Let Them Eat Cake

Here's a shamless plug for Gayle's Bakery in Capitola, CA (http://www.gaylesbakery.com). Every time we visit the beach house in Santa Cruz, a morning trip to Gayle's is obligatory. It started out as one tiny store front a long time ago and has gradually expanded in an attempt to keep up with its success. This place is as close to pastry nirvana as you can get here on earth, and everyone has their favorites. Wynham lives for the egg and bacon croissant and Chloé favors the one with ham and cheese. The chocolate macaroons are my weakness, and James loves the bear claws. Claire always goes for the cupcake with frosting in various shades of sea green and an elegant souvenir fish on top. Jack's easy, he'll eat anything as long as you tell him it's a cookie...

If we have visitors (as we do this weekend), I like to get up especially early and make a run to Gayle's for "supplies". It's great when there are a lot of people at the house, because it gives me an excuse to buy one of everything for a sampling plate. This time, the Schnecken (pecan pie meets breakfast roll) wins the taste test hands down. We generally buy twice as much as anyone could ever really eat for breakfast, but mysteriously, over the course of the day, a mile-high platter of pastries is reduced to a tiny pile of crumbs. Those usually end up disappearing as well.

The sandwiches and salads bring the notion of a picnic lunch to new heights of euphoria. The cakes are works of art, inspiring "ooohs" and "aaahs" from even the most jaded chefs and gourmands. It makes me want to throw a party or a wedding, just for an excuse to buy one. Wynham peers over my shoulder as a write this, and says, "Oh, Mom, can we go there again tomorrow? It's SOOO irresistable! I could eat there every day without ever getting bored..." Of course, all this caloric excess is justified by the fact that we can "walk it off on the beach". If we can even move after all that eating...