(Mercury News & East Bay Times)

No. 1 PIEDMONT (15-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Update: Beat Castro Valley 85-22, Alameda 73-14, Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 80-37, Salesian 69-63.

Up next: Wednesday at Bishop O’Dowd, 5:30 p.m.

No. 2 ARCHBISHOP MITTY (14-2)

Previous ranking: 2

Update: Beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 65-45, St. Francis 79-30, Oakland Tech 68-60, Bishop O’Dowd 61-31.

Up next: Friday vs. Valley Vista-Surprise, Arizona, 7 p.m.

No. 3 SALESIAN (15-3)

Previous ranking: 3

Update: Beat St. Mary’s-Berkeley 74-40, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 52-39, Moreau Catholic 57-43. Lost to Piedmont 69-63.

Up next: Wednesday vs. Swett, 5 p.m.

No. 4 SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL (14-2)

Previous ranking: 4

Update: Lost to Archbishop Mitty 65-45. Beat Valley Christian 57-50, Menlo School 66-44.

Up next: Jan. 25 at St. Ignatius, 7:30 p.m.

No. 5 CARONDELET (17-3)

Previous ranking: 5

Update: Beat Bethel-Spanaway, Wash., 67-29, Lakeside-Seattle 56-40.

Up next: Today at San Ramon Valley, 7:30 p.m.

No. 6 OAKLAND TECH (13-5)

Previous ranking: 6

Update: Lost to St. Mary’s-Stockton 65-52. Beat Castlemont 72-16, Skyline 85-7. Lost to Archbishop Mitty 68-60. Beat Pinewood 69-59.

Up next: Friday vs. Oakland, 5:30 p.m.

No. 7 ACALANES (10-5)

Previous ranking: 7

Update: Beat Clayton Valley 95-19.

Up next: Wednesday at Northgate, 7 p.m.

No. 8 SAN RAMON VALLEY (15-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Update: Beat Dougherty Valley 67-35, California 68-39, Dougherty Valley 80-30.

Up next: Today vs. Carondelet, 7:30 p.m.

No. 9 BISHOP O’DOWD (10-5)

Previous ranking: 8

Update: Beat Castro Valley 67-41, St. Patrick-St. Vincent 59-53. Lost to Archbishop Mitty 61-31.

Up next: Wednesday vs. Piedmont, 5:30 p.m.

No. 10 PINEWOOD (5-5)

Previous ranking: 10

Update: Beat Priory 69-36, Moreau Catholic 58-56. Lost to Oakland Tech 69-59.

Up next: Today vs. Harker, 5 p.m.

No. 11 HERITAGE (13-3)

Previous ranking: 12

Update: Beat Freedom 68-49, Antioch 72-33.

Up next: Wednesday at Deer Valley, 5:30 p.m.

No. 12 MONTE VISTA (13-4)

Previous ranking: 15

Update: Beat Hayward 55-19, Dublin 76-39, California 66-46.

Up next: Today vs. Granada, 7 p.m.

No. 13 MIRAMONTE (16-2)

Previous ranking: 16

Update: Beat Las Lomas 58-18, Alhambra 63-38, Northgate 53-26.

Up next: Friday vs. Acalanes, 7 p.m.

No. 14 ST. PATRICK-ST. VINCENT (13-3)

Previous ranking: 18

Update: Beat Swett 77-28. Lost to Salesian 52-39, Bishop O’Dowd 59-53.

Up next: Today at De Anza, 7 p.m.

No. 15 PINOLE VALLEY (13-5)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat De Anza (forfeit), Swett 66-37, Priory 50-37.

Up next: Today at St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 7 p.m.

No. 16 LOS GATOS (12-3)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat Lynbrook 50-43, Palo Alto 55-44, Los Altos 47-29, Evergreen Valley 48-39.

Up next: Today vs. Saratoga, 7 p.m.

