Sweeten the Morning Routine

Nothing like cinnamon and sugar to pull you out of a writing lull and awaken your love for your neighborhood. Noe Valley Bakery is now in West Portal and who doesn’t want to shout from the rooftops about it? As if our little neighborhood that could wasn’t stealing all the thunder already, now we can grab a morning bun, jump on the K, L or M and be downtown with a happy belly in a matter of minutes. It’s all working out for us!

Remember when those ovens used to spit out doughy circles that no right-minded New York transplant could call a bagel? Well, now they’re churning out crusty loaves of sourdough, supple challah, gooey cupcakes and masterful breakfast treats. Of course, Noe Valley Bakery’s had decades of experience kneading doughs and mixing up the perfecto combos of flour and sugar at their original location.

Lining up next to the glass display case filled with Salted Caramel Cakes, Mini Lemon Drop Cupcakes, Pecan Blueberry Scones and buttery Croissants, it’s not as if you could go wrong. You’ll get what you’re in the mood for. And you’ll be happy. But in the name of full disclosure, this morning’s trip yielded me one such Pecan Blueberry Scone, a Cranberry Lemon Scone and a Morning Bun that has left traces of flakey pastry strewn across my desk. The Cranberry Lemon Scone duked it out with the Morning Bun, but they ended up tied for favorite. (I love you too Pecan Blueberry Scone, so don’t be sad. It’s stiff competition!)

So, does this mean West Portal’s the new Noe? Not exactly, and I’m not so certain that anyone wants it to be. But hey, if we have to have Noe’s name on a bakery in order to have a little sugary love when our bellies grumble, I say bring it! And I wouldn’t be surprised if they challenged Starbucks and Pete’s for a little of their latte biz while they’re at it.

Noe Valley Bakery 28 West Portal Ave, SF, CA 415-550-1405 Open Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat/Sun til 6pm