Parche, a modern Colombian restaurant, has just opened in Oakland’s buzzy Uptown District, showcasing traditional Colombian ingredients with contemporary flair. Colombian co-owner Paul Iglesias, formerly of Canela Bistro & Wine Bar in San Francisco, opened Parche on Jan. 13, celebrating South American cuisine and culture with a menu and cocktail program not typically seen in the area. Parche is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday at 2295 Broadway in Oakland.

Parche, roughly translated, means “a familial-style gathering place for a group of people to come together.” As such, the restaurant’s menu is small plate-centric, with dishes like Arepa de Anis, a corn cake with anise and barranquilla-style ají made with roasted veggies and tahini; Posta Negra, slow-cooked short rib in a Cartagena-style sauce made of cola and panela; and Ceviche de Chicharron with charred mandarin, sriracha, lime juice and pickled red onions.

Look for a thoughtful, Colombian-inspired beverage program, too, including house sodas made with Colombian fruits, boozy coffee drinks and a “Trans-Atlantic tonica” section featuring Spanish and Colombian spirits. Pay extra attention to the distinctive interior design, which features bold colors, custom balays and murals depicting Colombian spirit animals, the condor and jaguar.

Details: www.parcheoak.com.

They were looking for social media success.

“They didn’t know anything about my cooking skills,” said Tina Kim of Koreantown in Los Angeles. “They just contacted me and, lo and behold, they were lucky. I didn’t know how to cook.”

“Worst Cooks In America: Viral Sensations” features 12 contestants who are active on TikTok, Instagram and other social media. The series airs 8 p.m. Sunday on the Food Network, and episodes are also streaming on Discovery Plus.

Contestants face a series of challenges and eliminations until the final episode on Feb. 5, when a survivor will win $25,000.

The season is co-hosted by Anne Burrell, a regular, and first-timer Darnell Ferguson.

The show is made in New York City, but half of the contestants, like Kim, live in Southern California.

Kim is a comedian who said in a phone interview that she began to follow Korean soap operas during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“For two years I sat on my couch and watched K-dramas non-stop. I watched 14 hours a day. And then towards the end of corona, I said to myself, ‘I’m going to start my TikTok account since I’ve watched every single Korean drama.’”

She has since expanded her TikTok videos to include K-pop and other aspects of Korean culture.

Kim wound up on Team Blue, coached by Ferguson, who she described as very positive and welcoming.

But the cooking is real, she said, and a big challenge.

“It’s fun and stressful at the same time, because we’re all in a pressure cooker. I think one of the challenges was only 45 minutes. And the chefs give us elaborate meals. We don’t just cook the main dish. It’s like, here’s the side dish. And here’s the sauce to go on the main dish. It’s like your brain is thinking of 20 different things you have to do. And they make it hard because they make use all that different — what is it? — kitchen stuff.”

Mitchell Tyler Ralston of Huntington Beach was on Team Red, coached by Burrell. Ralston is an amateur ghost hunter and likes to make TikTok videos about paranormal activity. The “Worst Cooks” graphic department had fun with the concept and depicted him as being tormented by the evil spirit of Chef Anne.

In a separate phone interview he rated his cooking skills as terrible, although he’s comfortable making spaghetti and mashed potatoes.

“Years and years ago I worked for a very famous California burger company known for their red aprons. Part of my duties was preparing the potatoes for french fries. So I’ve got peeling potatoes down.”

Ralston said he was the first contestant to cut himself this season. Cuts and fires are commonplace on the set.

“Chef Anne told us, ‘Don’t be afraid of fire. If you have fire, I’m very good at putting out fire. This is the 25th season’. Luckily, I didn’t burn myself too much. I cut myself way too much.”

“The hard part was smiling for hours and hours. I only have to smile for 10 seconds on my TikTok,” Kim said.

Both found the experience valuable, and Ralston said it has gotten him some TikTok viewers. But it didn’t turn either of them into chef.

“I did learn a lot about the kitchen,” said Kim. “It’s just I’m not going to bring it into the real world.”

‘Worst Cooks in America’

Food Network: 8 p.m. Sunday, foodnetwork.com/shows/worst-cooks-in-america

Discovery Plus: discoveryplus.com/show/worst-cooks-in-america

Contestants

Rich Aronovitch, New York City: Professional comedian, 233,000 followers on TikTok. @richisfunny

Michael Judson Berry, Jersey City, N.J.: Actor who does imitations on TikTok. @mjudsonberry

Tessica Brown, Los Angeles: Known for a viral video in which she put Gorilla Glue in her hair instead of hairspray. @im_d_ollady

David Chen, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: Tennis enthusiast known for videos cheering at matches. @davidchenofficial

NaJe’ Elmore, Texarkana, Texas: Known for singing videos, @who_she_naje

Tina Kim, Los Angeles: K-drama and K-pop follower. @kdramalogic

Adam Kreutinger, Buffalo, N.Y.: Puppeteer and puppet maker. @adamkreutinger

Paris Nicholson, Los Angeles: Known for “Top Five Hottest” lists. @parisnicholson

Eliza Petersen, West Jordan, Utah: Dinosaur enthusiast, @lizemopetey

Mitchell Tyler Ralston, Huntington Beach: Amateur paranormal investigator. @mrspooky13

Sabrina Rios, Los Angeles: Covers many topics in humorous videos. @abelinasabrina

Nick Trawick, Los Angeles: Posts videos of a character called Kleptora who steals wigs. @nicktrawick13

Mimi Brown is all three, and she’s got the acreage to prove it.

