
5

"Hip-hop-themed cinnamon rolls take center stage at this family-run Sherman Oaks bakery from Lindsay and Lawrence McDonald and their 13-year-old son, Dominic, who built a following at pop-ups and Downtown’s Smorgasburg before charmingly reworking a former juice shop at Van Nuys and Ventura Boulevards. Most rolls use organic cream cheese icing; go for playful tributes like the classic Big Poppa cinnamon bun (named for Biggie Smalls), the LL Cool J topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Reese’s peanut butter icing, the Drake with thick swirls of icing and a vanilla Oreo cookie crumble, an Eminem piled with milk chocolate M&M’s, and Cardi B’s brioche roll with butter pecan sauce, cream cheese icing, and walnuts, with gluten-free cinnamon rolls available on a limited basis. Expect cream cheese frosting–covered desserts studded with Cinnamon Toast Crunch or morsels of mango sticky rice, settle into indoor or outdoor seating in the east-facing, sunlight-filled space to watch the Boulevard pass by, and take a moment to appreciate the centerpiece mural by Los Angeles artist Phill Bourque showcasing Tupac, Nipsey Hussle, Dr. Dre, LL Cool J, and Lil Wayne." - Mona Holmes