Lines Are Out the Door for These Conchas, Cakes, and Masa Cookies

"Nostalgia runs deep at Comadre Panadería, Mariela Camacho’s Mexican American bakery in East Austin, where the pastry case is an ode to the pan dulce of her childhood reimagined with modern techniques and ethical sourcing. I find pillowy conchas topped with a crackly raspberry-chile shell, delicate heirloom corn–infused pink cakes crowned with Texas prickly pear buttercream and sprinkles, tender, crumbly mesquite pecan polvorones (vegan and gluten-free), airy sourdough focaccia drizzled with salsa macha, and showstopping viennoiserie like shatteringly crisp croissants stuffed with confit oyster mushrooms and her mother’s mole rojo; there are also glazed raspberry-guajillo masa cake doughnuts and a masa sugar cookie that balances toasted-marshmallow sweetness with a savory roasted-corn edge. I especially appreciate that the chocolate concha is studded with dark chocolate from Mexico City’s Chocolatería La Rifa and made with Texas-grown Sonora and Yecora Rojo whole-wheat flour, and that the bean-and-cheese empanada features pinto beans slow-cooked “like my mom makes them” and is served with her mother’s salsa. Camacho’s story—originally from Los Angeles, raised in a restaurant family, cutting her teeth in bakeries and restaurants before launching a pandemic-era pickup supported by a GoFundMe—shapes the bakery’s ethos: Comadre (a word that implies welcome and safety) is a space of resistance and reimagination where I see a deliberate commitment to heirloom grains, local organic ingredients, long fermentation, sustainability, and fair wages even if that means foregoing a glossy build-out; the result is food that feels warm and nostalgic while honoring nutritious, planet-friendly sourcing, and it draws a diverse crowd of families, grandmas, hipsters, and emo kids alike." - Raphael Brion