BADOLINA BAKERY & CAFE
The gist: This fresh-looking contemporary Israeli bakery and cafe in Rice Village spotlights the singular pastry and breadmaking talents of Michal Michaeli. She made the bread service at sibling Doris Metropolitan steakhouse a Houston landmark.
The hook: Seldom have savory pastries been so exciting in Houston, a city in which the baking arts have finally begun to bloom. Every morning brings fresh surprise: A 6-minute egg shimmers like a flower atop a saucer-shaped field of spinach and feta; deeply caramelized onion, tomato and eggplant ride a focaccia raft; spicy shakshuka hides inside an envelope of soft, chewy dough. The sweet pastries gleam like luxury watches in their glass case, the espresso drinks are rich and strong. And the bread loaves, nested in round wall alcoves, are a multi-textured festival of seeds and unusual grains.
What to order: Spinach and cheese burekas; open-face focaccia; cardamom twist; cheesecake slice; Crioche, a buttery spiral mined with fresh strawberry and vanilla bean; seeded sourdough loaf; flat white.
Outdoor option: A delightfully landscaped front patio feels almost European.
5555 Morningside, 832-649-5909; badolinabakery.com