She and her husband, Ed, founded and operated the wildly popular Flower Flour bakery in San Jose’s Willow Glen for 14 years, before selling the business in 2017 to devote full time to their Wine Country venture, the Napa Farmhouse Inn in St. Helena, with its lodgings and 3-acre garden.

Now she’s back, with a new bakery in the original building, and this time she has bushels of produce with her. We talked with her about her organic philosophy and what customers will find in the pastry case and on the breakfast and lunch menus.

Q You’re driving from the Napa Valley farm to the San Jose bakery — and back — six days a week. Why is it important to you to invest that time and effort? 

A First of all, I own the Willow Street building, which needed a modern renovation. Second, I am now a seasoned organic grower and have over 100 fruit trees and a one-acre kitchen and cut-flower garden, as well as an established herb potager and orangeries. I long to put all my beautiful produce to good use. Third, I am a passionate gardener, baker and chef and love being creative.

I also care deeply about my community and my customers. Nothing brings me more joy than harvesting the perfect produce and creating healthy food and beautiful cakes for my customers. Since my return, I have received tons of former customers welcoming me back to the Willow Glen neighborhood. It is so unexpected and extremely heartwarming.

Q Your new bakery is called Paris Avenue. What’s behind the name? 

A My vision for Paris Avenue is a charming French bakery inspired by the French markets. One that is full of beauty and charm. The atmosphere is welcoming, and the customer is cared about. It’s a place you love to go for coffee or tea and enjoy a beautiful treat and take home a cake.

Q Right now, you are featuring the cauliflower you grew in your homemade soup, the broccoli you grew in the quiche. There’s a tray of persimmon cookies — baked with persimmons from your trees — in the bakery case. What will the spring harvest bring? 

A I grow most of my vegetables from seeds. In the spring, there are strawberries and mulberries, radishes, peas, Swiss chard and more broccoli. There will be more beautiful lettuces — every few months, I plant about 400 assorted lettuces — and edible flowers for salads as well. Radishes always find their way into my sweet-and-sour pickles, which is a signature here. Of course, peas will make a beautiful bisque, perhaps paired with big chunky potatoes, which we also grow. The broccoli is showcased so beautifully in our quiche terrine. Our rhubarb and strawberries make beautiful tarts.

Q And what about the summer harvest? 

A Summer is abundant. The heirloom tomatoes will be the stars of BLTs and tomato salads. The French Charentais melons also steal the show as part of our French market salads. There will be a lot of “today’s lunch specials” as summer’s bounty comes into play. Of course, peaches will find their way into custard-filled fresh peach tarts. And plums are delicious in flans.

Q What are some of the top customer favorites that you are again making on Willow Street? 

A Organic persimmon cookies, jam bars and jam cookies, our signature chocolate cake (the Midnight Ruffle), blueberry buttermilk scones, cinnamon buns, our soup du jour, Waldorf tuna sandwich and apple strudel with, of course, organic apples from our orchard.

Q What about new creations? 

A The Opera cake, chocolate and almond cake with mocha mousse, is brand new and beautiful, the Parisian Strawberry cake is new and the Guava and Mango have a new French flair. Our soup du jour is always seasonal.

Q Which cake is your best seller?

A The Raspberry Chocolate cake is our most popular cake. It is a delicious, all-red stunner, with chocolate cake, raspberry mousse, a chocolate band, raspberry glaze, chocolate ruffles and fresh berries.

Q You also specialize in wedding and special-event cakes. What’s the most interesting request you’ve had? 

A We once did a huge 10-tier cake for a community event that towered over all of us. It was quite the show.

Q What’s the most popular baked breakfast item? 

A Cinnamon buns, of course.

Q OK, last question. When do you ever find time to sleep? 

A Gardeners and bakers don’t sleep. We just daydream about all the beautiful things we can grow and create!

Details: Paris Avenue is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday at 896 Willow St., San Jose; www.parisavenue.me

SAN JOSE — Google has pushed ahead with efforts to salvage parts of older buildings as well as rescue complete historic structures that are within the footprint of the search giant’s downtown San Jose transit village.

The tech titan has offered the public pieces of the now-shuttered Patty’s Inn, whose roots as a downtown San Jose watering hole date back to the Great Depression.

Google also offered up for salvage sections of the former Sunlite Bakery Bread Depot building and will rescue the ornate entryway to the old structure, preserving the entrance elsewhere in the company’s project footprint.