No. 17 PALO ALTO (10-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Update: Beat Saratoga 56-36. Lost to Los Gatos 55-44. Beat Monta Vista 54-45.

Up next: Thursday vs. Homestead, 7 p.m.

No. 18 MONTA VISTA (13-1)

Previous ranking: 13

Update: Lost to Palo Alto 54-45. Beat Leland 69-42.

Up next: Today at Homestead, 7 p.m.

No. 19 MOREAU CATHOLIC (9-7)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Update: Beat Mission San Jose 33-21. Lost to Pinewood 58-56. Beat Washington-Fremont 64-25. Lost to Salesian 57-43.

Up next: Today at American, 7 p.m.

No. 20 SAN LEANDRO (13-3)

Previous ranking: 20

Update: Beat Berkeley 52-49. Lost to Francis Parker-San Diego 42-41.

Up next: Thursday vs. Bishop O’Dowd, 6:30 p.m.

Teams eligible for the Bay Area News Group rankings come from leagues based predominantly in Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. For updated records, please email highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Pittsburg man Damond Lazenby Jr. disappeared Jan. 1 after his green Volkswagen was found abandoned with its engine running near a Highway 4 overpass at Port Chicago Highway in Concord.

After family members reported his absence, they marshalled multiple search parties to canvass roadways around the region up to Jan. 7, when Lazenby’s body was found on an embankment near the shoulder of eastbound Hwy. 4 between Port Chicago Highway and Willow Pass Road.

On Monday, the CHP’s Golden Gate Division posted a statement to social media saying that investigators believe Damond Lazenby Jr. was struck by the right front part of a dark-colored sedan whose driver fled the scene.

Investigators have yet to share additional details about Lazenby’s death, pending results of an autopsy.

Anyone with information may call the CHP’s 24/7 tip line at 707-917-4491.

Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.

None of the canines or felines were injured and they were taken into temporary custody by Contra Costa Animal Services Department officers,  authorities said.

Three residents of the two-story home on Barber Lane were able to get out on their own and one was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman Steve Hill said.

The fire started in the garage of the home about 11 a.m. and spread to the second floor, Hill said.  Flames and smoke were coming out of the house when firefighters got to the scene.

Firefighters discovered the animals when they made entry into the house and brought them outside, Hill said.

Hill said the fire was brought under control about 11:30 a.m.  No firefighters were injured.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. A damage figure was not immediately available.

Animal Services Lt. Alana Weissman,  said the dogs, including some puppies,  had been left in the care of the house residents about a week ago by their owner who lives out of the county. The owner was enroute to the house Tuesday afternoon to retrieve the dogs, she said.

She said animal services officers would remain on the scene to wait for the dogs’ owner to arrive.

She said officers  were “happy to come out and assist and give the animals a quick onceover to make sure they were healthy. They all look happy and healthy.”

Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) boys Athlete of the Week poll.

For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner.

This week, we consider performances from Jan. 9-14.

This week, polls close at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting.

Votes by email are not counted.

Scroll to the bottom for the poll.

Winners are announced each Friday online and, starting Sept. 30, in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections.

Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

We accept nominations until 11 a.m. each Monday.

We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps by coaches/team statisticians.

On to the nominees:

Alec Balica, Castro Valley soccer: The junior had himself a game against Encinal, scoring four goals to lead the Trojans to a 7-1 victory in West Alameda County Conference Foothill Division play. Balica continued his torrid play to open this week, scoring two goals Monday in a 4-0 win over San Leandro, which improved Castro Valley’s record to 6-2-3 overall and 4-1-1 in the league.

Josh Clark, Oakland basketball: The senior scored in double figures in both of the Wildcats’ victories in Oakland Athletic League play last week. He had 11 points in a 56-48 victory over Fremont-Oakland and 12 in an 81-43 rout of Skyline. Clark shot a combined 50% (8 of 16) from the field.

