PieFest, Wayward Bakery, and a New Cafe in Town

In May I spent time in Baywood, a small unincorporated community just south of Morro Bay. When my husband first suggested coming here, I was less than enthusiastic because I was craving a tropical beach with soft sand and gentle, warm surf. Little did I know that I would fall in love with this special place. 

It didn’t hurt that one of my very favorite bakeries, Wayward, is a stone’s throw from Baywood, in Los Osos. I have been going here for years, and I cannot believe I haven’t written about it before. Twice I’ve gone to Wayward with my dear friend Lynne. Each time we became overwhelmed when it was our turn to order, and we ended up getting enough food for four people. This is because everything in Wayward’s case and on cooling racks looks delectable. I have enjoyed a number of delicious toasts on fantastic sourdough bread, including lox with the works, and excellent pastries. 

Lynne and I set up our table to share everything when we eat together.  One morning she ordered an especially tasty, flaky scone, filled with cheese and fresh herbs. I had not been an active participant in the cruffin fad from a few years ago, but I made an exception when I saw the one on offer at Wayward. Boy, was that a good decision since it was piped with Nutella and had a slice of banana atop a swirl of whipped cream. Insane.  I had to tear myself away from an employee working with huge chunks of chocolate ganache in order to return to that day’s feast. Always on the lookout for my ideal coffee cake, I got a generous chunk to share with Lynne. The cake was moist and they were not stingy with the warmly spiced crumble. Tragically, Wayward was closed on the days of my most recent stay. 

A few months ago I was thrilled to learn on one of my favorite podcasts, KCRW’s Good Food, that PieFest would be returning to Los Angeles. I immediately contacted my LA friend Kristy, asking if she wanted to go. She enthusiastically responded: “Are you kidding me? There’s only one answer to something called PieFest! Sounds great!” 

So we made the five minute commute from her house to the Gene Autry Museum in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. I am so glad we arrived early, as the two huge tents where participants displayed their pies became increasingly crowded. We were in awe of the visually stunning creations on display made by home bakers. Even if we didn’t get to taste them, viewing them was extremely satisfying. What wasn’t as pleasing was my savory pie from a food truck that day. However, Kristy wisely waited in line for some of the best dumplings I have ever tasted.

Before the pie awards ceremony, I attended two demonstrations by a couple of renowned bakers. Former PieFest winner Nicole Rucker showed how she made her famous pie crust– in a stand mixer no less! This was a revelation to me since I had always heard crusts needed to be manipulated very lightly and slightly with cool hands. She disabused me of this notion by using a KitchenAid mixer to make a gorgeous, flaky crust in minutes. This feat was especially impressive given the high temperature that day. 

The second expert baker, Roxana Jullapat, focused solely on ways to crimp pie crust edges. I was not the only one who was interested in this niche skill! She expertly turned one round, flat disk of dough after another into beautiful pieces of art. Overall, Kristy and I agreed that it was a splendid day.

In other baking news, there is a new cafe in Santa Barbara where I plan to enjoy many more meals and desserts. For now, I will say that I was very impressed during my first visit to Brass Bird in the San Roque neighborhood. It was one of those afternoons when I had waited too long between meals and was so hungry I could not make a decision. Fortunately for me, the cashier recommended the wild mushroom and fontina toast. This was an excellent choice: meaty, luscious mushrooms were sauteed to browned perfection and were topped with a luscious layer of melted fontina cheese, lightly seasoned with fresh thyme.The vehicle for all of this savory deliciousness was a fluffy, thick slice of focaccia, lavished with a generous drizzle of olive oil. I relished every bite while reading one of my very favorite food magazines, Cherry Bombe. 

Though I was quite sated after this repast, I couldn’t pass up a trip to the dessert case, stopping along the way to chat with the friendly, inspired owners. They informed me that all of the sweets are made in house by talented bakers. As a result, I felt compelled to get a fat slice of the layered cake, featuring lychee and raspberries. Later that afternoon, I made a cup of tea and sat down with this heavenly dessert. I’ve already fessed up to my unhealthy love for cheap grocery store buttercream in this space. Yet you readers also know that I am more fond of a silky smooth meringue buttercream and this baker aced it. Along with the buttercream, between the layers was what I can only describe as clear lychee jelly that brought to mind one of my favorite flavors: elderflower. Fresh raspberries added a hint of tartness to a stellar cake. I am eager to try more of the food and the beautiful, tasty sweets at Brass Bird very soon.