Across the street from the bakery site, the old Hellwig Iron Works at 150 South Montgomery Street is expected to be preserved and creatively reused as a key component of Google’s new Downtown West neighborhood of office buildings, homes, shops, restaurants, hotel facilities, open spaces, entertainment centers and cultural loops.

“Google taking the time and opportunity to offer salvage of older buildings is commendable,” said Bob Staedler,  principal executive with Silicon Valley Synergy, a land-use consultancy. “It takes quite a bit of time and energy to make those salvage items available to the public. This effort shouldn’t be taken for granted.”

One of the numerous documents prepared in connection with the Downtown West proposal addressed Google’s plans to preserve several key buildings in the footprint of the game-changing project, where the search giant eventually intends to employ 20,000 to 25,000 tech workers.

The former Hellwig Iron Works building, constructed sometime around 1935, is one of the buildings that’s expected to be reused as it exists, although it’s likely some additions could be made to the structure.

After the ironworks closed its doors, Navlet’s Florists and a Taiko performance studio also operated in the distinctive brick building.

“150 South Montgomery Street, last occupied by San Jose Taiko, is being repurposed for adaptive reuse,” a Google spokesperson said.

It’s likely that the Hellwig Ironworks could be expanded as part of the building’s reuse, according to documents on file with city officials.

“One or more additions and adaptive reuse of the building to accommodate new arts and cultural uses” are envisioned as part of the Hellwig structure’s future, the city documents show.

Among the other historic or noteworthy buildings that are being retained, reused adaptively, or relocated:

• Kearney Pattern Works and Foundry at 40 South Montgomery Street, constructed in 1922. The historic sections of the building will be relocated about 30 feet to the south. “Once relocated, the building would be expanded and adaptively reused to accommodate new retail, cultural, arts, education, and/or other active uses,” the city report stated, with the new frontage on Montgomery Street. The non-historic portions of this building on South Autumn Street would be demolished.
• San Jose Water Works building at 374 West Santa Clara Street, constructed in 1934. The building is being preserved and renovated.
• Stephens Meat Co. “dancing pig sign.” Google removed and preserved the iconic sign that for decades was a fixture near the Diridon train station and the SAP Center. The sign, temporarily at San Jose History Park, will eventually find a permanent long-term home in the Downtown West project.
• Sunlite Bakery at 145 South Montgomery Street, constructed in 1936. Google has decided to rescue the Art Moderne-style entrance of the structure and relocate it elsewhere in the company’s new transit-oriented neighborhood.

The office building is slated to become “a cornerstone of the Downtown West neighborhood that we are developing,” Kent Walker, president of global affairs of Google owner Alphabet, said in April 2022 during a San Jose event to discuss the tech titan’s investments in the Bay Area.

The preservation of so many historic and existing prominent buildings will help Google’s new neighborhood to blend in with the existing areas on the western edges of downtown San Jose, in Staedler’s view.

“This shows a commitment to honoring the historical elements of San Jose while making way for the next evolution of the Diridon Station area,” Staedler said.

Either way, if you weren’t a dessert person before this, you will be after reading this take on the region’s hottest new bakeries — from a Walnut Creek shop crafting Romanian specialties to an Oakland cheesecake house and a Santa Clara bakery where a couple has found their encore career in Portuguese recipes.

East Bay Bakery, Danville

Across the street from Blackhawk Plaza, this stand-out bakery with the simple name has been wowing locals with its sweet and savory offerings since it opened in July. Glass cases display in jewel-like fashion the laminated croffles, curry puffs and pretzels that have become proprietor-baker Gaby Lubaba’s signatures. East Bay Bakery has no seating but the counter offers views of the open kitchen, where the bakery crew prepares Lubaba’s unique spins on danishes, cookies and croissants. (We recently spied both a baklava croissant and a pastrami-cheese version.)

Lubaba, who made our 2022 list of Rising Stars, offers a wide selection of classic treats and fresh baked breads, too, including rye brownies and a craveable olive fougasse. But there is a certain magic in the seasonal items — hello, pistachio chocolate escargot — and treats inspired by her native Indonesia. Be sure to get your hands on the crispy beef curry puffs filled with real curry leaves. They go fast.

The treat: Made from buttery croissant dough, the croffle ($5) is a crowd-favorite that taps into something deeply nostalgic. The crispy, almost caramelized outside leads to a chewy, satisfying interior that’s buttery and not too sweet. Perfection.

Details: Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. weekends at 6000C Crow Canyon Road in  Danville. Also Saturdays at the Orinda Farmers Market and Sundays at the Walnut Creek Farmers Market; https://theeastbaybakery.com

LeLe Cake, Los Gatos

Elena Leskina says she’s pretty fearless when it comes to challenges — whether it’s “new business, new skills, new country.” An electrical engineer by trade, she taught herself how to bake intricate desserts by watching YouTube videos during her young daughter’s two-hour naps back in Moscow. When she and her family immigrated to the U.S. five years ago, she opened a commercial kitchen.

