Here in the Bay Area, we know a stand-out bakery when we see one. Glass cases and counter tops display the day’s pastries like works of art, and the shelves are lined with just-baked loaves of bread. There might be a corner table beckoning you to stay awhile, order a warm drink and make your brownie last. Or perhaps you’re ducking into a pop-up for a malasada on the run.
Either way, if you weren’t a dessert person before this, you will be after reading this take on the region’s hottest new bakeries — from a Walnut Creek shop crafting Romanian specialties to an Oakland cheesecake house and a Santa