The beauty of being a Dessert-o-phile is you can spend a little or you can spend a lot and still find your bliss. As much as we enjoy (and justify) the occasional five-star meal, we're frugal at heart, so we consulted our friend Annie Korzen, actress and author of the book "The Bargain Junkie: Living the Good Life on the Cheap" to get her recommendation on discount desserts.
"I was asked to bring home-baked cookies to a 'cookie swap' Christmas party," she responded. "Not being much of a baker myself, I headed for Diamond Bakery on Fairfax. Their breads and cakes are sold to supermarkets all over LA, but there's nothing like getting it at the source. Baked goods that have been sitting on a shelf wrapped in plastic just don't have the same oomph as freshly bought right out of the oven. My choice was a pound of rugala - the flaky little pastries made of cream cheese dough with a variety of fillings: walnut, chocalate chip, dried fruit, etc. At seven bucks a pound, this was a real deal!"
We trust Ms. Korzen, a native New Yorker, to know her bargains and baked goods, and were so intrigued by the tip we went to investigate Diamond Bakery for ourselves on a rainy afternoon. When we entered, the dour counter lady was taking a break on a cracked vinyl bench and answered our questions tersely, as if she expected us to flash our badge and haul her to the Gulag any moment. We couldn't blame her - the bakery is lit like an interrogation room. And don't expect decor - there is none. But after tasting the Racetrack - a multi-layered soft, gooey, chocolate and cinnamon pastry drenched in more chocolate and studded with chocolate chips for $3/lb, we didn't care.
"You're lucky it's raining," Ms. Personality growled. And we were - usually Diamond Bakery is crowded and popular items sell out quickly, most notably their famous New York corn rye and Granny bread. We saw shelves filled with cookies - all for $7/lb - chocolate chip, turtle, Florentine, Linzers, and the above-mentioned rugula. Also sold by the pound are the Russian coffee cake ($3) and the raspberry nut cake ($5.) There are individual pound cakes in various flavors for $6 each, and on this "lucky" day the blueberry was a mere $2.50. Sugar-free items were available as well - a nice looking six-inch cheesecake was offered for $5.
As we were leaving we noticed eclairs, rumballs, tiramisu, and eight-inch layer cakes in another case by the door. We asked the Hallmark Lady about the price of the cakes. Shrug. "It depends." Good answer. This place is a true bargain. The pastries are cheap. The attitude is free.
Info: Diamond Bakery (323) 655-0534, 335 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles 90036 (north of Beverly Blvd.)
Hours: Mon-Sun 7am - 6pm
Note: Quoted prices are not guaranteed.
Coming soon - Dessert Girl's interview with HGTV's Suzanne Whang and Valentine's Day chocolates!
If you would like an email alert for future articles, please subscribe.
Comments
I should have prepared you for the acerbic women. They are actually great characters with hearts of gold in spite of the gruff exteriors. If you enter into a personal conversation with them, they will open up very generously. It's actually part of the reason I like going there. Give them another try!
And we should have prepared you for this acerbic woman! Perhaps we should have made clear how amused we were by this gal - she added to the charm and character of the place. We will definitely be going back - did we mention how much we loved the Racetrack pastry - one slice was @$1 and was one of the best lunches of recent memory.
To all our readers regarding our propensity for sarcasm - when reading this column remember to add two grains of salt, shake vigorously, and forward to all your friends and ask them to subscribe.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!