Last June, she launched LeLe Cake, a cute all-day cafe where brunch is as popular as the pastries and custom cakes. It’s worth waiting for a table to try one of the Euro-style dishes that customers rave about — the Syrniki (Russian cheese pancakes) with berries, perhaps, Homemade Salted Salmon Toast or the Gruyere Waffle with goat cheese and onion marmalade.

If you didn’t save room for dessert, stop at the bakery case for a takeout order of, say, Kartoshka (chocolate cake “truffles” topped with fruit), Pavlova or Trifle. The full-size cakes are multi-layer, highly decorated beauties with selections such as the Choco Girl, Poppyseed & Lemonade, flaky Napoleon cake or the Sever, a Norwegian national favorite topped with meringue.

The treat: The star is Leskina’s version of the Medovik, a Russian honey cake layered with fresh raspberries and a light white chocolate and sour cream frosting. It’s available by the slice (three layers) or as a full-size cake (five or six layers).

Details: Open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 14178 Blossom Hill Road, Los Gatos; https://lelecake.me/

Crumble & Whisk, Oakland

Charles Farrier’s somewhat random entry into the bakery world came when a coworker asked if he could contribute to a potluck dinner. “I was like, ‘Sure.’ I brought a cheesecake. Everyone loved it,” he recalls.

That revelation triggered a slow and deep dive into the art of baking, with Farrier studying cookbooks, experimenting with different styles of cheesecakes, and then distributing them at barbershops and businesses along Oakland’s MacArthur Boulevard and later at farmers markets. This December, he opened a brick-and-mortar location in the Laurel District, where he prepares not just the confection that put him on the map but scrumptious pastries, artfully decorated cookies and so much more.

“This is about building up community, so people can get to know me as a neighborhood staple,” Farrier says. For his breakfast peeps, he has coffee cake, overnight oats and huge cinnamon buns with a jiggly, custard-like frosting. (Try to get them hot.) Folks celebrating a special occasion – or who just want to treat themselves – can order his super-creamy cheesecakes in full and puck-sized versions, with vegan options to boot. And for dinner, you can pick up a flaky-crusted pot pie and a banana pudding that’d fool your Southern grandma, with vanilla wafers and the obligatory toupee of whipped topping.

The treat: The much-lauded cheesecakes are not dense but rather melting, creamy delights with seasonal surprises. Cold weather might see a maple-pecan crumble or apple-cider cake version with chunks of fruit. In the summer folks, rave about the blackberry and corn cheesecake, made with a puree of off-the-cob kernels, thyme and brown butter.

Details: Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at 4104 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland; www.crumbleandwhisk.com.

Little Sky Bakery, Menlo Park

For years, Tian Mayimin was focused on the law. Since 2017, it’s been all about leavening.

In the beginning, the self-taught baker delivered her naturally leavened breads, baked in her Menlo Park home kitchen, to neighbors. Then she became the darling of the Peninsula and South Bay farmers market circuit with her creative lineup of loaves. Next came pop-ups. And soon she set her sights on a dedicated brick-and-mortar.

Last March, she and her team opened a storefront location on Santa Cruz Avenue near the Caltrain station. Late in the year, she expanded the hours of their indoor pop-up at the State Street Market in Los Altos, all while maintaining a strong farmers market presence. They staff 16 markets every week, with four seasonal ones starting up again this spring.

With the expansions came more innovation. Pistachio Bundt Cakes and Caramel Nut Tarts for the holiday season. Roman-style flatbreads. Baozi, yeast-leavened, filled buns. Open-face lox sandwiches on European rye. Jalapeno Cheddar Rings. A signature Challah made with orange juice and honey and brushed with olive oil. And Volkornbrot, the hefty German loaf nicknamed the king of seeded breads. Some creations are available weekly; some rotate into the lineup.

The treat: The popular Raisin-Walnut loaves go fast. And keep your eye out for batches of the Provencal herbal flatbread called fougasse.

Details: Open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 506 Santa Cruz Ave. in Menlo Park, with a permanent indoor pop-up at State Street Market in Los Altos; https://littleskybakery.com/

European Delights, Walnut Creek

Since opening in July on Walnut Creek’s east side, this bakery has become a haven for European expats and others craving Italian coffee and classic pastries without gobs of frosting or other sugar bombs. From the open kitchen, Romanian co-owner and head baker Rica Zaharia, a native of Transylvania, greets customers with a smile and talks them through the day’s fresh bakes while the Lavazza brews on the counter.

The glass case holds a medley of goodies, like almond and honey shortbread, apple morning buns and giant, 7-inch cookies packed with caramel and chocolate chips. Some items, like the covri dog, a frankfurter wrapped in golden pastry dough, are a nod to Zaharia’s Romanian roots. Others are collaborations between Zaharia and staff baker, Vida. One such creation, the tiramisu cookie, features pastry cream sandwiched between soft, round ladyfinger-like cookies.

The treat: We’re big fans of the börek. Thin, flaky, phyllo-like pastry dough is filled with ham, vegetables, cheeses and other savory ingredients. Our favorite is the mushroom ($5), which has flecks of herbs and a distinct truffle flavor. Keep an eye out for heart-shaped treats in February.