Andre Gonzalez Lombera, Menlo School soccer: The junior scored in the 75th minute as Menlo defeated The King’s Academy 3-2. He also scored twice in a 3-2 win over Crystal Springs and had a goal in a 3-0 win over Harker as the Knights improved to 3-0 in West Bay Athletic League play.

Max Houghton, Los Gatos basketball: Led the way with 17 points, six rebounds and six assists as the Wildcats defeated Los Altos 52-33 on Friday. Two days earlier, he had 18 points on 5-of-7 shooting — and 6 for 6 free-throw shooting — in a 60-41 victory over Palo Alto. Los Gatos ended the week 11-4 overall and 3-0 in its league.

Braddock Kjellesvig, Christopher basketball: The 6-foot-6 sophomore finished with 28 points on 10-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds as Christopher defeated Oak Grove 59-50 in a BVAL Mt. Hamilton East Division opener. The forward/center followed that game with 26 points and 15 rebounds on 13-of-15 shooting in a 67-42 rout of Santa Teresa on Friday as Christopher improved to 11-3, 2-0.

Samir O’Brien, Berkeley basketball: Coming off a tough loss to Alameda in league play on Friday, Berkeley bounced back on Saturday at its MLK Classic with a stunning 52-34 victory over seventh-ranked California as O’Brien led the Yellowjackets in scoring with 14 points. The result improved Berkeley’s record to 12-5.

Kiratraj Sanghera, American basketball: In a 55-52 victory over Mission San Jose, the 6-foot-5 junior had 24 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Earlier in the week, he filled the stat sheet with 31 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a 60-59 loss to James Logan. In the two games, he was 25 for 42 shooting (60%).

Gael Segura, Half Moon Bay soccer: The senior scored a goal and assisted on another as Half Moon Bay stayed red hot with a 3-1 victory over South San Francisco in Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division play. The Cougars began this week with a record of 10-0-2 overall and 2-0 in their league.

Tyler Suzuki, Leigh basketball: The junior shooting guard helped the Longhorns open BVAL Mt. Hamilton West Division play with two victories on the road. He scored 19 points in a 64-50 win over Independence and 14 in a 65-51 win over Piedmont Hills.

Angel Vasquez, James Logan soccer: The sophomore scored both of his team’s goals as James Logan beat Kennedy-Fremont 2-0 in a Mission Valley Athletic League match. The victory improved the Colts’ record to 9-5-1, 5-1.

Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) boys Athlete of the Week poll.

For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner.

This week, we consider performances from Jan. 9-14. Polls close at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting.

Votes by email are not counted.

Scroll to the bottom for the poll.

Winners are announced each Friday online and, starting Sept. 30, in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections.

Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

We accept nominations until 11 a.m. each Monday.

We also review stats submitted to MaxPreps by coaches/team statisticians.

On to the nominees:

Makiah Asidanya, Salesian basketball: Asidanya scored 14 points, had seven steals and handed out five assists in a league matchup against St. Mary’s Berkeley. Asidanya is committed to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. 

Trinity Chu, California basketball: The sophomore guard scored an efficient 22 points in the Grizzlies’ 60-32 league win over Amador Valley. Chu made 8 of 11 shots and contributed four steals on the defensive side too. 

Kiarra D’Arcangelo, Westmont soccer: D’Arcangelo scored a goal and had an assist in Westmont’s 4-1 win over James Lick. It marked the first time the junior had not scored twice in a game in which she found the back of the net. 

Madelyn Funk, Livermore soccer: Livermore’s junior goalkeeper helped keep another clean sheet during Livermore’s scoreless draw with Granada. According to stats inputted into MaxPreps, she has allowed only three goals in 495 minutes of play and has 31 saves. 

Audrey Le-Nguyen, Campolindo soccer: The senior was arguably Campolindo’s best player in last week’s thrilling 4-3 victory over College Park. She scored one goal and found her teammates for two additional assists. 

