Starter Bakery — Restaurant in Oakland

Update April 2024: Split a half-size quiche for lunch - so buttery with perfect pastry and veggies. Also split a mille feuille and hello, I can eat these forever.

Finally got to try Starter Bakery at its new location in Rockridge, across the street from Zachary's Pizza. We're no longer local, and I miss being able to order from them like I did all the time during the pandemic! Our picks from this trip were delightful.

The chocolate tarte was so chocolatey and citrusy good with lots of textural differences in a mousse-like base. More, please. Next was one of their new signature items: the cardamom pistachio twist with apricot. Flavors were restrained but not subtle, and the glaze involved was very light. A pleasant alternative to an overwhelming sticky bun.

The savory puff pastry was mostly potatoes with bright and lively herbs and mornay sauce baked inside. Really satisfying. The twice-baked almond croissant—of these offerings, it's the least exciting, but compared to pretty much any almond croissant elsewhere, it's amazing. The crisp crunch of the croissant layers, overflowing almonds and powdered sugar, all make for a great...

I was only able to try the ham and cheese croissant, the normal croissant, and ciabatta because that’s what was left at 10am on Wednesday (no kouign amann!).

Ham and cheese croissant: 1/5. The croissant was so overloaded it was soggy. It had a bunch of ham, a bunch of cheese, and on top, it had what felt like a french onion soup sauce - a bechamel with sautéed onions. Hard no from me on that, it was way too much for what is supposed to be a simple classic! And it was so soggy, destroyed the purpose of having it be in a croissant. Perhaps it would be better with bread instead. My favorite ham and cheese croissant in the east bay is at Firebrand.

Normal butter croissant: 5/5. Delicious, decadent, soft on the inside crisp on the outside, exactly what you’d want from a large croissant. On par with the best in the bay.

Ciabatta: 5/5. Best ciabatta ever! And definitely super fresh. I prefer it to all the ciabatta I’ve had in the bay.

When I went, the line was about 15 people long and it was freezing outside. I cannot imagine what it’s like on a weekend morning. It seems like every single person in the area read that...

If you’ve enjoyed Starter Bakery croissants and breads often disguised in sandwiches at your favorite local coffee shop or deli, you can finally indulge in the whole French inspired collection at their first recently opened retail bakery on College Avenue, Oakland. The delicious multigrain bread is now available freshly baked daily, coated in crunchy grains and seeds, and, unlike many other brands of whole grain breads, has a healthy mix of seeds, like flax and grains kneaded inside. Owner, Brian Wood, was probably the first baker to introduce the now ubiquitous Kouign Amman to the Bay Area. He developed his own version inspired by visiting patisseries in Paris. These super buttery folded pockets lend themselves to a daily inspiration of sweet inserts squeezed into the center, from raspberry to chocolate to apricot jam. A knot of chocolate infused Babka tastes exactly like the New York favorite only personal sized. Other offerings include gorgeous cakes and pies all with a refined emphasis on particular flavors. It’s worth the trip to get the best of Starter’s offerings fresh from...