Details: Open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 2 p.m. Sunday, at 2236A Oak Grove Road in Walnut Creek; https://european-delights.com.

Max’s Cakes, Hayward

This classic, family-owned bakery opened five weeks ago and has already added much-needed pizzazz to downtown Hayward. Horchata cheesecake and café de olla and buñelo cupcakes, nods to baker Max Soto‘s Mexican-American heritage, line the pastry case alongside cookies and brick-sized slices of his Instagram-famous layer cakes. Those cakes come in five flavors, including coconut cream, burnt almond and confetti, and are already proving to be top sellers.

After ordering your dessert, take a seat — or a selfie inside the giant picture frame against the white subway-tiled wall. Or spend some time admiring the historic black and white photos of downtown Hayward lining the walls. Soto appeared on Buddy Valastro’s “Big Time Bake” in 2020 and became the youngest contestant ever to win a “Food Network” competition. There are some pretty cute photos of him eating cake as a baby, too.

The treat: You have to get a slice of cake ($8). Two, actually. The 24-Karrot cake is super moist, topped with cream cheese frosting and brimming with shredded carrots and toasted walnuts. If you’re a lemon fiend, Lemon Supreme, a lemon cake layered with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream, is your jam.

Details: Opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday at 1007 B St., Hayward; https://maxscakesofficial.wixsite.com

Portuguese Tasty Desserts, Santa Clara

What’s new in Santa Clara is delightfully old school: a bakery specializing in nostalgic Portuguese recipes that made their way from the Azores to the Bay Area many decades ago.

When Teresa and Nelio Defreitas retired from school district careers (she as a kitchen supervisor, he as a campus maintenance manager), they decided to resurrect her parents’ Portuguese Bakery, which had been in business locally for more than 40 years. They found a spot and opened a year ago.

“This is what we love to do, especially the interaction with the customers,” she said. “We have such an amazing mix in this community.”

Customers come from as far away as Sacramento for the pillowy Portuguese sweet bread, pastel de natas (custard tarts), rice pudding, a rich, smooth flan and other goodies. The malasadas — the Portuguese doughnuts so popular in Hawaii — are available in 12 flavors (including guava and custard) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Know you won’t have time to cook for that upcoming potluck? They will bake to your specifications. “Bring me your Pyrex dish and I’ll fill it up with rice pudding,” Teresa said.

The old-school touches extend beyond the recipes. Walk in and you’ll be welcomed, as all customers are, with a complementary cup of coffee, sweet bread samples and conversation. You won’t walk out empty-handed.

The treat: Biscoitos, the not-too-sweet cookie rings, come in almond, lemon, cinnamon, anise, chocolate and other flavors and are perfect for dunking in coffee or snacking.

Details: Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 1085 El Camino Real, Santa Clara; www.facebook.com/PortugueseTastyDesserts/.

Simurgh, Emeryville

If you took a bagel, crusted it in sesame seeds and stretched it out like one of those old-timey hoops kids pushed with a stick, you’d get simit. Every Turkish city has shops hawking simit – and around here, there’s no better place to try them than Hatice Yildiz’s cafe that opened on San Pablo Avenue in late 2022.

A daughter of Istanbul restaurateurs who took an interesting journey to baking – she got a PhD in religious studies in Berkeley – Yildiz makes simit that’s crackling outside, soft and stretchy inside and kissed with the smoke of the oven. Order it with lox and cream cheese or, more traditionally, with tahini and grape molasses. There’s charred-top rice pudding, too, and baklava with housemade phyllo and imported “emerald” pistachios, famous for their startling green hue and nutty-fresh taste. Try the chocolate version, whose honey and bitter cocoa notes somehow improves on the original.

A heartier bite can be found in boreks, quichelike pies with fillings of goat cheese, mushrooms and kale, and stuffed eggplants that were sun-dried in Turkey. Yildiz plans to diversify her savory side this year with lahmacun, as well, a thin flatbread topped with minced beef, peppers and herbs and baked to perfection. (Just don’t call it “Turkish pizza.”)

The treat: The Russian/Ukrainian honey cake is a masterfully constructed slab of housemade graham crackers, condensed milk and brown butter. The sweet-sensory overload is like sticking your head in a honeybee hive, without the bees.

Details: Open daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at 4125 San Pablo Ave. in Emeryville; www.simurghbakery.com.

Forest & Flour, Fremont

Many Bay Area residents with dietary issues have found sweet salvation at Sway Soturi’s farmers market booths over the past few years. Now the San Jose wellness entrepreneur can offer a larger menu of organic and gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, soy-free and corn-free savories and sweets to a broader audience at her new cafe in Fremont’s Mission San Jose district.

“We try to make things that people would miss,” said Soturi, who started baking allergen-friendly fare for herself. Take, for example, monkey bread and soup. Her Monkey Party muffins are as ooey-gooey as expected, thanks to a coconut-sugar caramel. The creamy, satisfying Clam Chowder is made with chicken broth, coconut milk and cashews, which naturally add an interesting nutty tone.

