Creuset L.
Yelp
i'm quite an expert yelper--so i can only give sonoma bakery at bondi beach five of the ten stars.
just kidding! i mean--some of you were getting all huffy weren't you? well, let me just tell you, i'd give the sonoma bakery six stars if i could. but a one point deduction for serving typically australian bacon.
ok--yes, disclosure--i am from the US. we did elect trump. so by all means, we clearly are not perfect. but when it comes to bacon... let me explain it this way--if you watch a tv show or movie, and there's a prisoner on death row--and they ask "what will you be having for your last meal, bubba?" and he says "bacon. lots of bacon." i bet the good, kind people sitting in their living rooms in australia (and canada) are befuddled by bubba. "did he say BACON?" well, if you grew up with maple sizzling bacon--you'd understand. yes, it's so good that it is often used by the CIA to break vegans after a long bout of deprivation and to elicit confessions about where the soy is stashed.
ok, but beyond the aussies not knowing the joys of true, cured pork belly, i mean everything this bakery serves is simply delicious. in some ways, it's everything you expect of a standard pastry/toast but exceedingly well executed. it doesn't try to be too crazy or innovative--it knows the main stream and makes sure it tastes elegantly satisfying.
i've asked the super caffeinated and friendly people there what to order. they are darlings. but everything they've suggested is never quite as fantastic as just stuff i order off the menu or that looks good in the case. after 4 days of eating there:
absolute favorites:
eggplant, sundried tomato sandwich (pre-prepared) [and i'm not vegetarian but] the flavors were entirely satisfying and my palate was extremely pleased all around
avocado toast (avo toast). as good as it gets. worth every dime of its reasonable price
muffins. i am extremely picky about muffins, but these are moist but not underdone. the berry one is the one i like better than the carrot one, but i would not shun either from my table or bed any night. menage maybe?
ham and cheese croissant. i think the aussies must grow seeds like weeds out here, because every time i get something seeded here, it makes the americans look like stingy seed hoarders awaiting the climate apocalypse. the seeds are generous, and when warmed/toasted up, they really blossom with flavor. please always say yes when they ask to warm it up. and eat it soon.
bread loves--they sell all sorts of sourdough. the crumb--or the holes--are not too big (which we often see in artisan loaves) or too small. they're are simply perfect and surprisingly uniform. it is both light and substantial--and if you've ever made bread, you realize this loaf is the one that illustrates the magic of what flour, water, and yeast can achieve. often in the evening i find myself regretting i didn't get a loaf before they closed.
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as for the things we think are solid but we won't be going back for (because we want to focus on the above list):
poached eggs on toast. just ok but especially not great on takeaway.
danish and mini danish (looks great though with the big fruit on top)
and did i mention as an american, nothing gives me more of a feeling of superiority than the bacon they serve at sonoma?
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it is daring to call your restaurant after a gem of a wine region in california. but in this case, it's entirely appropriate. when planning your stay in bondi, perhaps consider mapping all the airbnbs within a 600 foot radius from this bakery. you will thank me later.