Amanda Muse, Heritage basketball: The Patriots’ senior center scored her 1,000th career point in a blowout win over Antioch last Friday. The UCLA commit became only the fourth player in the program’s history to reach that mark. Muse scored 17 in the game. 

Kori Pickelle, Santa Teresa soccer: The senior scored a hat trick (three goals) in Santa Teresa’s 4-1 win over Prospect last week. Earlier in the season, PIckelle had two goals and two assists in a win over Independence. 

Kennedy Schoennauer, Lincoln-San Jose soccer: The Utah commit has continued to have a banner senior season for the Lions. Schoennauer scored five goals in a win over Christopher, the third time she has reached that mark in a match this season. 

Quinn Shirley, Aragon soccer: The sophomore midfielder scored two goals in a 3-0 win over Capuchino. Shirley has three goals and four assists this season for a 6-1 Aragon team. 

For this point in the water year — which starts in October — the totals are around twice the average at many Bay Area spots. November was drier than normal, and December brought about double the average rainfall.

The totals below are from Dec. 1 to Jan. 16 at National Weather Service stations.

The site of the greatest reading, Uvas Canyon, is at 1,100 feet elevation near the Casa Loma fire station, about 2 miles east of Loma Prieta.

To the south, Mining Ridge, at 3,288 feet elevation in Big Sur, has recorded 84.16 inches from Dec. 1 to this week.

Read more: 35 key figures that sum up the atmospheric river blitz

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

National Weather Service predictions showed calm, chilly air Tuesday in the Bay Area. Highs in the mid-50s were consistent throughout, with San Jose, San Francisco and Oakland each expected to top out at 55 degrees. Overnight temperatures could drop to the mid-30s, however, accompanied by calm winds and a dry, rainless night.

Those showers should diminish by Thursday, however, as temperatures were forecast to drop to highs in the low 50s before slowly rising to the high 50s by Saturday, giving the Bay Area its first completely dry weekend of 2023.

Richard Raymond Klein’s scheduled 1:30 p.m. arraignment will come six days after he was arrested in Mexico by United States law enforcement officers, with help from Mexican police, on suspicion of the December murder in Suisun City.

Klein was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service while he was in Rosarito, just south of the U.S.- Mexico border and part of the greater San Diego-Tijuana region.

He was then transported back into the states and held for a time in San Diego, where he was arrested early Friday by Solano County Sheriff’s investigators and booked into custody later in the day.

Also, Klein was held on a felony warrant out of Contra Costa County on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of narcotics for sale, possession of a controlled substance while armed, and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

He remains in Solano County Jail without bail for the murder allegation and $450,000 in bail on the charges listed in the warrant.

Suisun City police said that at about 9:50 p.m. Dec. 15, a 37-year-old man was killed in the 1200 block of Potrero Circle.

Investigators, working closely with the Solano County District Attorney’s Office and the Major Crimes Task Force, were able to identify Klein as the suspect and locate him. He was taken into custody at about 11:15 a.m. Wednesday in Rosarito.

Klein was arrested on suspicion of the murder and likely will face additional felony charges once arraigned on Tuesday.

In a social media post last week, Suisun City police officials, saying the investigation remains ongoing and no more details would be released at this time, ask that anyone with relevant information about the December shooting should call 421-7373.

The Solano County Coroner on Monday declined to identify the second murder victim, saying his name was “protected” by the Suisun Police Department. Suisun City Police Commander Jeff Henderson did not return the Reporter’s request on Monday for more information.

A Solano County Superior Court judge in November ordered Klein to face a jury trial for the April shooting in Fairfield.

After a held-to-answer arraignment, Judge Robert Bowers told Klein to return to Department 15 in the Justice Building in Vallejo for the trial at 9 a.m. Jan. 25.  The judge also scheduled some pretrial matters, among them a trial management conference at 9 a.m. Jan. 23.

Klein, who is represented by criminal defense attorney Dustin M. Gordon of Vallejo, is accused of killing a man on April 21.

