Daniel Dulitz

Review of Grain D'Or bakery

Apparently this outpost of Andersen Bakery opened ...

Apparently this outpost of Andersen Bakery opened here in early 2008, but I only discovered it a few weeks ago. It's in a really run-down strip mall. The strip mall is unfriendly and uninviting with no people walking around, but going into Grain D'Or is like going to another world. It's warm, cozy, and spacious, with relaxing music and a good color palette -- in other words it's a great place to hang out. There are plenty of staff, and they're very friendly and helpful. The smells are of baking breads and brewing coffee, and it feels like it was lit by an experienced lighting designer, not a summer intern.

The breads and pastries are great: flaky croissants, moist rolls, awesome sandwiches. The an pan is the best I've had in Northern California: a slight crispiness on the surface, which leads to soft bread and a tasty red bean filling. Everything is very clean and beautifully presented.

It's easy to get here from 85 or 237, there's the fabulous Chaat Paradise, a Nijiya market, and a 24-hour Walgreens in the same strip mall, and there's an In-and-Out Burger a block away.

Also, the Stevens Creek Trail was recently extended to El Camino Real, and Grain d'Or is only a 5 minute walk north on El Camino from that trail entrance. If you're biking to downtown Mountain View and want a change of pace, take a relaxing ride a bit farther along the trail and try this out.