Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Let's Go Pronto to Porto's

Entering Porto's Bakery, you'll get a twinge and wish you still had a 7th birthday to celebrate. Would you want the cake with the palm trees and tropical fish? Howabout the one with an all-girl rock band firmly planted in dense buttercream? Or maybe you'd like to pretend your cake was a pinneapple under the sea with Spongebob Sqaure Pants?

I was too excited about the potato balls (left) to take a good picture of the napoleon (right)

The sandwich-side of this bakery in Glendale usually has a long, but fast moving line for ordering sandwiches and individual desserts, so you have some time to watch the families bustling about on the other side of the room picking up their cakes. Just as I start to wonder how on earth they transport the behemoths home, it's my turn to order at the counter and I'm presented with a dilemma: what kind of pork sandwich do I want today? Most often, I go for the basic sandwich cubano which includes not one, but two kinds of pig (ham and roasted pork), plus Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, and pickles. Served with a side of mediocre plantain chips, this glorious sandwich will only set you back a little over $3.

Of course, since this is a bakery, a dessert is a must. This Saturday, J and I shared a Dulce de Leche Napoleon, the type of dessert I normally shy away from. My post-meal sweets motto is the simpler, the better. This fancy-schmancy napoleon, however, is an exception to the rule. Alternating layers of crispy pastry and creamy, carmelized, milkyness combined into a sublime treat--not too heavy, not too sweet. J barely got a bite!

Porto's Bakery
315 North Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA 91203
818.956.5996

6 comments:

Anne said...

I must ask- how are the potato balls? They look dangerous to someone like me who would probably fall in LOVE with them.

Erin S. said...

TAG--the potato balls are fab. They are filled with mildly spiced ground beef. Somehow, they seem light and fluffy when ya eat them...

Allison said...

did you try the ham croquetas? they were my favorite thing in cuba where the cuban food is really not so hot these days due to low supplies, etc. i, too, enjoy the potato balls from portos!

Carrie said...

It's funny you just wrote about Porto's, because I just visited for the first time last weekend! I just went for the bread--two loaves of sourdough to bring to a party in Ojai. The bread was a huge hit, coupled by the fact there are no bakeries in Ojai, but it was crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Absolutely wonderful!

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