a bakery in Monroeville whose name escapes me that make a fabulous layer cake with some sort of berry jam as a filling. That was some good cake too.
As a second aside, if Legume ever reopens, their version of the usually crappy flourless chocolate cake is actually a stupendous taste sensation.
As a third aside, there is a certain restaurant on the South Side that I like whose name you might be able to guess. In the summer they will sometimes have a mango cream filled layer cake that is absolutely worth dying or killing for. But I’m not going to tell you all the details because I want my piece first.
That’s all I have for cake. And no, I don’t think that Burnt Almond Torte is all that great. So sue me.
The bakery in Monroeville was probably Moio’s.
One of the most astonishing things I have ever seen happened at the Coffee Tree Roasters on Walnut one fine summery afternoon a couple of years back.
Two women walked in with a box from across the street, white cardboard all tied up with string. They waited in line, each bought the largest size of drip coffee available, walked directly to a table and sat down, opening up the box to put a burnt almond torte between them. The pulled forks from their purses, real ones, and started at corners, chatting and sipping their coffee.
They ate the whole thing.
Wow.
Perhaps I’m a heretic but: I think the burnt almond torte is not bad. Not great, but given the choice between it and a Geagle cake (which is often the alternative for large events) I’d pick the torte any day of the week.
If you want a great flourless chocolate cake, check out the recipe for “Chocolate Decadence” in Alice Medrich’s Cocolat. Awesome.
There’s also Allegro Hearth on Murray, for hearty German-style breads. They also have a selection of cheeses. Throw in some grapes or cherries or berries, and that’s a much better dessert than a silly cupcake.