[Photographs: Erin Zimmer]

Morning buns from La Farine, the French bakery with three locations in the Bay Area, are muffin-shaped but so far from muffins. Flaky, thin croissant layers swirl up around the top like a snail shell, and get a drizzle of cinnamon sugar granules. You pull apart feathery pieces like you're eating a cinnamon roll, except it's not nearly as dense, gooey, or sweet. Tan and crispy around the edges with tender pastry insides, these morning buns are good even when they're not baked-seconds-ago fresh—they could easily be called anytime buns.

La Farine

6323 College Avenue, Oakland CA 94618 (map)
510-654-0338