porto's bakery and cafe

This is Porto's Bakery and Cafe in Downey. Super nice, super big, super pretty. So actually, this visit was really on the whim but really nice.
And in fact, I went to Porto's again the day after but at the Glendale location which is not as nice as their newest place obviously. Their food is afforadable which is a big surprise because you'd think super fancy places like these are pricey, but nope, not here. This is a Cuban inspired bakery and it's pretty good!
So this is the ropa vieja sandwich which is shredded beef with bell peppers, onions, and tomato sauce on Cuban bread. Its pretty big and obviously we shared. Okay it looks like it's only that one sandwich, behind...is actually another half of the sandwich! It comes with plantain chips which is good and crunchy. It's different!
This is their meat pie, chicken empanada, and their potato ball. I thought their meat pie was really good. The pastry around the meat inside was super flaky and kinda sweet. Really good. The empanada was okay. The potato ball is really good. It's stuffed ground beef and deep fried. If you've ever been to Gregoires in Berkeley, it's like their potato puffs except stuff with meat.
These are the pastries they are known for. Especially their guava and cheese strudel which is the two bottom right pastries. We also got their cheese rolls, almond danish, mango turnover, and guava strudel. It's good! The mango turnover was a little sweet, the almond danish had the perfect amount of almond flavor, the guava/guava cheese strudel was good, but didn't overwhelm me with deliciousness. They have a lot more pastries and strudels and goodness.
We also got their cakes! The prices on the cakes were more normal, not super cheap, but reasonable. My mom, anywhere she goes, always has to get tiramisu. It was really good. Just strong enough hint of espresso and nice creamy marscapone mousse. Yummm.
This was their fruit tart and mango cheesecake. Their fruit tart is really good. The crust didn't completely fall apart and it wasn't hard to break into it either. I don't think I tried the mango cheesecake...it doesn't look super appetizing to me...
The next day I got an opera cake, just to try and another fruit tart. Yes, I am obsessed, I can't help it! It's just really good! Anyways, the opera cake was interesting. Pretty dense and chocolate-y, I think the mousse layer was a little thick and would've liked more cake layer.

I would go to the Downey location because it's so nice and clean and pretty, but around the area, there's not much to do. The Glendale location is better in terms of surrounding things to do, like shop at Americana!

All in all, I think it's worth a try. It's affordable, yummy, though locations are far from me. I do believe it's a little hyped up, with the long lines and all, but still if I were in the neighborhood, I would stop by.

Porto's Bakery and Cafe

http://www.portosbakery.net/

8233 Firestone Blvd

Downey, CA 90241

315 North Brand Boulevard

Glendale, CA

masse's pastries

As with restaurants, the Berkeley/Bay Area has a plethora of cupcake shops (and carts!), bakeries, creameries, and the like. I must confess now that I am not, or rather, was not, a fan of baked goods. It took this girl multiple baking frenzies and multiple trips to Crixa Cakes to finally convince me that yes, I love cake. (I am still on the fence about cupcakes. I don't know if I'll ever like them.)

But this post is not for Crixa or cupcakes. It's for Masse's Pastries, a little cafe in Berkeley's Gourmet Ghetto. Masse's specializes in the most beautiful, delicate cakes and pastries, but this post is about their cakes. There's nothing better than sitting in a quaint cafe on a sunny afternoon with friends, eating cake and drinking tea.

We got three cakes between the three of us--N ordered the mango mousse, a definite must have, I got the chocolate hazelnut (with gold flecks!), and Mel got a guava something or other, I forget.

But they're all delicious. We've also tried the blood orange with chocolate, which is divine, to put simply, the raspberry mousse, the key lime mousse--yes, they like making mousse, but the mousse is so light and melts in your mouth, that you can't help but inhale it and savor it at the same time. Yes, I am not making sense, but this is how Masse's makes me feel--incoherent. And yes, it is a good thing.

Above (from a friend's birthday): blood orange, raspberry, mango, and keylime mousse. So much love.

Masse's Pastries
1469 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94709