| Bite into something soft and spicy |
Hey, we've always had a sweet spot for cinnamon rolls in Fat City and why not? It doesn't matter if the weather is frigid or warm, these soft, yeasty pastries are a great way to begin any day.
For a true cinnamon roll fan, just the fragrance can be as alluring as an expensive perfume. One morning I was dropping my dog off at the vet, a couple of blocks from the Sweet Guy shop in Waldo (7439 Broadway). I couldn't believe the aroma of the freshly baked rolls was wafting as far as two blocks away, but the scent was like a siren song. I hopped in the car and drove straight to the venue and ordered two of the rolls.
Sending out the aroma is the same technique employed by the old T.J. Cinnamon's store in the Ward Parkway Shopping Center. At that much-touted but ill-fated venture, the rolls always smelled much better than they tasted and were a classic example of the theory that sometimes bigger isn't always better.
There are exceptions to this rule. The one-pound cinnamon roll at Chacko's Bakery, for one.
But this Mission bakery also makes a variation on the cinnamon roll
theme called a Downtowner: a slightly smaller yeast roll heavily dusted
in a combination of granulated sugar and cinnamon. It's pretty
sensational with a cup of coffee (the secret is to warm up the pastry
in the oven for a few minutes before slathering it with butter).
Cosentino's Brookside Market sells its own version of a Downtowner. One employee says it's the best-selling breakfast pastry in that particular refrigerated case. Like the Downtowner, the Cinnamon Button (which sounds like a recipe by Alice B. Toklas) is heavily crusted with a cinnamon-sugar crust that's slightly salty and sweet.
For a cinnamon roll that promises to be a real religious experience: The Nativity of Mary Church at 10010 E. 40 Highway in Independence will be selling freshly baked cinnamon buns and cinnamon bread this Sunday, March 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. The parish is also hosting a fish fry tonight, with salmon croquettes, among other things.
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