Semi Sweet Bakery

Fresh from our "Last Bookstore" experience...I consulted my hallowed Garmin and found that a bakery I wanted to check out was within walking distance.

Hey now...a few blocks of walking wasn't going to break us right?

Right?  You're talking about lazy me, but when it comes to food or desserts, I might just make the effort like I did that morning...

But first, what was that I saw on the corner for 6th and Main?

Look closely.

Yes, that is the name of...a PET STORE.

Pussy and Pooch.  Nice. One their website they hail themselves as "an urban oasis for pets and their people". Hmmm, a hipster pet store? Well, if they can have a doggie bakery in the Flower Hill Promenade in Del Mar for all the pet owners with disposable income...

All right, back to business now.

We almost walked right past the bakery known as Semi Sweet.

You have to walk up a tiny flight up steps since the bakery itself is not ground level. It's across the street diagonally from a Los Angeles sandwich institution (photo at the end).

There were a couple of things I definitely wanted us to try...one was an upscale version of the Ding Dong, which they call (and Chuck Berry would be proud), a Ding a Ling (insert dick joke here). Crappy photo below, but you get the idea.

So many beautiful desserts...at hipster prices too.

Dayum!

Danishes, pocket tarts, macarons, scones, crullants (their version of the cronut), empanadas, the aforementioned Ding a lings and more...

Later on, after we had our sweet snacks, we gone one of the mac 'n cheese empanadas...we did it backasswards.

View from our table:

Our two desserts were served on mismatched vintage plates:

The old Pee Wee Herman adage is true, "Take a picture, it'll last longer" (followed by maniacal laughter)...

The Creme Brulee Crullant  ($4.25/ouch):

Looks quite pretty eh? But it was also quite small

The Peanut Butter Ding a Ling ($2.75/more doable):

I liked the look of this - stacked kinda high it was.

Here was the crullant cut up:

The creme filling was very sweet and rich. The layers were flaky with a crisp caramelized burnt sugar top.

The PB Ding a ling divided into thirds. Nice layers, eh.

Of the two, Bert and I liked this better. TC on the other hand, like this next one, their mac and cheese empanada (I think this was $2.95 or was it $3.95?)

Loved the flaky crust, but didn't think this was worth it.

One of these days, we'll make our own, but of course, cheat and use Trader Joe's pie crust, haha.

Earlier I mentioned that Semi Sweet was near this place, Cole's Originator of the French-Dipped Sandwiches. It's been there for more than 100 years!

We'll have to come back to try this place next time!

Who else went to Semi Sweet Bakery?
LA Foodbloggers: Gastronomer, Out of the Kitchen, LA Sweets and LA Eats (some of the posts include the other treats I wanted to, but didn't, try like the pocket tarts and the Samoa macaron)

Semi Sweet Bakery
105 E. 6th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 228-9975

semisweetbakery.com plus their FB page

These were nice (but expensive) treats. I don't think I could eat crullants or those ding a lings on a daily basis. Those are much too rich and sweet for me.

It was time to head up to Burbank to check out a museum we didn't get to see the first time around a few years ago...