You’ll also find gluten-free muffins (carrot, matcha and seasonal), baguettes, brioche, chocolate chip cookies and more. For lunch, she and her team offer congee and French toast too.

By the way, this greenery-filled cafe is located near Mission Peak, which is good to keep in mind if you need fuel for a trip up or replenishment after coming down.

The treat: The big hit is the aromatic Lavender-Lemon Bread. It’s available by the loaf or as a small toast order, with a side of locally made Rose Petal Jam. Soturi also showcases other like-minded Bay Area purveyors.

Details: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday at 43587 Mission Blvd., Fremont; https://forestandflour.com/.

Bake Sum, Oakland

As a kid, Joyce Tang loved to eat at bakeries in Oakland’s Chinatown. “When I got older, I didn’t really feel like I saw anyone iterating those types of flavors at the patisseries I’d visit around the Bay Area,” she says.

Her solution: Quit a Facebook job, land an internship at a three-star Michelin restaurant in Spain, then come back and start her own bakery specializing in memories from her childhood. The philosophy at Bake Sum is pastries should not just be beautiful (though they are, wonderfully so), but also meaningful to a staff of predominantly Asian and female bakers.

“We always try to find nostalgic flavors that speak to us and our upbringings,” Tang says.

Walk into the charmingly decorated shop in Grand Lake and you might see lilikoi “mochi bites” and loco-moco danish with a meat patty, gravy and runny egg. There’s a croissant and Spam musubi crossover called a “crusubi” and an okonomiyaki danish with garlic oil-roasted mushrooms, Kewpie mayo and furikake. It all sounds hearty, but with the skill of the bakers in making delicate, flaky doughs, you’ll be ready for seconds in no time.

The treat: The green-onion croissant is a popular offering that blends two styles of scallion pancakes from Northern and Southern China. It has a pleasantly bready, oily and crunchy exterior, with a soft interior of scallions, toasted sesame oil and sea salt.

Details: Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday and Monday at 3249 Grand Ave. in Oakland; www.bakesum.com.

Moves, expansions and other new-ish bakeries to check out:

Lolita Bakery Cafe: Silvia Leiva Browne has supplemented her Hillsdale Shopping Center location, which opened in 2018, with a larger retail shop where fans of Argentinean baked goods can find her alfajores, empanadas and more. 3790 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo; www.lolitaalfajores.com

Republic of Cake: This longtime Orinda bakery known for cupcakes moved to Danville in 2022, expanding its offerings to include more pastries, quiches, sandwiches and ice cream. 730 Camino Ramon, Suite 196, Danville; www.republicofcake.com

Wingen Bakery: Peek into a new bread room and enjoy extra seating with a bistro-style menu of breakfast and lunch items at this recently-expanded Livermore bakery known for bread and pastries. 50 S. Livermore Ave., Livermore; www.wingenbakery.com

Ono Bakehouse: The East Bay’s only dedicated Hawaiian bakery has been open since Dec. 2020 and continues to wow with malasadas, savory ham-and-pineapple buns and tropical Queen Emma cake. Best to pre-order. 1922 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley; https://ono-bakehouse.square.site

Sunday Bakeshop: StarChefs 2022 Rising Star Award winner Elaine Lau marries classic French training with the Asian flavors of her childhood for magically nostalgic treats that have mass appeal: White Rabbit cookies, a char siu croissant, Thai tea milk buns and halo halo cake are all stunners. 5931 College Ave., Oakland; www.thesundaybakeshop.com

“They’re still my customers,” says Soto, now 22. “They liked seeing a young entrepreneur doing his thing.”

But the road to pastry stardom wasn’t always sweet.

“I faced a lot of stigma when I was younger,” he says. “In school, I was told this was a job for a female, and that I should become a doctor or lawyer. That hurt a lot. But I never let it deter me.”

You might say he showed them. In 2020, at the age of 19, Soto became the youngest contestant ever to win a “Food Network” competition when he took top prize for a four-foot architectural masterpiece on “Big Time Bake.” Now, he’s just opened a brick and mortar bakery, Max’s Cakes, in downtown Hayward, selling his cookies, cupcakes, cake pops and classic layer cakes.

At the ribbon cutting, the city honored Soto for being the youngest homegrown entrepreneur and business owner downtown Hayward has ever had.

“Being able to open in my hometown and break these boundaries and stigmas has really been the cherry on top,” Soto says.

Located inside a former ice cream shop at 1007 B St., Max’s Cakes is polished yet distinctively old-timey. The interior is decked out in hardwood floors with black accents, including a monochromatic chandelier dripping with whisks. There’s a giant picture frame for selfies, historic photos of downtown Hayward and an overall family vibe, from the party-hatted baby pictures of Soto eating cake to the gaggle of Soto relatives working the cash register.

In the pastry case, snickerdoodle and chocolate chip cookies are displayed alongside horchata cheesecake, cinnamon-scented cafe de olla cupcakes, massive brownies and brick-sized slices of coconut cream, speckled confetti, luscious lemon and burnt almond layer cakes.

