Megan Wilkes and Mary Gauntt took the city's pie game to a new level when they set up shop in a Bishop Arts 1930s bungalow in 2012. And now, with three ouposts (Bishop Arts, Deep Ellum and McKinney) under their belts, folks don't have to go far to get their fix. Their signature pick is the Smooth Operator, a French silk chocolate pie with a pretzel crust. Other must-haves include red velvet chess and a deep-dish caramel apple pie with a crispy cinnamon streusel topping. Take it to-go or have a seat in the shop where you can enjoy a slice with ice cream and coffee.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Emporium Pies offers unique pie flavors that you won't see anywhere else.
Ilene's expert tip: Find two parking lots just west of Bishop on Melba on the north and south sides of the street with ample parking. There's also a 15-minute pie pickup spot next to the shop.
Who'd have thought a haven for beer drinkers would double as a place to get a sugar fix? Set inside BrainDead Brewing in Deep Ellum, Sugar Fang Bakery is where you'll find pastry chef Amaris Riddle and her team turning out enticing vegan sweets behind a shoe-box sized case. While the daily changing selection is small, expect to find an assortment of cupcakes, pop tarts, cookies, whoopie pies, blondies and brownies. The best sellers are their "skullets," a skull shaped doughnut-cupcake hybrid that's filled, glazed and frosted. Recent sightings include one with prickly pear jam and cinnamon-ancho buttercream icing.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Sugar Fang Bakery is the best place to satisfy the late-night munchies.
Ilene's expert tip: Sugar Fang stays open until midnight, Sunday-Thursday, and until 2 a.m. on weekends. Street parking is free until 6 p.m. on weekdays.
This iconic Guatemalan chain has built up a loyal fan base ever since landing its first stateside location near downtown Dallas in late 2018. Part café, part bakery, expect to find scores of baked goods, ranging from croissants filled with flavors like guava and cream cheese to a variety of pastries, cookies, cakes, savory empanadas and breads. Aside from the bakery, San Martin operates a full-service restaurant which features everything from coffees and handcrafted beverages to Central American breakfast specialties alongside a solid lineup of salads, sandwiches, pasta and pizza.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Sam Martin Bakery is where to find traditional Central American baked goods.
Ilene's expert tip: There's plenty of free parking available in the back of the restaurant. Score discounted bread and pastries in the bakery after 5 p.m.
From the looks of Reverie's selection of taste-temping treats, you'd never guess that everything here has been made with nary an egg or dairy product in sight. The bakery is the brainchild of pastry chefs Nancy Castillo and Racene Mendoza who opened the shop in 2013 with the goal to provide healthy, high quality vegan pastries that taste the same or better their non-vegan counterparts. We're talking cinnamon rolls, donuts, kolaches, cannelloni, cheesecake, pies, cakes and more, most of which are offered in gluten-free versions as well. Follow on Facebook to find out about specialty items and seasonal treats that are not listed on the website menu.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Reverie offers the largest selection of vegan and gluten-free baked goods in the area.
Ilene's expert tip: Come early for the best selection. Note that they also do exquisite custom-made cakes, cookies and cupcakes.
Opened in 2016 at the Dallas Farmers Market, this tiny Italian bakery comes from Corrado Palmieri, a former investment banker and SMU MBA graduate who wanted to showcase the Italian pastries he grew up baking with his grandmother in Southern Italy. In fact, this is probably the only place in the city where you can score a pasticciotto, a traditional custard tart from Lecce, Puglia. Other sweet treats include cornettos (cream-filled Italian croissants), vanilla cream graffas, which are like donuts, and cannoncinos, a horn-shaped pastry filled with milk chocolate or vanilla-lemon cream. Savory pastries, house-made gelato, tea and Italian coffee drinks are also on offer.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Palmieri Cafe is the only place in Dallas to find authentic Southern Italian pastries.
Ilene's expert tip: Be aware that many items often sell out early. It's best to call ahead if you want to order something specific.