Court records showed Gordon submitted a motion for adequate bail and release on Nov. 10 and Klein submitted a fingerprint card and appears to have been released from jail on Nov. 14.

Arrested May 3 in the 1200 block of Vine Drive in Fairfield and booked into Solano County Jail, Klein is accused of fatally shooting Anthony Fuimaono, 56, of Fairfield, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Police records show that around 11:30 p.m. on April 21, a group had gathered outside a home in the 300 block of Manzanita Avenue.

An investigation revealed that an argument occurred and guns were drawn, police said. Fuimaono was shot during the chaos.

On May 5, Klein, a large man at 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 280 pounds, appeared in Department 11 in Fairfield for an arraignment on the charges. Solano County District Attorney’s Office filed its criminal complaint on May 5.

If convicted at trial for the April killing, Klein, who was convicted of a felony in 2006 in Contra Costa County, faces 25 years to life for the murder and likely more time for using a firearm and being a previously convicted felon.

The Oregon school’s resume included a win over Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth team and another over Texas powerhouse Duncanville, both at a big tournament in Oregon last month.

The team’s best player, point guard Jackson Shelstad, is headed to the University of Oregon.

Monday, at its annual MLK Classic, De La Salle ignored the hoopla and played its game. When it ended, the home team’s students stormed the court to celebrate a most memorable 63-53 victory.

Leo Ricketts, a 5-foot-10 guard, played like big red. The junior with bushy red hair buried four 3-pointers on his way to 17 points.

Alec Blair added 14 points and made Shelstad work for everything he got.

Evan Wells chipped in with 10 points.

And the team as a whole played textbook basketball down the stretch as it put away a game that was tied at halftime and De La Salle led by only a point through three quarters.

“I think we can play with anyone,” Ricketts said after being named the player of the game. “Our team, for sure, has the talent. I know we’ve put in the work. I am really confident in what we’ve done as a group.”

De La Salle didn’t match West Linn’s resume, one that included a 17-point rout of Sierra Canyon in December. Just last week, the Concord school lost an East Bay Athletic League game at Monte Vista.

The victory Monday improved De La Salle’s record to 15-4.

West Linn held De La Salle in check through the first quarter, which ended with the visitors ahead 11-5.

But Ricketts came off the bench to ignite the Spartans in the second quarter, scoring eight points in the period as De La Salle went to the locker room tied 25-25.

“He’s a really good shooter,” De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder said. “He had been struggling a little bit right before this game. He came in and he kind of changed the game. He totally did.”

The visitors immediately surged in front to start the second half as Shelstad nailed a 3-pointer and Sam Leavitt followed with another to make it 31-25.

Ricketts’ 3-pointer cut the margin to 37-36 and Blair scored in the paint to put De La Salle in front, 38-37.

Another 3-pointer by Ricketts broke a 42-42 tie.

De La Salle held the lead the rest of the way to ignite a celebration on the court and in the locker room, which was soaked with water after the team was done.

“I watched on film and was like, ‘We can play with these guys. I know we can,’” Schroeder said. “They’ve got a couple of really, really good players and they have really good players around them. But I knew if we executed on both ends of the court, we could be in the game.

“Obviously, it helps to be on the home court. All that stuff matters. Our students were awesome. The fans were awesome. We executed enough and we made shots, the second half especially.”

Shelstad led West Linn (13-1) with 20 points. Adrian Mosley had 17 points and Sam Leavitt finished with 12.

As big as the victory was for De La Salle, it has little time to enjoy it.

The Spartans — ranked third by the Bay Area News Group — return to EBAL play on Wednesday at home against second-ranked San Ramon Valley, which had started 15-1 before losing close league games last week to No. 1 Dougherty Valley and No. 7 California.

“I told the guys we’ve got a huge game Wednesday night,” Schroeder said. “They’re really good. They had a tough start. Played two really good teams, one at home, one on the road. We’ve got to be ready to go. It will be a battle.”