“We wanted to create an old-fashioned bakery with classic recipes and feel-good food,” he says.

The “we” is his family, including mom, Monica, and dad, Mario, who co-own Max’s Cakes and have always encouraged their son. Soto announced he wanted to be a professional baker when he was 9 years old. He started taking those custom orders at 14 and grew his skills, eventually mastering everything from a two-tier vanilla “Encanto” cake with strawberry filling to cakes replicating objects, like Air Jordans, a Louis Vuitton bag and a 1964 Chevy Impala.

“Any type of material I needed, any time of night, my mom would take me to Michael’s or Target, no questions asked,” he says.

The “Food Network” win and a subsequent appearance on Hulu’s “Baker’s Dozen” in 2021 fueled the custom cake business — and a two-year waiting list. On “Big Time Bake,” the producers nicknamed Soto The Cake Gangsta for his winning Roaring ’20s-themed speakeasy cake, complete with fondant money and a life-size tommy gun made of rice cereal. He got dinged on the cupcake round, though. His barrel-topped cupcake had too much whiskey.

“I was too young to taste it, unfortunately,” he says. “But the nickname stuck.”

The day he turned down 40 orders, Soto knew he had to open a bakery. It took two years to find the right location — he was determined to stay in Hayward — and get the family trained and ready to run a bakery. Soto’s best friend, Kristy, is the general manager, and his sister, Vanessa, and cousins help out, too.

“Food is such a big thing in our culture,” he says. “That’s how we show our love and get our comfort.”

Despite his early stardom and work ethic, it’s not “dessert mogul” that Soto sees in his future. It’s teaching.

“I want to teach young people how to bake and be a resource for them, so they feel supported to pursue their dreams,” he says.

Details: Opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday at 1007 B St., Hayward; https://maxscakesofficial.wixsite.com

The proprietor of Flea Street Café in Menlo Park, and before that Late For the Train, has always been committed to working only with chemical- and preservative-free food in her restaurants. As early as 1980, she got to know the farmers at the market in Palo Alto.

“Farmers have always been my best teachers,” says Cool. “You have to know where your food comes from and how it’s grown.”

Healthy food served simply and beautifully has always been her mantra, and it disturbs her greatly to see so many people in America suffering from “maladies that are food and environmentally related.” She points to diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure as part of the epidemic that stems from the fast food nation we’ve become.

“The level of obesity among those who cannot afford good food is mind-boggling,” she says. “We have to be more conscientious about the ethics of growing food, and how the people who grow it are treated. Food feeds our bodies. What goes into our food should be of utmost concern.”

Cool believes the entire food ecosystem deserves more understanding and respect from consumers.

“You have to treat people right, from beginning to end. Every person in the food chain is important,” she says. “The general public has to realize that you have to pay them a real living wage. The Western world decided that big cheap food was valuable. One of the good things that came out of COVID is all the focus on why people left industry: They were not paid enough and were treated poorly.”

Which leads to the current model of tipping at Flea Street, called Heart of the House. This novel byproduct of the pandemic shares gratuities equitably throughout the restaurant.

Cool and Chef Bryan Thuerk, who started working at Flea Street just prior to the pandemic, came up with the idea of splitting gratuities between the front of the house (waitstaff) and back of the house (kitchen staff). With nobody dining out and takeout suddenly the norm, she and Thuerk wanted to take care of their staff and keep as many people fed as possible.

“It was important to retain kitchen staff and keep their families fed,” says Thuerk. “We did not lose a single kitchen person, but we did lose service staff. They did not like the concept of sharing tips.”

Flea Street started adding a 20% gratuity to all to-go orders, just as they do to in-house dining experiences.

“We wanted our customers to have a special feeling when they opened their meals at home,” Thuerk says. “We put that that same level of effort putting that food in the box beautifully as we do plating in the restaurant. “

Cool says most of their service staff chose not to return when in-person dining resumed. “Some places started giving the kitchen staff 10% of the tips, but we thought sharing equally would be best. Our core value is that we treat everyone with respect. If you take care of the grower, the food preparers and the waitstaff, then the customer will be properly cared for.”

For Flea Street, the whole experience has been one of constant adjustment and tweaking. Is it working? “Yes!” says Cool enthusiastically. “We are fully staffed now and have really good people who we’ve trained over the last year in the ethics of thoughtful service. I looked up toward the end of December and I started seeing a new structure of consistency. We finally had enough staff to handle buyouts and events. During the pandemic, we could only handle parties of four.”

Thanks to finding enthusiastic young people she calls “rising young stars,” they now have a team that is willing to work hard and support each other.

Thuerk encountered a smart and welcoming young woman while picking up produce at a local market. “I asked her if she would be interested in being that first face that people see when they walk in the door. She is now our hostess.”

