mariposa, oakland, ca

The Mariposa Baking Company in Oakland, California, was a baked-good dream come true. It's an entirely gluten-free bakery and many of their treats are so good you'd never even know they were gluten-free. While on a recent visit to the Bay Area I popped into the shop and bought cinnamon toast biscotti, cheese ravioli, a coconut cupcake and a red velvet cupcake (I'm usually a chocolate fiend for but for some reason I wasn't feeling chocolate that day), multi-grain bread, and sesame seed bagels. I was on the go, so didn't stop to eat and get coffee in the cafe area. You can get many of their baked goods fresh on the spot, with a cup of coffee or tea to complete your snack.

The biscotti, ravioli, and cupcakes were totally awesome. The ravioli was one of those items that, to me, tasted exactly like the "real" thing. The cupcakes were moist and cakey and my non-gf husband liked them a lot too. The package of biscotti lasted me for several days' worth of afternoon tea times.

The bread and bagels weren't bad, but were noticeably gluten-free. Part of the quality issues were admittedly my own doing, because I left them in the refrigerator for several days, then they lived in the back of the car and in a hotel room for several days before I got around to eating them. Not exactly ideal conditions. But they toasted well and were a good vehicle for jams and cream cheese.

At the cafe in Oakland, they serve pizza by the slice daily from noon to 3:00 pm. They have a shop in the San Francisco Ferry Building (I don't believe it's a cafe, but I don't know for sure) and some of their products are available at nationwide retailers such as Whole Foods. You can also order their products online (and they're having a special right now -- a free brownie with the online purchase of a gift set -- I don't know how long this offer lasts, but a certain gf blogger has a birthday coming up next week...). :) They also supply pizza crusts for several restaurants in the Bay Area. Check their website for more information on locations, distribution, and special offers. I unfortunately did not have a chance to try the pizza, so someone else will have to try it and report back to me.

Mariposa is a must-visit for anyone living in or traveling through the Bay Area. In the Oakland location there's ample parking and the San Francisco location is easily reachable by BART.

*I was not compensated in any way for this post. All items were purchased by me for personal consumption.