This charming boutique bakery and café in Lakewood comes by way of Kelly Ball, who has built a loyal fan-base through her catering business, Naturally Curly Cook. The bakery is known for its deep-dish quiches, which come in a variety of flavors ranging from a classic Lorraine to mushroom & goat cheese, and chorizo with queso fresco. Also on offer are croissants, scones, cookies, pies, cakes, cinnamon rolls and muffins. Not-to-be-missed are her savory kolaches with unique fillings like apples, Havarti and pomegranate jelly. Did we mention the Nutella knots?
Recommended for Bakeries because: The baked goods at Leila Bakery are best enjoyed in-house with an espresso or cappuccino.
Ilene's expert tip: Leila also offers gluten-free, vegan energy bars. The café plans to offer soups, salads and sandwiches in the near future.
Step into Boulangerie and you could swear you've landed in a bakery somewhere in France. Not only does the décor exude French charm, but the shop's artisan breads and viennoiseries are as good as any found across the Atlantic. This, of course, should come as no surprise considering San Francisco Baking Institute alum and owner Clint Cooper honed his baking skills by apprenticing in small bakeries around France. Come here for crusty baguettes and rustic boules as well as pain au chocolat, laminated brioches and a variety of sweet and savory croissants. If you've never had a kouign amann before, this is the place to try one. And don't even get us started on their canelés de Bordeaux.
Recommended for Bakeries because: Boulangerie is the best place to score kouign amann and canelés de Bordeaux.
Ilene's expert tip: They sell out of baked goods often, so if there's something special you want, be sure to call and ask to have it saved for you. Also note that there's another location in the Design District.
There's no doubt that world-renown pastry shop La Tarte Tropézienne is certain to be a hit when it opens its first location outside of France beneath the Joule Hotel this spring (2020). The Saint-Tropez-based bakery, established by Alexandre Micka in 1955, is best known for its eponymous tarte, a rich cream-filled French brioche coated with pearl sugar. In addition to the famed tarte, customers can also look forward to tucking into a variety of croissants and other pastries as well as savories like charcuterie, salads, sandwiches and quiches. A wine and bubbles bar with caviar will be featured as well.
Recommended for Bakeries because: La Tarte Tropézienne is the only place in the country to pick up the famed namesake tarte.
Ilene's expert tip: Until it opens, customers can pick up orders to-go at the restaurant. Happy Hour is also in the plans. Valet parking is offered at the Joule.
Anyone with a macaron obsession should head to Bisou Bisou, a small French patisserie in Uptown helmed by Le Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef Andrea Meyer. Offered individually as well as by the half-dozen and dozen, flavors run the gamut from pistachio and salted caramel to toasted coconut, passionfruit and tiramisu. However, the goods don't stop at macarons, Meyer also knocks out incredible eclairs, tarts, tea cakes, cakes and cookies plus savory croissants, scones and cruffins. Want to learn how to create your own deliciousness at home? Then be sure to check out the lineup of weekend pastry making classes.
Recommended for Bakeries because: The macarons tend to get all the hype, but this place rocks when it comes to eclairs too.
Ilene's expert tip: Receive a free macaron when you sign up for the newsletter on the website.
After several years of supplying picture-perfect pastries and breads to area restaurants and coffee shops, pastry chef Maricsa Trejo and her boyfriend-partner, Alex Henderson, have recently launched a retail store in the front of their production space in Richardson. Only open to the public on Saturdays until noon, expect to find a rotating lineup of croissants, cruffins, hand pies, cakes, scones and other carb-friendly treats. Some of the highlights include milk & honey croissants, spinach feta scones, and if you're lucky, churro cruffins filled with dulce de leche. Also in the plans are sandwiches and ice cream as well as expanded opening hours.
Recommended for Bakeries because: La Casita offers some of the area's most unique bakery treats.
Ilene's expert tip: Come early, the shop is known to run out of things quickly. Also be prepared to wait in line.