For Cool, witnessing the evolution is gratifying. “I go to every table and thank people; I ask if they feel cared for. Maybe they can overlook some of the technical aspects of service that simply come with experience, but the incredible kindness that everyone feels toward each other is just a beautiful thing. I have not been this happy in my business ever. I feel this model could change the industry.”

Flea Street Café, 3607 Alameda de las Pulgas, Menlo Park. https://www.cooleatz.com

In-N-Out will invest $125.5 million in the state, build a 100,000-square-foot regional hub in Franklin, a suburb of Nashville, and begin opening restaurants in 2026, according to a statement from the governor’s office.

At a press conference in Franklin, Lee appeared next to Snyder in a chef’s apron.

Snyder told The Tennessean, a Nashville newspaper, that she fell in love with the state at first sight on a road trip.

“We came here years ago actually east of the Smokies, but came back out to Pigeon Forge and Nashville and fell in love. There was one other state definitely interested and wanting us there, but we chose Nashville,” the Tennessean quotes her as saying.

She made news in November 2021 by taking a phone call with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Restaurant Business, a trade publication, reported that DeSantis invited In-N-Out to do business in his state and that the invitation was declined.

Tennessee is the farthest east In-N-Out has ventured, except for some pop-ups.

In-N-Out was founded in Baldwin Park by Snyder’s grandparents, Harry and Esther Snyder, in 1948 and has already begun planning its 75th anniversary celebration.

The Tennessee project will initially bring 277 jobs to the Volunteer State, according to the governor’s statement.

In a Twitter video, Lee praised In-N-Out as “a family company with a value system and a way of serving their customers that lines up just right here in Tennessee. And it means a lot of opportunity and a lot of jobs for a lot of Tennesseans.”

“Plus, we’re going to get to have Double-Doubles, fries and shakes right here in the great state of Tennessee,” he added.

Paris Baguette: This Asian-inspired Parisian bakery and cafe concept continues its Bay Area expansion with its first and only Contra Costa County location. Tri Valley and South Bay residents already have a taste for Paris Baguette’s large variety of fresh-baked breads, gourmet pastries — hello, curry croquette and sugar mochi doughnut — salads, gourmet sandwiches and cakes. Soon, you will, too. Opening: Mid-February. 124A/B Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill; www.parisbaguette.com

Morgan Territory Brewing: Tracy’s state-of-the-art craft brewery is making its way west. At the second location, you’ll be able to partake in a large and comprehensive program of award-winning beers, including porters, hazy IPAs, amber ales and much more. The Tracy location has Taco Tuesdays with food trucks and weekend events, too. Opening: Early summer. 14A Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill; https://morganterritorybrewing.com

Small Cakes: This small Danville bakery is bringing its wide variety of cupcakes and dessert jars to downtown Pleasant Hill. In addition to a rotating cupcake of the day, they offer a dozen flavors, some quite unique, including Caramel Crunch, Boston Cream Pie and Hot Fudge Sundae. They do gluten-free and minis cupcakes as well. Opening: April. 9B Crescent Drive, Pleasant Hill; https://smallcakesdanville.com

And then the man who would step away from his world-famous Los Gatos restaurant on Jan. 1, after 20 years in business, talked of the diverse California culinary industry’s boundless potential, adding: “You haven’t seen the last from me yet.”

Already, his next chapter is unfolding.

Kinch and his business and bakery partners will create the first restaurants for the North 40, the massive housing development rising up in Los Gatos on the northwest corner of Los Gatos Boulevard and Lark Avenue.

Harmonie Park Development announced Wednesday that it has agreed to terms with MB Partners — “spearheaded by world-renowned chef David Kinch, award-winning baker Avery Ruzicka and entrepreneur Andrew Burnham” — to lease a 7,100-square-foot building at The Junction, the name selected for a 66,000-square-foot culinary and retail center that will serve residents of Los Gatos’ newest houses, condos and apartments.

At this site, MB Partners will open:

— Their second location of Mentone, the Kinch restaurant with a France-and-Italy-meet-on-the-California-coast focus that opened in Aptos in 2020 during the pandemic’s early days.

— Another Manresa Bread bakery, the second for Los Gatos. MB was launched in 2013 as farmers market stands by Kinch and Ruzicka so that locals could buy breads they had enjoyed at the restaurant. The first brick-and-mortar opened in 2015. There are currently five: the Los Gatos flagship, Campbell (both are all-day cafes), Los Altos, Palo Alto and Santa Cruz.

— A yet-to-be-announced restaurant concept.

“Not only are MB Partners industry luminaries, but more importantly they were home grown right here in Los Gatos,” Don Capobres, principal and CEO of Harmonie Park Development, said in the press release. “They represent the artisanal ethos we are cultivating at The Junction. We are delighted to partner with them.”

Besides a large culinary and retail hall, Harmonie envisions The Junction featuring plenty of open space, with community gardens and meeting places for residents.

The first phase of the North 40 project was approved by the Los Gatos City Council in 2017, after years of debate over housing plans for what was the city’s last walnut orchard.

Details: 15011 Los Gatos Blvd., Los Gatos; https://junctionlosgatos.com/