I usually don't eat very much bread in Tokyo—or really rice for that matter. But some of the bakeries here have the most delicious breads, so once in awhile I cave in. For breakfast this morning, I had this delicious artisanal walnut and currant bread with a fine cup of coffee at Levain Bakery near Yoyogi-uehara station. No butter necessary.

[1-2. c. lynn]

Treats from O-kitchen, Yoko Fujiyoshi's sweets manufacture in Tokyo. They serve up delicious baked goods from Be a Good Neighbor cafe in Shibuya.


Oh, and here's a Mont Blanc monster. Just for you!

[1-5. O-kitchen]

There are some beautiful pies to feast your eyes on over at the New York Times. As a member of Team Pie, I loved the title of the article, "Pie to Cupcake, Time's Up."

From top to bottom: Pecan Pie with Rye Crust, Date Butter Tart, Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie, Food Processor Apple Tart, and Apple Pecan Tart.

[1. Evan Sung for The New York Times, 2. Tony Cenicola for The New York Times, 3. Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times, 4. Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times, 5. Francesco Tonelli for The New York Times]

There's a small bakery in Brooklyn where they make fresh stroopwafel! If you are lucky enough to live nearby, you can find The Good Batch at the Brooklyn Flea or you can order some online here.

[1. the good batch]

A friend of a friend runs a bakery called Rise Up! Artisan Breads in southern Oregon as part of a sustainable cooperative or community supported agriculture (CSA) program at Full Bloom Farm. They bake in a Spanish wood-fire oven with organically-grown sprouted grains and offer the most delicious varieties of bread like sprouted walnut and apricot, olive, and a honey multigrain. At the moment, the breads are only available through the CSA, so if you live in the area, it's definitely worth it to join the CSA for the bread alone. The multigrain pictured above is moist without being too granular or dense and has a smooth crust with notes of honey and a satisfying nutty finish.

[1-2. c. lynn]

Thanks to M's suggestion, we tried St. Honoré Boulangerie in Portland, OR. I didn't manage to bring my camera in order to snap a photo, or maybe it was that I had it with me, but the croissants disappeared so quickly that there just wasn't time. In any case and for whatever reason I don't have any photographic evidence of the tastiest, flakiest, sweetest, buttery croissant, but I think you get the picture.

YUM.

[1. food_in_mouth]

Butter Lane Bakery on East 7th in the Village is sugary, buttery goodness. Focusing on dairy products from local farms, and with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, Butter Lane truly sets itself apart from your average fad cupcake-only bakeshop in NYC.

With a icing tasting bar at the counter--you can create your own flavor combination. Ask to find out their daily specials. When we went I had the Key lime cupcake and A had the banana cupcake with coconut icing (he had the winner).

[1. The New York Times]

There's a small bakery in Obama (小浜市), Japan, just a few blocks from the shore, where the air is sweet with French pastry. The shop is filled with warm light, and the walls are lined with wooden shelves, displaying breads and sweets. Each shelf is adorned with intricate concave wood carvings of flora and fauna--courtesy of the baker himself!

[1. c. lynn]

We spent a night at J and K's friends' place in the Ogikubo neighborhood of Tokyo. In the morning, K rode his bicycle over to the French ex-pat bakery and picked up some sweet and savory breakfast treats.

[1-3. c. lynn]