Hoffman's Bakery Satisfies All Cravings

Hoffman's offers up traditional German feasts, but try to save room for dessert

By Karen Petersen
Good Times, Nov. 26, 2008

From plump vinyl seat cushions rise head-high teal and gold upholstered booth backs, distinguishing the dining area from retail bakery cases at Hoffman's Bistro and Patisserie . Traditional rectangular chocolate croissants joined macaroons and statuesque pumpkin cheesecakes. Owner Ed Hoffman is a wedding cake master, creating award-winning cakes for more than 20 years.

At breakfast, the tables were laden with friends and associates enjoying coffee from Santa Cruz Roasting Company , San Francisco's Mighty Leaf tea, and fair trade organic SLO Chai . On the multifaceted morning menu, scrambles, frittatas, omelets, waffles, and sourdough French toast joined specials like Huevos Rancheros.

The Salmon Eggs Benedict ($11) featured three perfectly poached eggs with tender whites and liquid centers topping a thick piece of crisp sourdough bread and house-cured gravlax. Billed as "the best Benedicts in town", the creamy custard-yellow hollandaise sauce was rich and made the way I like it, tangy with lemon. Benedicts are also available with ham, as well as a vegetarian combination of tomatoes and sautéed spinach.

Egg dishes are served with a generous helping of skin-on home fry-style potatoes, and your choice of toast, croissant, or scone. I opted for the latter. On its triangular top, the oven had morphed sprinkled sugar into a shiny crust, its crumbly pastry holding sweet cranberries.

In the evenings, a cascade of tiny white lights line the front picture windows. Bread quickly arrived bearing piquant freshly diced garlic on cheese-topped broiled sandwich rolls.

The cylindrical Crab Cakes ($12) appetizer judiciously included sweet red peppers that didn't overwhelm the flavor of the crab or lustrous buerre blanc sauce. Flaky, fluted pastry held the Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart ($9). The earthiness of the broiled cheese filling was softened by the candy-like onions and sweet-acid balance of the dried tomato compote.

At Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 5 to 6 p.m., both of these appetizers are half price, supplemented by a selection of four wines by the glass ($3.50) and four premium beers ($2.50). Live jazz serenades supper nightly at 6:30 p.m.