Bakesale Betty
With a flippy blue wig and a campy persona, Bakesale Betty (known in her off-hours as Alison Barakat) has carved out her own niche of homey, out-of-this-world baked items that you wish your mom used to make. After moving to the Bay Area five years ago from Sydney, Australia, Betty landed a job as a line cook at Chez Panisse. In her off-hours she peddled her baked goods at the Walnut Creek, Alameda, and Danville farmers markets. Finally, in 2002, she decided to pursue the bakery biz full-time, and just a few weeks ago, opened her own bakery.
Located on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and 51st Street in Oakland’s up-and-coming (or has it already arrived) Temescal District, Betty’s new bakeshop is awash in bright hues of red and green, with retro ironing boards displaying her wares. Lined up along the countertop were rows and rows of her famous chewy ginger cookies and her succulent, dense, moist banana bread (which by the way is probably the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted).
In the back, as Betty and fellow bakers sampled what looked to be a heavenly strawberry shortcake, we tasted delicious nut-free brownies. Chewy, cakey, with the perfect crunchy outer crust, these are what brownies should taste like. Betty also sells lemon bars, rhubarb scones, sticky date pudding (another one of my all-time faves!), and oatmeal-raisin cookies (with walnuts). Soon to come are cakes and pies; she even plans to use special pie warmers so that customers can leave the bakery with a nice warm pie. Just like mom used to make and wouldn’t let you have.
There are a lot of fantastic bakeries in the Bay Area, but Bakesale Betty is unique, taking the comforts of home and making those special, take-you-back-to-childhood treats better than anyone else. Isn’t it nice to just swing by the local bakery and grab a thick slice of chewy honey-sweet banana bread to go with your coffee in the morning? I’m on my way now…
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Category: baking and bakeries, bay area, Bay Area Bites Food + Drink, chefs, local food businesses
About the Author (Author Archive)
My life is, in a lot of ways, devoted to food. I've been a baker, a cook, a bartender, a waiter, a restaurant host, a restaurant critic, a food writer, a caterer, a food stylist, a prop stylist, a hand model, a food photographer, and an editor (all with varying degrees of success). I currently make my living as a cookbook editor and a writer. I'm addicted to cookbooks. I even have a (small) room nearly devoted to them. Well that and my baking table. I love British chefs. They are so where it's at. And they make gorgeous cookbooks. I love Fergus Henderson, Nigel Slater, Jamie Oliver, and Anthony Bourdain (even though he's not a Brit). I cannot wait to eat at Kitchin in Edinburgh. Someday I'd love to meet Ferran Adria. I'm incredibly opinionated about food, and probably a wee bit arrogant (about food that is). I am a huge believer in local, seasonal, sustainable, organic food and a big supporter of small farms and artisan producers. I love farmers' markets, and not just the one at the Ferry Building. I feel very lucky to be able to live in San Francisco, and have access to such an incredible array of artisan foodstuffs, produce, meats and seafoods. I like culinary adventures and I'll try (just about) anything once. Some of my more memorable food adventures: digging a deep BBQ pit and burying a whole pig; roasting a whole pig on a spit; making a paella for 150 people over an open fire on the hottest day of the summer, but really enjoying the frozen margaritas that were handed to me; clam digging on Puget Sound; the Pig Dinner at Manresa; curing my own charcuterie; making beer that was actually quite good; and slinging spirits at St. George. (I'm finally starting to learn more about wine and spirits, in particular, Italian wine and Scotch whisky, two new loves in my life.)Subscribe
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in2jazz
