New San Rafael bakery a sweet addition
A croissant at its jagged, distinguished best can be tough to find. I was lucky enough to spend a few days in Paris last year, and even in that mecca of divine viennoiserie, I found the quest had its challenges (and myself spoiled by the top-notch laminated artistry at San Francisco's Arsicault bakery that's much closer to home).
But city detours have diminished with the October opening of small gem of a bakery and café, Sweetly Cali Desserts, in downtown San Rafael, where croissants marry the perfect elements — flaky layers of buttery pastry dough, a crunchy bite but forgiving interior, and the aftereffect of glistening fingers and crumbcovered attire.
East Bay native and pastry chef Glenda Sagucio opened the cheerfully pink Fourth Street shop four months ago with her sister and business partner Maria Sagucio, and the twice-baked almond, Valrhona chocolate banana almond and blackberry almond croissants made with European butter aren't all that the California Culinary Academy graduate and Bellouet Conseil Paris-trained pastry chef has been finessing.
Customizable Belgian Liège waffles are made to order and served plain or topped with house-made hazelnut or pistachio butter, strawberries, sliced banana, toasted almonds or pecans, chocolate sauce or edible gold leaf or both.
The brownie and cookies (milk chocolate chip and macadamia white chocolate chip) come with or without vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.
Open-faced “toasties” are made on bread from Acme Bread Co. in Berkeley and layered with avocado, lemon and farmers market micro herbs; smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber and dill; or brie cheese with honey truffle or basil and tomatoes.
On the unleavened side of the menu are an assortment of smooth panna cotta in a medley of subtle flavors that change with the seasons. These come in 9-ounce labelled containers, and depending on the day, might include vanilla bean (regular or keto version), ube, mango, black sesame, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, coffee, coconut, mango, cinnamon, matcha strawberry and dragon fruit. These and her creamy pistachio and hazelnut nut butters are colorfully labelled and neatly stacked behind the counter and may soon be found on local grocery store shelves.
Coffee, tea and espresso drinks made with beans from Seattle-based Broadcast Coffee compliment the pastries or refresh with a house mango or lavender lemonade.
Prior to landing her own shop, Sagucio provided catering services to tech companies in Silicon Valley and at events such as the Mill Valley Film Festival as well as made appearances at FoodieLand Night Market in Berkeley and Marin's TreasureFest.
When she applied for a space at the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM) farmers market in San Rafael and one wasn't available, Sagucio took a spot at the Hayward location while continuing to look for a permanent place to expand her business and further share her passion and craftsmanship.
“Every year, something was leading us to this location,” she says about the former Rocket Roll sushi where they undertook a full remodel last year, dousing it with fresh, whimsical flair including a faux flower wall and adding a few mini tables with chairs by the front window.
Sweetly Cali is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays through Sundays at 1109 Fourth St. in San Rafael. Find the menu, place orders and inquire about catering at sweetlycali.com or call 415-717-8557.
Novato eateries
Local Kitchens, a smallscale food hall co-founded in 2020 by former DoorDash colleagues Jon Goldsmith, Andrew Munday and Jordan Bramble, expanded its Northern California footprint on Monday with the opening its 10th Northern California location in Novato. This follows its arrival in Mill Valley in October.
“We've served many Novato residents (in Mill Valley) who tell us they are looking forward to having Local Kitchens much closer to their home,” says chief executive officer Jon Goldsmith through a company spokesperson.
The something-for-everyone concept entices diners with a diverse set of fast-casual restaurants under one roof. The objective is to appease a range of preferences in a single stop where you can place an order and eat there, or have your meal packaged for takeout or delivery.
Each restaurant licenses menu items to Local Kitchens and trains the chefs and staff on location to prepare the dishes to order in the onsite kitchen. This serves the company's mission to help restaurant brands extend their reach while providing a convenient and diverse number of dining options within surrounding communities.
In Novato, take your pick from eight Bay Area eateries — Oren's Hummus (hummus bowls, falafel, pita sandwiches, Mediterranean plates, salads); The Melt (burgers, macaroni and cheese, tomato soup, grilled cheese); Sushirrito (sushi burritos and bowls); Proposition Chicken (fried chicken sandwiches, salads and entrees); Rooster and Rice (Thai chicken and rice bowls); Humphry Slocombe (San Francisco gourmet ice cream in pints); Pressed (coldpressed juices) and Milk Bar (pies, truffles, cookies).
Local Kitchens is open from 11 a.m. to midnight daily at 880 DeLong Ave. in Novato. Place orders at localkitchens.com, on the mobile app or at one of the in-store kiosks. A
grand opening celebration with ribbon-cutting ceremony starts at 10:15 a.m. Saturday. The first 50 guests in line receive a free Sushirrito Sumo Crunch burrito. On Sunday, the earliest arrivers get a free MeltBurger from The Melt.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@ gmail.com with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more on local food and updates on the launch
of The Real Deal Marin restaurant search guide.